THE MOST COMMON INTERIOR DESIGNS MISTAKES TO AVOID

A few small tweaks to your space can make all the difference. Knowing right from wrong can transpire a cramped and chaotic space into one that is organized and tranquil, can create a sense of order and balance. Read on as we help clarify what’s right and what’s wrong.

1. Don’t over-furnish your room

It doesn’t take much for a room to turn from well planned and thought out to one that closely resembles a dumping ground of collected furniture and accessories. Your furniture should fill your space and create a space that is both appealing as well as functional. There should be enough space in the room to create movement and flow. A room should never look and feel cramped. If it does, try moving or removing one piece to see if this helps.
Sometimes it’s not a matter of too much furniture, but the placement of the furniture itself. If after moving a piece or two around, your space still feels tight, then remove a piece altogether. You’ll be amazed at the difference it makes. Overly furnished rooms not only make your room seem smaller than it is, but can also make it hard to maneuver around. This tip is extremely important when trying to sell your home as it will turn off potential buyers.

2. Don’t try to squeeze into something that doesn’t fit.

Like a pair of jeans that are too small, furniture must also fit. Furniture that is too small will make your room seem unbalanced and awkward and might even make it seem more like a dollhouse – this is certainly not a look we’re after! Conversely a room whose furniture is too large will also feel unbalanced and cramped.
Before you move your furniture, and certainly before you purchase new furniture – whether couches, tables, dressers or beds – be sure to measure both the furniture as well as the room, for height, width and depth. Not doing so could end up being a very costly mistake.

3. Don’t be a clutter-bug!

There’s no need to over-clutter. In terms of accessories less is more, as with furniture. A sense of order balance, calm, flow and movement are essential to any well decorated space. When there is too much clutter there is too much distraction and order becomes discord. Clutter can be easily remedied by removing a few things. Take a look at what you have and divide them into three categories:

1. The things that matter
2. The things that are important
3. Those things that you can do without.
4. Remove all that you can do without. If necessary repeat until you have removed enough items and order and balance has been restored.

4. Don’t be a victim of poor lighting.

Lighting is key. It is one of the most important elements of design. Your space should have as much natural lighting as possible.  Do not block natural light sources with poorly placed curtains and accessories. Even a cloudy day allows for a lot of natural light to pour in. Enhance natural light with the placement of mirrors directly across your source to allow the light to bounce around the room. You will want to add to your overhead lighting.
You should have more than one source illuminating your room. Add proportionally sized and well placed lamps and sconces  to enhance your lighting when needed. Your lighting should be bright enough to to function under but not so bright that it is jarring. Dimmers should be added to all ceiling and overhead lighting.

5. Don’t pick your furniture before you pick your paint colors.

Choosing your paint color before your furnishings (couches, rugs, etc.) It will be much harder to match to match furniture to an already painted wall than the other way around. We suggest working first with your couch or couches. Do bring fabric swatches to your paint store to help select your color palette. This mistake is common and can create more work for yourself while designing your interiors.
Bring several paint swatches home and test again at home. We also strongly encourage you to test out several shades of your preferred color on your walls before you start painting them. While paint swatches are very accurate a room’s natural lighting at various stages of the day does change and this will affect the color of your walls. Leave your paint swatches on for at least 24 hours before selecting your final color.

6. Don’t underestimate the importance of budgeting.

Don’t be too eager. Don’t buy too much. Don’t buy everything all at once. And don’t overspend. Buy the best that you can afford today – not what you think you will be able to afford tomorrow. Make a budget and stick to it. You don’t have to have everything all at once. A well decorated space is one that is curated over time so it’s best to go slowly and build slowly.

7. Not enough variety.

Don’t buy all your stuff from the same source or store. You do want everything to coordinate, but you don’t want everything to match. A well decorated space has personality and dimension and this simply cannot happen if everything looks the same. You may want to recreate a look from your favorite mail order catalog, but chances are your space will still not look the same.

8. Don’t hide your windows.

Hanging curtain rods too low is a very common mistake. Curtain rods should be hung as close to the ceiling as possible to create a sense of height and largess. Rods that are hung too low make a ceiling feel lower, and can make a room feel a lot smaller than it is. A sense of scale and proportion has been tossed and most likely windows will appear dwarfed and valuable, natural sunlight will be blocked.

