10 Interior Design Mistakes Throwing Your Home Off Balance And What To Do Instead

[@BalanceRhythm]

Hi Everyone! I hope you enjoyed this video on identifying and correcting the things that can throw our rooms off balance. Let me know your thoughts! ❤Liz

[@creekbanks]

Keep on dropping those gems, Balance+Rhythm, especially the art hanging and rug placement, so many people do this. You are awesome at what you do.

[@BalanceRhythm]

Thanks, Cara!

[@lisas8244]

As a fellow interior designer I applaud the majority of your tips. However, I disagree with the general advice on draperies. The length of the draperies depends on the fabric you are using, the look you are trying to create and whether the client has pets who will lay on the puddled drapery. A lighter look using more sheer fabric such as gauze certainly can include puddled draperies. A cotton print with lining can look messy or unintended and ill-fitting scrunched on the floor. My rule of thumb is that for any stiffer fabric that wouldn't puddle nicely draperies hang at 1/4" off the floor. This gives a crisp, custom look and keeps the bottom of the draperies from soiling. I tend to make certain that elements are practical as well as beautiful and I believe clients appreciate that. Thank you for this wholly important advice on good interior design. It is valuable information.

[@BalanceRhythm]

Hi Lisa! My pleasure! Thanks so much for the feedback and your good advice on the drapery - 1/4" is barely perceptible and is a great solution for the situations you mentioned or if that's the client's preference. ~Liz

[@lisas8244]

@@BalanceRhythm Thank you for the nice comment. I enjoyed your video and learned some things myself. I look forward to more on your channel!

[@cynthiajohnston424]

Well said ! As a former interior designer & lifetime pet owner , many design concepts must take pets into consideration . Personally , I had to give up on owning a coffee table as my Lab slept under it & would stand up to stretch before crawling out from under it ! 🙂

[@lisas8244]

@@cynthiajohnston424 LOL! I also owned a Lab and had to give up all pretty accessories at tail level as her tail was in a constant wag sweeping all things off my coffee table constantly. She was much like a bull in a china shop. Labs are nothing if not exuberant. It was a no brainer because I loved her more than accessories. And I love accessories a lot! Such a funny story. Thank you for for sharing your funny and endearing story. There is no other dog like a Lab.

[@cynthiajohnston424]

@@lisas8244 💙 Also the Lab tail & Christmas tree ornaments placed only above wagging tail height ! I often think of the advice on British country house interior design : " It must include a dog on every chair & sofa " . 🐾🐾💙

[@creekbanks]

Of course, these are all general design arrangements. A good decorator / designer will sit down with a client and discuss relevant aspects of their lifestyle to create a beautiful functional space they look forward to coming home to at the end of the day. This includes, pets and their habits, allergies, entertaining, hobbies, family size, budget, etc.

[@BalanceRhythm]

So true! That's why I always preface these types of videos with the disclaimer to do what works best for your space. When working one on one with clients these issues are always addressed up front during the programming phase but it's impossible to do here. ~Liz

[@gailwilliams5278]

This is an excellent overview, concise and understandable, with great examples (good and bad).

[@BalanceRhythm]

Thanks, Gail! I'm so glad you think so! ~Liz

[@tracyvision]

Helpful tips, as always. I agree, sometimes it’s very instructive to see mistakes! Thanks!

[@BalanceRhythm]

Hi Tracy! My pleasure! I'm glad it was helpful. ~Liz

[@simpleinspiredliving3938]

Found your channel thru you tube algorithm . Really loved it. You have included so many beautiful photos when giving an example. Very well informed and researched subject material. Your voice is very soothing to the ears. Good channel.

[@BalanceRhythm]

Thank you so much! I'm so glad you're enjoying it! ~Liz

[@Fio_Rellie]

Love it, thank you so much! Where is the coffee table at 2:34 from?

