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PRACTICAL INTERIOR DESIGN

Good interior design follows a small set of repeatable principles — most rooms fail not because of bad taste but because fundamentals are ignored.

Lighting​

  • Layer three types of light in every room:
    • General (ambient) — overhead, fills the room
    • Task — desk lamps, reading lights, under-cabinet
    • Accent — highlights art, architecture, or texture
  • Aim for 2700K (warm white) for living spaces
  • Choose bulbs with CRI 90+ for accurate colour rendering
  • Install dimmers on every circuit — single biggest upgrade for mood

Work in 3D​

  • Most rooms feel flat because they only use the horizontal plane
  • Fill vertical space: tall shelves, art hung at eye level, floor-to-ceiling curtains

Curtain rules of thumb​

  • Mount the rod 6 inches above the window frame (or at ceiling)
  • Extend the rod 1 foot past each side of the frame
  • Use double-width fabric relative to rod width for fullness

Materials before colours​

  • Pick materials in this order:
    1. Organic — wood, linen, wool, cotton, leather
    2. Inorganic — stone, metal, ceramic, glass
    3. Synthetic — plastic, acrylic, polyester
  • Mix across categories to add warmth and visual interest
  • Colour is the last decision — the right materials make even neutrals feel rich
TIP

Start with a material palette, not a colour palette. Colours change with trends; good materials are timeless.

Furnish actions, not rooms​

  • Think about what you do in the room, then arrange furniture to support it
  • Command position — seat the main chair/sofa so your back is not to the door
  • Maintain clear traffic flow — people should walk around furniture, not through it
  • Mount the TV at seated eye level, not above the fireplace
  • Area rug sizing: at minimum, front legs of seating on the rug

Practical, beautiful, personal​

  • Everything on display should pass three filters:
    • Practical — does it serve a function?
    • Beautiful — does it look good to you?
    • Personal — does it have meaning or tell a story?
  • If an item fails all three, remove it
  • Avoid generic decor (mass-produced signs, filler art) — an empty wall is better

Clean and declutter​

  • Target the 80/20 rule — 80% of items stored, 20% visible
  • Give every item a home — if it doesn't have a place, it doesn't have a place in the room
  • A clean, sparse room will always look better than a decorated but cluttered one
INFO

Decluttering is free and has the highest impact-per-effort of any design change.

References​