9. Don’t back your furniture up against the walls.

This may be, perhaps, the most common mistake novices make. What you want to do is to push your furniture together and create an intimate setting  that is conducive to good conversation. By creating this grouping you will create a flow that will allow people to move in between and around the furniture.
By pushing the pieces together you’re creating a small scene. Of course, we are not telling you not to place any furniture along the walls, we just don’t want you to put it all there… unless you’re planning on having a large party and want to create a dance floor in the middle!

10. Don’t have a focal point.

A focal point gives you direction and order. Find that one thing that you want people to take notice of when they enter a room. It should be something large and bold – something that makes a statement. Opt for something like a large bay window, fireplace or a large piece of artwork. Work from there and build out and around it. Your room will look well thought out, organized and balanced. It is possible, and acceptable, to have more than one focal point.

MSASANI PENINSULA DAR TANZANIA INTERIOR DESIGNING

COUNTRY PROJECT:        TANZANIA
SPECIFIC LOCALITY:       MSASANI PENINSULA DAREESALAM
CLIENT:                                    MR. NICK
PROJECT SPECIFIC:         FULL MAKE OVER INTERIOR DESIGNING
SERVICE PROVIDER:       GOLDENSCAPE 
COMMENCED DATE:         09 FEBRUARY 2012
COMPLETION DATE:        28 MARCH 2012

PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The project involved the full make over interior designing of all rooms, suggesting new furniture for each and every room  to recreate them again

HOW TO LAY OUT INTERIOR LIGHTINING

Lighting solutions vary by room and by design, and understanding the principles of light helps you get the most out of your lighting choices. The type of lights you choose change the mood and feel of a room, because different lights illuminate surfaces differently. Layout is an important element in making sure you have the right light for the right situation, so your rooms and design features are well lit year-round.

Chandeliers and Pendant Lights

As a rule, chandeliers and pendant lights benefit the most from being centered in a space. One ideal spot for a chandelier is directly above the center of an entryway. Or, if there is a larger foyer beyond that, you should center it in that area, where people can appreciate the beauty of the lighting feature as they enter. Pendant lights are similar to chandeliers in that they hang from the ceiling, but they are generally far less grandiose in terms of size and design. Pendant lights are more common above kitchen tables or in the middle of a kitchen. Hang a pendant light in a central location to light the whole room, or center it above a table to combine design with functionality.

Wall Lights

The best layout for wall lights is to space them evenly on the wall across its length. For example, on a 9-foot long wall, the best placement would be lights hung every 3 feet across the wall. The number of lights is based entirely upon personal preference, the caveat being that even spacing creates the most visually appealing layout. As far as height, eye level is the best option, but you can place them higher or lower based on personal preference.

Track Lighting

If you want to illuminate specific design features, adjustable track lighting, which can be pointed in any direction, is your best choice. An example of a good spot for track lighting is on the ceiling of a hallway with three wall paintings, the lamps pointed to illuminate the paintings. Track lights are common above bars and kitchen islands and are distinct from pendant lighting, which illuminates the whole room. Stationary track lighting systems also are available. You can mount track systems anywhere you desire, on ceilings or walls.

Recessed Lighting

Recessed lighting isn't a solution to illuminate a room but to shine on specific elements directly below. Because the lights are recessed in cans within the ceiling, the majority of the light from the bulbs is trapped within the recess, as opposed to spreading out and hitting the walls, where the eye perceives how well-lit a room is. Recessed lighting is ideal for creating a focal point, such as a pool or dining table, a bar area, a kitchen island or a desk. They can be used in conjunction with traditional lights, but as a rule they don't work as a lighting solution for an entire room. If you're using them to add a subtle glow to a room, place them across the ceiling, spaced out depending on how many lights you want.

HOW TO DECORATE A LONG INTERIOR WALL.

Hanging mirrors on a wall helps illuminate the space.

Techniques for decorating a long interior wall depend on the wall's function. A narrow hallway can feel claustrophobic or underdesigned, and decorations can solve either problem. The wall of an open-plan great room can guide the eye through the transition from one living space to another, provide storage or showcase your taste. When you set out to decorate a long wall, know what effect you want to create or what problem you want to solve. It will help you whittle down the wealth of options a large expanse of wall provides.