[@BalanceRhythm]

It's my pleasure! That's a stock image but I did find a very similar one. Go to article.com and search for Vitri Walnut Coffee Table. ~Liz

[@janethunt4037]

Thank you for putting this together. Very helpful tips. You were clear and concise.

[@BalanceRhythm]

Hi Janet! You're welcome. I'm so glad it was helpful. ~Liz

[@clwest3538]

Great tips - especially the 'sizing' of coffee table & art above the sofa ... My personal concern is baseboard heater in front of all my windows .... you're correct, the short drapes looked goofy so I am on the search for some type of shade that looks decent.

[@BalanceRhythm]

Hi CL! I'm glad you like the tips. Shades are a great way to go in your case. You can frame them with drapery panels on each side if you have space and you like the look. ~Liz

[@janiceschad9630]

I also have my heating registers below each window. I have no choice but to use short drapes/curtains and I dislike the look.

[@youbetcha108]

It depends on how you do it. I use three layers. Valance side panels more like oversized jabots sheers and shades. I have steam heat registers under all my windows. And I love curtains ! My husband also appreciated the insulating nature of the side panels to keep out the cold. Whatever happened to advising people on smart curtain design? What curtain works best for the weather where you live?

[@shakunnainani7165]

Thank you for such a easy helpfull video. Love the way you explain .live in Spain..a lot of your advices are very helpful.

[@BalanceRhythm]

Hi Shakun! You're very welcome! Thank you for your kind words. I'm so glad the video was helpful! ~Liz

[@Ldifferent]

Good job and i like your calm presentation.

[@BalanceRhythm]

Thank you so much! ~Liz

[@lynnhom6915]

Yes!! Thank you.

[@BalanceRhythm]

You are so welcome! ~Liz

[@zoranasp9922]

Thanks! Nice video, I learned a lot

[@BalanceRhythm]

Hi Zorana! My pleasure. I'm so l glad to hear it. ~Liz

[@pingpangpong123]

Wonderful and informative. Thanks for including metric 👍

[@BalanceRhythm]

Hi Maxine! My pleasure! I'm glad you enjoyed it. ~Liz

[@terrikuykendall7580]

Hi! I love your videos. I’ve been working on decluttering and watching minimalism shows 🙄. I’m done “minimalizing” my kitchen and living room. I’m not paring down any further because everything I have now is useful physically or emotionally 😊. Time to start learning how to decorate and came across your videos. Thank you!

[@BalanceRhythm]

Hi Terri! It's my pleasure. I'm so happy you like the videos. I hope they're giving you lots of good ideas for your newly decluttered spaces! ~Liz

[@terrikuykendall7580]

@@BalanceRhythm yes they sure are.

[@aminaakhtar9287]

Thank you. It was a good informative video and also everything was to the point. But I had to chuckle when you suggested "Fiddle leaf fig" plant as "low maintenance".😅

[@BalanceRhythm]

Hi Amina! My pleasure. I'm glad you found the video informative. Yes, although the Fiddle Leaf Fig is a great looking plant it does need a lot of light and water. ~Liz

[@dyanalayng5507]

Good tips and examples. Especially loved the one showing the cowhide on the plain rug - really made an beautiful room as the rich red brown in the hide was echoed in the chair frames and mirror frame. 💖💕 I subscribed the minute you prioritized greenery!

[@BalanceRhythm]

Hi Dyana! Thanks so much for subscribing and welcome! ~Liz

[@dyanalayng5507]

@@BalanceRhythm I'm in a 440 sq ft seniors apartment with a mix of furniture - and too many plants (until they can go out on the balcony for their summer holiday). I'm still working on the best layout, and I can't "see it until I can see it", so good visuals, and/or Before & After photos are key for me. You have great points and examples, so I'm really delighted to find your channel.

[@BalanceRhythm]

I'm so glad you found the channel! I'll try to provide before and after examples whenever possible.

