Most asked interior design questions

Questions…

I get asked many questions from clients wanting to learn the tips, tricks and ‘rules’ in interior design so I thought I would share my most commonly asked questions. Before we delve in, I would like to say that sometimes rules are made to be broken so please don’t feel like you need to stick to them and instead view them as guidelines where appropriate.

Q: Can I mix different metal finishes in a room?

Absolutely. Metals can be treated like an accessory where you can place warmer tones against cooler tones to help bring out their colours. For example, placing a warm metal like gold or nickel against a cooler metal like silver or chrome will really pop and look richer and warmer.  To help the room not look too confused it is always best to have a dominant metal so the room feels grounded and then you can play around with pops of other metals.

Q: Can I mix different woods in a room?

I think you can guess what I am going to say here. It’s a yes from me! Again, like with the metal finishes choose a dominant wood which can be on your flooring or larger pieces of furniture and then the rest can be ‘accents’.

Q: How do I choose the right paint colour for my home?

We all see colour differently, so you’re always best asking yourself what feeling you want from the room first in order to narrow down the colour choice. Choosing a colour can also depend on whether you already have the room furnished or if you’re starting from a blank sheet. If the room is furnished you need to consider if you want a contrasting, complementary or a similar colour.

Q: What key elements can I use to elevate my room?

Accessories are a big part of this and are where you can really show an insight into you and your families lives. For example, you may have ornaments, art or books which you’ve bought whilst on holiday or have collected over the years. All of these pieces have a story to tell and will add that uniqueness to your home.

Q: What size rug should have?

In this instance – bigger is better. In a perfect world we would have all the furniture sitting on a rug, but that cannot always be the case, due to room size or budget. Therefore, I would suggest placing the front legs of the furniture on the rug.

Q: What type of lighting should I have?

I always talk about layering lighting with my clients. You want to make sure that you have a mix of different types of lighting to create different ambiences. Lighting is just as important as the wall colour and furnishings.