9 Design Details You Might Have Overlooked
A designer shares key decorating moves that homeowners often don't think about
tidgboutique
10 November 2015
Toronto Interior Design Group is a trusted one-stop-shop residential interior design concierge boutique-style firm crafting timeless interiors.
Toronto Interior Design Group is a trusted one-stop-shop residential interior design... More
Ever finished decorating a room, stood back and thought, “Why doesn’t this look right?” Sometimes the things that create a satisfyingly complete look can be subtle, especially when you don’t know what to look for. To help you add these finishing touches, here are nine of the most common details I think homeowners often miss.
1. Full-height cabinets. Luxurious custom cabinets won’t look luxe if they end at an arbitrary height with dead space above, which is then often cluttered up with unnecessary decor in an attempt to fill the void. Stacking a small cabinet on top, or closing in the space with a solid filler piece (or molding), creates a much more polished look.
When taking cabinets to the ceiling isn’t realistic — for example, if the ceiling is tall or angled — create a finished look by tiling the room to its full height. Using a simple porcelain subway tile achieves this beautifully on a reasonable budget.
Use the open area to display one large piece of art; otherwise let it remain free of extraneous baskets and bins.
Your Guide to Choosing Kitchen Cabinets
Use the open area to display one large piece of art; otherwise let it remain free of extraneous baskets and bins.
Your Guide to Choosing Kitchen Cabinets
2. Large area rugs. Even when you have beautiful floors, an area rug makes a perfect anchor to a seating area for that layered, photo-shoot-ready look — but only if the rug is large enough. If it merely floats between the seating pieces instead of tucking fully under, it’s usually better to go without one.
Try a custom-cut plain Berber carpet to get a perfectly sized rug without spending thousands of dollars.
Try a custom-cut plain Berber carpet to get a perfectly sized rug without spending thousands of dollars.
3. Layered lighting. It cannot be stressed enough: Lighting should come from more than one source in any room. Those well-spaced recessed lights won’t be enough to eliminate the shadowing that inevitably harshens a room.
Try to include task lights or spotlights, hanging lights, and table or floor lamps to get light from different directions. An extra advantage is that you can go full bright (as in this photo), then turn off a few lights for a more dim and moody atmosphere in the evening.
See more on creating a lighting plan
Try to include task lights or spotlights, hanging lights, and table or floor lamps to get light from different directions. An extra advantage is that you can go full bright (as in this photo), then turn off a few lights for a more dim and moody atmosphere in the evening.
See more on creating a lighting plan
4. Texture. A rich variety of physical and visual textures takes a room from OK to truly engaging. Here, texture makes a simple color palette look beautiful.
An easy way to add texture is to introduce a piece that includes wood, another that includes metal and another that includes glass. For a truly designer look, find places to include as many of these materials as you can: leather, paper (books or art), plush fabrics, mirrored surfaces, tufting, lacquer, basketweave, sheers, ceramics, concrete and textural patterns (like the nebulous rug shown here).
An easy way to add texture is to introduce a piece that includes wood, another that includes metal and another that includes glass. For a truly designer look, find places to include as many of these materials as you can: leather, paper (books or art), plush fabrics, mirrored surfaces, tufting, lacquer, basketweave, sheers, ceramics, concrete and textural patterns (like the nebulous rug shown here).
5. Full draperies. Draperies are not essential to every room. In fact, there’s a certain modernist charm to leaving windows completely unadorned. But when used, draperies should be in sufficient fullness and height to look like a celebration rather than a functional afterthought.
Three-foot-wide curtain panels may cover a window, but for designer fullness the material should be 2½ to three times wider than the window, and start at either the ceiling or a good 12 to 18 inches above the window line.
I designed the room shown here. The window behind the draperies is actually rather small and off-center. With the wall-to-wall drapery, you’d never know it.
Three-foot-wide curtain panels may cover a window, but for designer fullness the material should be 2½ to three times wider than the window, and start at either the ceiling or a good 12 to 18 inches above the window line.
I designed the room shown here. The window behind the draperies is actually rather small and off-center. With the wall-to-wall drapery, you’d never know it.
6. Clean lines. Whether you prefer modernist minimalism or traditional elegance, you should keep some lines clean and tight for a polished look, especially in the kitchen. Notice here how the open-shelf portion of the cabinet sits flush with the bulkhead above and the backspalsh and countertop below to form one continuous line.
Getting the cabinetry and backsplash to line up is usually quite possible, but installers may not bother to cut tile to achieve this if not instructed to do so. So you need to insist on it. It will prevent jagged edges that can make the design subconsciously read messy.
Getting the cabinetry and backsplash to line up is usually quite possible, but installers may not bother to cut tile to achieve this if not instructed to do so. So you need to insist on it. It will prevent jagged edges that can make the design subconsciously read messy.
7. Floating furnishings. In a very large space, pulling furniture away from the walls will typically create a more intimate feel (as opposed to having a “dance hall” vibe). However, even in smaller spaces, bringing some pieces away from the wall will make the room feel less boxy. An angled chair, free-floating table, floor lamp or large potted plant can make the room feel less typical and more dynamic. And don’t forget the area rug.
8. A sense of life. Try to add a sense of life to every room. A bouquet or living plant is a must-have for that styled look every day, but also try to find pieces with some personality or flaws.
The piano here doesn’t exactly match anything else, but the warm wood and sense of artistry bring the room alive whether the piano is played much or not. Toss in a quirky pillow, family heirloom or fun photo so everything doesn’t look straight out of a catalog.
The piano here doesn’t exactly match anything else, but the warm wood and sense of artistry bring the room alive whether the piano is played much or not. Toss in a quirky pillow, family heirloom or fun photo so everything doesn’t look straight out of a catalog.
9. Bonus: Tall baseboards. This may not be essential to good design, but it can elevate a space dramatically in a subtle way. When possible, I now use 9-inch or taller baseboards during renovations to give a room that stately look 24/7, even when the furnishings are simple.
Consider this for your next renovation, or add to your existing baseboards with a strip of molding a few inches above. Simply painting in the space between will create the look of a very tall baseboard through a little visual trickery.
More: 12 Key Decorating Tips to Make Any Room Better
Consider this for your next renovation, or add to your existing baseboards with a strip of molding a few inches above. Simply painting in the space between will create the look of a very tall baseboard through a little visual trickery.
More: 12 Key Decorating Tips to Make Any Room Better
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love the piano in the room...the light (chandelier)
in the bedroom however has me very perplexed...I just think anything else would be better, personal taste I suppose
I think the bedroom needs improvement. The rug (in my eye) spoils the room; both the size and color are wrong. I'd use a larger (it should not cut the bed in half) off white simple rug and the room would breath calmly rather than cough.
Love the St. John's Wood photo with a sectional and mounted on the wall TV. I have struggled with this same dilemma in our living room. Just like London's period properties with long narrow rooms we have a town house in New York City with open plan living and dining room. The sectional consumes 10' out of 13' of width and leaves too little space for an entertainement center. I have long suspected that by simply mounting the TV on the wall would give it a nice clean look and an "almost" spacious feel. Beautifully done in this photo. Perhaps the author might consider another article on long narrow rooms and how to decorate them? Thank you soo much for the advice! Beautiful article!