THE MOST ASKED INTERIOR DESIGN QUESTIONS ANSWERED

by ERIN SHARPLIN LOVE | erinlove@panachebyerin.com

As an interior stylist and decorator, I am often asked the same questions over and over. We all want our homes to feel warm and welcoming, but often have no idea where to start. With over ten years of design experience and implementation, I have learned new concepts from each beautiful home that I have encountered. And with each home, comes trial and error application until a perfectly styled and organized space is created. Although some design projects don’t follow the typical “rules” that you would find in design books and magazines, there are some universal guidelines that do apply, and I will be covering those in this article.
Below are some of the top interior design questions answered:

HOW CAN I MAKE A SMALL SPACE APPEAR BIGGER? Oh, if I had a dollar for every time this question was asked. But, don’t we all want to make the most out of the space we have? And, we all want that area to appear roomy and spacious. I know that you have heard that you shouldn’t paint a small room in a dark color, but that is actually not entirely accurate. Darker colors recede, making the walls appear further apart than they are. So, don’t always shy away from dark colors in a small space. Another trick is to make sure the furniture you use fits the space. Anything too big will eat up the space quickly. Always choose furniture with legs so you can see the floor underneath. The more floor you see, the bigger the room feels. Another trick is to angle at least one piece of furniture if possible. Furthermore, use light-reflective décor and accessories, like a glass coffee table, for instance. Other light reflective pieces could be mirrors, metallic objects, and real or faux windows.

WHAT SIZE RUG SHOULD I GET? In my opinion, bigger is always better! Go as big as you can for the size of room you have. Avoid having that one island-like small rug that fits only underneath the coffee table. That small rug creates a no-man’s land where no one wants to step. The front legs of your sofa should always be on a rug, unless you have an open floor plan where the rug serves as walls. In that instance, the entire sofa should fit nicely on the rug, along with all other relevant pieces.

WHERE CAN I FIND MORE STORAGE SPACE? No one has enough storage! The old adage is true, the more you have the more you need because you will inevitably fill it up. So, the first step in creating more storage space is to declutter. You should keep only the things you love, need, and use. Then you will be able to create the perfect home for each item. Here is my first rule of thumb – are you ready? GO VERTICAL! When all floor space is used, look to the walls to create more storage space. For instance, shallow shelving is perfect for bathroom storage while framed metal wire is great for closets and garages.

WHICH PAINT FINISH SHOULD I USE? This is a question where interior designers differ. I often hear some give the advice that a flat finish paint is best on walls, but I NEVER use a flat (matte) finish. It is hard to clean, stains easily, and can appear chalk-like in some colors. Instead, here is what I suggest: walls – eggshell, trim and doors – semigloss if white or off-white and satin if a color; cabinetry – semigloss if white or off-white and satin if a color. I love satin for colored paint because it has a slight sheen but doesn’t appear too shiny, which often dates the look.

SHOULD I HIRE A CARPENTER OR JUST BUY MY STORAGE PIECES? I am going to say this in all caps – HIRE A CARPENTER TO MAKE A BUILT-IN STORAGE PIECE! I love for a room to be cohesive, and built-in storage is the only way to make that happen. Otherwise, you will have either mismatched furniture pieces that have no rhyme or reason, or you will have perfectly matched pieces that will look dated in a few years. But if you make it appear as though it is part of the room, it will never go out of style.

WHAT SHOULD I BUY FIRST? Always start with the biggest and most-used pieces of furniture – bed, sofa, etc. Then you can work in the smaller pieces of furniture as well as the accessories as you go. Oh, and your rugs should be one of the first items purchased, too.

WHERE CAN I SAVE MONEY? You should splurge on the items that you purchase first (refer to question six) and save on the accoutrements. For instance, there is no need in spending thousands of dollars on coffee and end tables or lamps and bedside tables. A good rule of thumb is to splurge on the mainstays (bed, dining table, sofa, plumbing fixtures, lighting, etc.) and save on everything else.

When it comes to interior design, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so choose things that make you happy.

So, there you have it. The top seven questions that I am most often asked when it comes to interior design. Did I leave your question out? If so, please email me at erinlove@panachebyerin.com. I would love to help!