Hang light-colored wallpaper with a quiet or subtle pattern in a narrow hallway. Narrow spaces become overwhelming when you decorate them too extensively, so keep it simple. At about eye level, install two or three wall pouches containing dried flowers or short willow branches along the wall to add interest.

2

Install a chair rail or wainscoting in a wider hallway or on a wall in a great room. Above the molding, hang sconce lights at regular intervals. Choose light fixtures in the same color family as the wainscoting or chair rail so they coordinate. Hang fine artwork between the sconces if desired to heighten the formality.

3

Attach wooden planks from floor to ceiling at regular intervals along a hallway to create a rustic effect. Paint the walls between the planks in a textured or distressed white.

4

Separate a great room into usable living spaces by hanging different types of decor on the wall in the different areas. For example, hang clusters of family photographs in the living space, paneled wall art in the dining area and mirrors to bring extra light into the kitchen.

5

Build shelves into a long wall for extra storage, then use them to display accessories, books or kitchen supplies, depending on what room the wall borders. Combining form and function like this turns a long wall into usable space.

MBEZI BEACH INTERIOR DESIGN RESIDENTIAL PROJECT IN DAR TANZANIA

COUNTRY PROJECT:        TANZANIA
SPECIFIC LOCALITY:       MBEZI BEACH DAREESALAM
CLIENT:                                MRS. AGNES
PROJECT SPECIFIC:         FULL MAKE OVER INTERIOR DESIGNING
SERVICE PROVIDER:       GOLDENSCAPE 
COMMENCED DATE:        12 MARCH 2013
 COMPLETION DATE:       16 APRIL 2013

PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The project involved full interior design makeover, paneling, painting, interior renovations, flooring etc.

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LIGHTING FOR INTERIOR CEILINGS

When it comes to lighting your home from the ceiling, you can choose styles ranging from chandeliers to recessed lighting, track lighting, fluorescent bars and more. Each style has its own way of lighting a room, so you'll want to choose the fixture based on a mixture of functionality and design, depending on the room.

Chandeliers

Chandeliers provide a large, central fixture. They commonly appear in entryways, but you may find them in dining rooms, bedrooms or any area where there is a wide-open space and sufficient ceiling height to allow for the chandelier to be hung and still provide clearance for individuals walking through. One way to tie in chandeliers with the overall design of the home is to use them in conjunction with centralized floor patterns, such as a hardwood floor inset in the middle of a living room or a natural stone tile medallion set in the center of an entryway.

Track Lighting

Track lighting can be on stable tracks, hung from flexible cables, be straight or spiraled, have open bulbs or be encased. One way to use track lighting is above a stand-alone bar, such as in the kitchen or a finished basement, with the lighting focusing directly downward onto the surface. The earliest versions of track lighting were straight tracks, but modern variants can include complex patterns and lights that are set at different heights. Many track lighting systems are fully adjustable so you can point the lights in the direction you desire.

Ceiling Fan Combo

A ceiling fan and light combination is more useful in bedrooms and small areas as opposed to wide-open spaces. Ceiling fans often are mounted in a centralized location, and if you are working with a single unit, you are limited by however many light fixtures that particular ceiling fan has. However, multi-fixture units are available that disperse more light. In addition, if you are working in a larger, more open space and have the room to mount more than one ceiling fan, you can generate more light than just a single unit. On top of the light provided, you have the dual-purpose benefit of air circulation, which can help circulate cold or warm air depending on the direction of the fan blades, helping you be warmer or cooler.

Recessed Lighting

Recessed lighting is more for design purposes than for actually lighting an entire room. Because human beings perceive light based upon vertical surfaces more than horizontal, recessed lighting -- also known as can lighting -- does not always provide the most illumination. However, it is ideal for areas where the light specifically shines down onto a surface, such as a desk, shower or bar top. Recessed lights do little toward providing lighting for an entire room, but they create a certain visual appeal that may help define a space within a room while a chandelier or drop-down light fixture provides illumination for the rest of the room.

