Dear Marc: I am building a new house and will be designing it myself. I have heard horror stories of designs gone bad from friends who didn’t do their research prior to designing their home. Do you have a few quick tips of things I should avoid doing on my first design project?

— Tara

Dear Tara: The top rookie mistakes when designing your first project are the following:

1. Hanging art work too high. This is a common mistake for many homeowners. You shouldn’t have to look up to see the “focal point” of your art piece. The focal point of the piece is where the artist intended to draw the eye and is usually the centre of the painting. In order to determine your focal point, simply measure the piece and divide its height in half. Then take that measurement to determine the centre of the painting. You will want to hang the painting so the focal point is at eye level — five-foot seven-inches for the average person.

2. High-energy vibrant colours in a bedroom. Have you ever noticed that hotel rooms always have calm and peaceful colour schemes? Bedrooms in your home should be a place where one can relax and unwind. Calm colour schemes include pastels and neutrals. If you choose to bring in a vibrant colour in your bedroom design, do so with the use of vibrant-coloured accessories. This is a great way to have colour without overwhelming the eye.

3. The scale of furniture. Scale is of utmost importance in a home. It is quite easy to keep furniture and accessories in scale once you understand that every piece in the room connects to each other somehow. For instance, if you have a small living room it would not be wise to bring in large, overstuffed furniture as the piece will overpower the entire setting. The space will look and feel crowded. You should have furniture that is in proportion with the overall size of the room; big furniture goes in big rooms and small furniture goes in small rooms.

4. Avoid clutter. Clutter is the easiest way to fail at designing a room. It is human nature to collect things over the years. We all know someone who has so many things on their side table in their living room, you are not even sure what is there. You just see a cluster of pieces. But then there are those who have a few select accessories on their side tables. I’ll bet you can remember what is on your friend’s uncluttered side table better than the cluttered one. People tend to remember things that strike them, such as the beautiful hand-carved statue your friend picked up in Europe that sits nicely by the lamp on the table, rather than 20 little accessories cluttering up the side table.

5. Proper lighting. When I refer to the need for proper lighting, I am not referring to designer fixtures vs. everyday fixtures, but rather the actual function of the light source in a space. Many homeowners look for a great-looking fixture and don’t consider how much light the fixture will emanate. The key is to have a balance between the esthetics and the functionality of the chosen fixture. Look at the technical information regarding the fixture and be sure to have a few different options prior to purchasing a fixture.

Designing your first project should be a fun and enjoyable experience. To guarantee your project’s success, be sure to be cautious and do your research prior to starting the project.

Marc Atiyolil, home trend expert is the editor-in-chief of Home Trends Magazine, celebrity designer, and regular contributor to numerous TV, radio and print media.

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