[@saraheschweiler4939]

Thank you for sharing this helpful video, & best wishes from your newest subscriber in snowy Minneapolis, Minnesota! 🙂🌲❄🌲💐🙏💐🌲❄🌲😊

[@BalanceRhythm]

Hi Sarah! It's my pleasure! I'm so glad you found the video helpful. Welcome aboard and best wishes to you too! ~Liz

[@kittyCAT-r3w]

Very informative and too the point! ❤👍🏻👏

[@BalanceRhythm]

Thanks! Glad you think so! ~Liz

[@kittyCAT-r3w]

Very nice video

[@BalanceRhythm]

Thank you! And thanks so much for watching!

[@DaleSteadman]

Great tips, thanks!

[@BalanceRhythm]

Hi Dale! My pleasure. I'm glad you like the tips and hope you find them helpful. ~Liz

[@kimberlyperrotis8962]

Great video. The homeowner design mistakes I see the most have to do with scale. Artwork hung too high and rugs too small are so common. Also, one you didn’t mention: furniture all pushed back against distant walls in large sitting rooms, leaving a vast empty space in the middle of the room. This prevents having comfortable conversations, and make rooms look stiff and unfriendly, too. I see this one especially in British homes, along with hanging art ridiculously high. I’ve seen it hung just a few inches from the ceilings there, even in rooms where people will be sitting, like dining rooms. I suppose cost is why people buy their rugs so small. I like to cover almost the whole floor in each room, leaving only a 12-18” perimeter of exposed wood flooring around the edges. It’s better to just save up enough to buy the correct size, or use an inexpensive, but well-sized, covering like you suggest. Choosing too-dark or too-bright wall colors is a frequent problem, too. I also love having a variety of furniture and accessory heights. I have tiny rooms, but very high ceilings, in my Victorian cottage, so I want to use that space to draw the eyes upward. I also like to repeat colors in at least one or two places around a room, to give it a feeling of cohesion. Unintentionally mixed styles aren’t usually successful. I’ve seen homes with very fancy crystal chandeliers and hardware, with very homespun and rustic farmhouse furniture, it looks odd. People rarely take the architecture and fittings in their home into consideration, or choose a general style, before buying furniture and accessories, it’s more often a haphazard mix of things, because they are useful for storage, inherited or gifted, etc.

[@BalanceRhythm]

Hi Kimberly! Thank you! All good points. I'm working on more videos covering these issues and room-specific tips and ideas. ~Liz

[@youbetcha108]

It’s very hard to buy everything to match the home architecture and a little boring. Like buying matchy matchy. I prefer an integration of pieces well placed. Would Like to see something in this area of advice. Many inherit valuable and beautiful items? If they do not match what to do? Just give them away? I guess. But that’s the easy answer.

[@BalanceRhythm]

@@youbetcha108 These are all great questions. I'm going to address as much of this as I can in an upcoming living spaces video but I will also do another "design mistakes" video in the near future. ~Liz

[@statuscheck5861]

Super helpful!

[@BalanceRhythm]

Glad it was helpful! ~Liz

[@be5952]

_"A room without plants or some type of greenery can look barren and empty---like something's missing"_ The desolate period from the late 1980s to the early naughties would like a word! After the explosion of interest in houseplants in the 1970s, *enthusiasm for indoor plants gradually faded away,* until during the 90s and early 2000s, I distinctly remember _even interior designers moaning_ about how plants were: ~ too much trouble ~ too messy in elegantly designed rooms ~ not appropriate for 'X' other reasons🙄. For about 20 years, that desolate period saw us few remaining plant enthusiasts with almost nowhere to get new plants. Apart from florists and a few greenhouses that still bothered propagating indoor tropicals and succulents, there was virtually nothing to buy and nowhere to buy it. Even now, I recently read a supposedly professional *interior designer griping about NOT putting large plants in a room's empty corner* _"...just to fill up the space..."._ After reading that nugget I just sat a while trying to fathom what her raison d'etre of design could possibly be? So, thank you to this video's designer for putting a proper importance on the role of plants in the home. We may blame the Millennials for many things, but one of their welcome contributions has been to totally *reinvigorate the interest in, and therefore availability of houseplants* everywhere. There are now varieties of plants available that, even in their previous 70s heyday, were not to be found anywhere. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 6:10 On a related note, *Fiddle Leaf Figs, Maidenhair Ferns* and *Button Ferns* should *_not_* be lumped in with Areca Palms and Sanseverias as "low maintenance plants". They ain't! Viewers should look up the *finicky light, humidity and picky watering needs of those specific plants before buying.*