WHY INTERIOR DESIGN IS VERY ESSENTIAL WHEN SELLING YOUR HOME

The decision to list your home for resale is a big one. No doubt it came about after much thought, weighing pros and cons, and series of long discussions. However, once you decide to put your home on the market, get ready for the next big discussion: interior design.
Many times sellers assume that interior design is a waste. If you are look to get as much money as possible out of your home, why would you put money back into it just to make look prettier for the new owners?
While this line of thinking seems reasonable at first, listing a home without at least tweaking the interior design can seriously harm your chances of finding a buyer and lower your final profit. Read on to find out why interior design is essential when listing your home.

Interior Design Generates Traffic

The first step toward putting any home up for sale is marketing it. When potential buyers look for a home, they are sent listings via email. Each property listing includes a short bio of the home, figures about how many bedrooms/bathrooms/square feet, etc, and some photos. Based on this information, the buyers decide which homes they would like to see.
Since buyers often look at multiple listings at once, it’s critical that you make your property stand out in the crowd – and that’s where interior design comes into play.
There are often lots of homes with similar in terms of square footage and number of bedrooms, so the choice to view one home over another comes down to the photos. Given the choice of two like properties, would choose the one that has newer appliances and a cohesive design or the one that looks like it hasn’t been updated in over a decade?
At the end of the day, interior design helps bring traffic to your property. The greater the number of people that view your home, the more likely it is that someone will submit an offer to purchase. Why not use interior design to give you that extra edge? 

Interior Design Defines Purpose

After all the years spent living in your home, you undoubtedly have a pretty solid idea of how to use the space. For instance, you may know that your kitchen table will comfortably seat four, but for anything bigger you need to use the dining room. Or, that your spare bedroom is the perfect spot for a home office.
Potential buyers want you to share that knowledge. When they look at a home during a showing, they are looking for visual clues on how to use the space most effectively. If they aren’t clues, that confusion can cause them to look toward another property. Use interior design to make sure they get a clear picture.
When working on your interior design for resale. Make sure to give every room a specific purpose. Leave only the furniture, appliances, and accessories needed to communicate that purpose in the room and get rid of any clutter.

Interior Design Adds a Fresh Approach

Yes, since your home has been previously owned, potential buyers should walk in expecting to see a certain amount of wear and tear. If they are opposed to that, they should be looking exclusively at new construction. That said, taking the time to spruce things up may generate more offers.
Think about if you were to buy a used car. Before you drive it off the lot, you’d expect the dealership to have washed and buffed the exterior, vacuumed out the inside, and even taken the time to spray some of that infamous “new car smell”. And, rightly so. You wouldn’t want to purchase a car that was full of someone else’s food crumbs and muddy footprints, would you?
Revamping the interior design in your home works in much the same way. Though you are still leaving the bones of the house intact, a new coat of paint or some fresh carpeting will leave the home feeling fresh and new, which will leave buyers feeling better about the final product they’ll receive for the (considerably large) amount of money they’re about to spend. That comfort level could generate more offers.

Interior Design Adds Value

There’s no dying that selling a house is about money. As a seller, it’s only natural that you would want the biggest return possible on your home’s resale. Believe it or not, putting some money into interior design now can help you get a bigger purchase price later.
When a real estate agent determines the correct list price for your home, he or she looks at the features that your home has to offer and then compares those features to similar homes that are currently on the market or have been sold recently. Some of these features include: location, square footage, and interior design.
There’s nothing you can do to improve the first two factors. If your lot is near a major road it will always sell for less than a similar property in a quiet neighborhood. Same for a property with tiny rooms compared to a home with spacious ones. But, the interior design is well within your control.
Factors such as kitchen upgrades, bathroom remodels, and whether or not you have a finished basement are taken into account when deciding to list one property higher than another. They are also a consideration when the buyers decide how much to offer. Sloppy design is more likely to generate a low-ball offer than one where pulled together interior lends credence to value
The right interior design investment now may pay off big later.

It’s easy to understand why the debate on whether to refresh your interior design for resale can be a fierce one. While it may seem silly to invest money into a property that you intend to sell, the benefits far outweigh the initial payout. With an increase of traffic, buyer appeal, and value, it’s easy to see why interior design is essential when listing your home. Use this as a springboard to help you get started.
What’s your favorite interior design tip? We’d love to know what helps influence your home.