In bygone eras, people religiously followed design rules. From Edith Wharton’s 1897 book The Decoration of Houses to 1950’s The Complete Book of Interior Decorating, readers followed each design rule to the letter (one of which was that you should plan a room’s color all around your skin tone and clothes). While some of the rules from these books seem silly or trite, there are rules that many homeowners believe they should still be carrying out today.
But, guess what? Increasingly, interior design is taking the rebel approach and saying “(design) rules are meant to be broken.” Ahead, designers share the rules that they’re definitely breaking this year—and maybe you should break them, too.
1. “Everything Has to Match”
Amber Guyton, designer at Blessed Little Bungalow, isn’t a fan of the “matchy-matchy” look that has persisted in previous decades. “I think there is a natural design bait of matching all of the fixtures, metals, color temps, and wood colors throughout a home, but interior designers are becoming more rebellious with mixing and matching beyond colors and patterns,” Guyton observes. “The more you mix different design elements, the more unexpected, intentional, and curated a space can feel. Going against the grain with mixing and matching is an art and can make a designed home feel more interesting.”
2. “A Ceiling Should Always Be White”
Autumn Pochiro, designer at Autumn Dawn Design, calls ceilings “the fifth wall of every space,” and for years, it’s been believed that ceilings should always be white. After all, this makes a room feel larger, and it would be frivolous to paint a ceiling a color other than white, right?
Wrong. Designers are increasingly treating the ceiling as an additional wall, and since Pochiro says that every space should reflect color, pattern, layers, and personality, that means that the ceiling is up for grabs. Pochiro thinks that people should treat ceilings with the same attention to detail as the walls. “We love a romantic room full of whimsy, color, and pattern,” she says.
3. “Paint a Small Room a Light Color to Make It Feel Larger”
“Another color myth that is being ignored is that you have to paint a small room a light color in order to make it feel larger,” says Nancy Davilman, designer at ND Interiors. “Now designers are leaning into embracing deep colors and dark intricate wallpapers in small spaces, making them more intimate and interesting.”
4. “Always Nail Art to the Wall”
Placing art on the wall was never questioned in the past. You have a piece of art to display in your home? Get out the hammer and nails. But this is so not the case today.
Vanessa Katzen, founder and principal designer at Vanessa Katzen Design, believes that instead of art always being hung on the wall, you should lean it or tuck a frame behind a vase. “My favorite placements never touched a nail,” she shares.
5. “Don’t Pay Attention to Maximalism—It’s Just a Fad”
Actually, it’s really seeming as if maximalism is here to stay. Minimalism had its day in the sun and is still a worthy design approach that many people follow, but maximalism has too many good traits to ignore.
Nadia Watts, founder of Nadia Watts Design, says, “Maximalism isn’t a trend. It’s a philosophy.” She goes on to say, “Pre-covid, everyone talked about minimalism and making homes look like no one lived in them. Maximalism sprang on the scene with gusto and now people keep waiting for maximalism to go away, like it’s a phase. It’s not. Maximalism—layering, collecting, mixing—is simply how deeply personal spaces get built. It takes time and intention.”
6. “Homes Should Be Designed for the Next Owner”
“Too often, homeowners make decisions based on what a future buyer might want rather than what would improve their own lives,” says Lisa Gannon, senior designer at Designs of the Interior. “There’s a difference between protecting resale value and letting resale value drive every design decision. [This] goes for prep kitchens, libraries, golf simulators, bunk rooms, hobby spaces, and other features that make a home uniquely suited to the people who live there. The next owner will have different priorities. Your home should first and foremost serve the people living in it today.”
Shelby Deering is a freelance lifestyle writer who frequently covers home design and decor for national publications. She has worked as a full-time freelance writer for over a decade, and has worked in the industry for nearly 20 years, writing home tours, interviewing top designers, and beautifying her own home. She holds a master’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and when she’s not writing, you can find her at thrift stores and flea markets, running, or exploring local trails in Madison, Wisconsin, with her husband and corgi, Dolly.
Source: Home Ideas - goodhousekeeping.com