[@BalanceRhythm]

Thanks so much for sharing! Plants really do complete a space. ~Liz

[@jennifersutton3115]

Thank you so much! 👍 😊

[@BalanceRhythm]

Hi Jennifer! It's my pleasure! 😊 ~Liz

[@bettymonson7044]

I'd love a video on how to display personal photos in the home. I seem to gravitate to the "personal" displays when I visit folks as it gives me a peek into their real lives and personalities, but when it comes to my own home I'm unsure where the appropriate place is for these items. Any suggestions?

[@BalanceRhythm]

Hi Betty! Thanks for the video idea. There are lots of ways to do this. Are you interested in displaying these photos in more public areas of your home for the benefit of your guests or more for your own enjoyment?

[@roselynbalce1319]

Hello Liz! I love this! I’m your new subscriber! Love and peace from Vancouver BC💕❤️💕

[@BalanceRhythm]

Hi Roselyn! So happy you enjoyed it. Welcome and great to meet you! ~Liz

[@kimberlyperrotis8962]

I only wish I had the option of some decent overhead lighting! My rooms are very dark, so I have too many lamps around, so that I can see into drawers, etc. Ambience is great, but lighting has to be practical, too. I’m always ending up wearing navy socks with black pants, or even, one dark brown or gray and one navy! I do sort everything, but they don’t always stay put. A black dress and boots with navy tights was my last wardrobe blooper, I have to walk outside in daylight to tell the difference. I hope to install some low-key recessed lighting some day, Victorian building or not, it doesn’t have to go on until I need it. Victorians are notoriously short on modern conveniences: light fixtures, power outlets, wall switches and closets (I put in seven, there wasn’t even one in my cottage).

[@BalanceRhythm]

Hi Kimberly! Overhead lighting is not all it's cracked up to be, especially downlighting. It can cause glare and harsh shadows. It's best to keep it soft, diffuse and indirect and always layer it with other sources for good balance. ~Liz

[@be5952]

Kimberly, I totally agree with your idea to install some _"low key recessed lighting"._ And make them bright! The reason I say this, even though I agree with the video designer's general ideas about lighting, is because if you have bright overhead lights, at least you can turn them on when you need them. Whether bedroom or living room, table lamps and accent lighting are great for *_most_* of the time. I learned *the benefits of having blazingly bright pot lights* in my last house's living room. The builder had included them and, knowing what a glaring, un-atmospheric effect they produced, put my usual soft table lamps and accent lights around the room, figuring I'd never use the recessed lights. But bright, overhead lights turned out to be very useful at times---looking at photos; finding something small that I dropped or seeing the dirt when cleaning were just a few times I was so glad they were just a click away. The expense of recessed lights may not be justified for everyone. But when you need a good, bright light they can't be beat!

[@bellewill9748]

Love your channel 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾❤️. Beautiful 🎉

[@BalanceRhythm]

Hi Belle! I'm so glad! Thank you! ~Liz

[@duikmans]

Thanks for these great (practical) tips!

[@BalanceRhythm]

My pleasure! ~Liz

[@laurettaberger442]

Great video! Very helpful…..thank you! 💗

[@BalanceRhythm]

Hi Lauretta! You're so welcome! I'm so glad you found it helpful. ~Liz

[@susanbell-mackie1380]

Overhead lighting is a MUST for people with eye issues. Not enough lighting that allows people to see all areas of the room will result in accidents such as fall over furniture, rugs etc.

[@BalanceRhythm]

Hi Susan! Yes, people who like and need it should definitely have it and there are ways to do it without it causing glare and shadows like supplementing with wall lights and/or floor lamps for additional ambient light as well as task lighting. Thank you for making a good point! ~Liz

[@libertyblueskyes2564]

And the best design tip is don't make the tv the focal point of the room. Try tvs with art work displays and a frame to soften the black hole effect.

[@BalanceRhythm]

That's a great one! I'll be sure to include it in the next design mistakes video. ~Liz

[@kathrynp7595]

Great tips 👍🏼

[@BalanceRhythm]

Thanks, Kathryn! Glad you liked them! ~Liz

[@yeamaneal5652]

New subbie and and I love your channel😢

[@BalanceRhythm]

Hi Yeama! I'm so glad you like it! Welcome! ~Liz

[@cynthiajohnston424]

Enjoyable video w/ very good ideas . So nice to see & hear design advice based on solid concepts & not " trends " .

[@BalanceRhythm]

Hi Cynthia! I'm glad you enjoyed it! ~Liz

[@lillianmartin4562]

Thanks.

[@BalanceRhythm]

Hi Lillian! It's my pleasure! ~Liz

[@Refiningforge]

Subscribed!

[@BalanceRhythm]

Thank you and welcome! ~Liz

[@anabelclarke8003]

Great tips! Just one thing: the background "music" really distracts from what you are showing us and makes it hard to concentrate. It's unnecessary. Your lovely voice is so much better.

[@BalanceRhythm]

Hi Anabel! I'm glad you like the tips. Thanks for your kinds words and the feedback on the music. ~Liz

[@pursuingpurity596]

I don't like dim lighting. Feels too dark and depressing. I like bright white ceiling lights. So at the end of the day, people should design their living space in a way that's comfortable to them

[@BalanceRhythm]

Absolutely! You have to do what works for you. ~Liz

[@sheilabroad8192]

Hanging art. 🤔. What if you are 5 foot tall and your partner is 6’5” ?

[@BalanceRhythm]

Hi Sheila! The 57" guideline is the most recommended but I've also seen recommendations of up to 60". That range is the most comfortable for almost everyone and keeps the piece visually connected to the space and surrounding furnishings. ~Liz

[@carliajones4583]

👍🏾🤗🌿🥀🍀🌱

[@jonnyincognito899]

On the last point, neglecting greenery in your space, fake plants are a no no.

[@BalanceRhythm]

Hi Jonny! I agree and will mention that in a future video. We have to keep it real! ~Liz

[@youbetcha108]

I think faux is fine. It is decorative and practical. A mix works. I use faux flowers in real greenery that has stopped blooming. Unless you touch it you would never know.

[@brendaelainewaddell1682]

There are some of us who can't grow a plant to save our life so good quality faux works quite nicely for us. I would agree with no shiny plastic plants though.

[@Paula-sw2tt]

Just realized that ferns are not beginner plants.

[@BalanceRhythm]

Hi Paula! Sounds like you had some issues? What kind of ferns do you have? ~Liz

[@Paula-sw2tt]

@@BalanceRhythm I had 250 + plants during COVID. I am down to a more manageable 60 some plants now. I have tried many of the fine leafed fern in the past unsuccessfully. I now grow staghorn, crocodile fern, bird"s nest fern and kangaroo paw fern. I adore houseplants.

[@BalanceRhythm]

@@Paula-sw2tt Wow! That's an amazing amount of plants so you're definitely not a beginner 😊 Would you recommend the ferns you mentioned for beginners? Thanks! ~Liz

[@hedidylan]

I was following intently until I heard the words "kelvin" " two thirds" and "centimeters"

[@BalanceRhythm]

Sorry, Hedi. Interior design is an art AND a science. ~Liz

[@VickyWingard]

My cat will eat any plants

[@nomado3650]

Excellent video! Thank you.

[@BalanceRhythm]

My pleasure! Glad you enjoyed it! ~Liz