10 Ways to Ruin the Interior of a Country House

Nikita Morozov is an architect. In 2007, he founded the design studio KM STUDIO, where young architects and designers create interiors in various styles—from art deco to loft. He values the opportunity to constantly meet new, interesting people, and draws inspiration from books and cinema, classical visual arts, and the latest technologies. He believes that a perfect interior should combine aesthetics and ergonomics and provide an impression.

Method #1: Don’t Plan the Placement of Outlets and Switches

You can ruin an interior even at the earliest stages of rough construction. For example, poorly placed outlets and switches in relation to furniture and other interior elements can significantly spoil the overall impression of your home. A simple mismatch in the axes of center points of outlets and switches, unequal placement of wall sconces and other lighting fixtures relative to the composition’s center—these are serious mistakes that rob space of harmony.

Plan in advance the arrangement of equipment and furniture items, and follow the guidelines from SP 31-110-2003 – "Design and Installation of Electrical Installations and Public Buildings".

Method #2: Ignore the Installation of Air Conditioning

Inadequate attention to the issue of room conditioning can lead to a series of mistakes, including those that negatively affect the aesthetics of the future interior. The correct placement of diffusers determines air circulation and cooling, and the location of the indoor unit of the air conditioner and the pipelines running through the ceiling to the diffusers affects the ceiling configuration. Therefore, it's important to plan the work carefully before installation to ensure that ceiling height and appearance remain unaffected.

It's also important to consider the placement of inspection hatches, which are necessary for system maintenance: they must be easily accessible. Since these are visible elements on the ceiling, hatches should be arranged symmetrically relative to ceiling lights and decorated if possible.

Method #3: Be Careless During Rough Work

Incorrect installation of partitions and careless floor screed pouring can also lead to a series of problems. If you don’t carefully oversee the installation of door frames in walls, or more precisely, the height of door openings, you can end up with doors and archways of different heights. If you don’t calculate the thickness of various floor coverings in one room from the start and accordingly pour an incorrect height screed, you’ll end up tripping over thresholds created by differences in thickness, such as tiles and solid wood planks.

Method #4: Fit Everything You Have into the Interior

Everything in life and our environment seeks harmony, and home decoration is no exception. There should be visual symmetry—whether in a symmetrical or asymmetrical wall decor and furniture arrangement. It’s easy to ruin the appearance of an interior by overloading one part of a room with many furniture items and leaving the other part empty. Even if this solution is due to the layout, it’s important to balance the second half of the room with decoration or wall color.

Method #5: Ignore Room Dimensions

Mismatch between furniture item dimensions and the volume of a room can play tricks on you. Hanging a chandelier with long, solid suspension rods in a room with low ceilings or placing a large bed with matching bedside tables in a small bedroom visually overloads the space and makes it appear even smaller than it actually is.

Method #6: Choose the Wrong Color Palette

Color palette is the basis of an interior. If you neglect basic rules for color mixing, use incompatible shades in selecting finishing materials and furniture, or don’t plan the balance between dark and light tones, you can end up with either a too pale, unexpressive, or overly busy, bright, “ruined” interior.

Method #7: Start Experimenting with Finishing Materials

The market today is saturated with a wide variety of finishing materials. On one hand, this extensive selection gives you the opportunity to create a truly individual interior; on the other, it increases the risk of ruining it. When choosing any material, remember about moderation: many options might appeal to you, but that doesn’t mean all of them should be used in finishing. Overloading an interior with various materials in color, texture, and pattern will make it look tacky and tasteless.

Method #8: Decorate with Inappropriate Decor

Just one incorrectly chosen accessory can ruin even the most carefully planned interior. These situations usually occur when a favorite porcelain vase with floral painting is placed in a minimalist hi-tech style interior. If your goal is to create a flawless interior, learn to say no to items that don’t fit into the overall style of the space.

Method #9: Do It Like You Did in Childhood

We tend to live by traditions of previous generations. This habit is particularly evident in the self-decoration of one’s own living space—outdated or old-fashioned solutions ruin the interiors of new apartments and houses. For example, wanting to design a loft under the ceiling in the hallway and placing several large wardrobes in the foyer doesn’t mesh with modern views on ergonomic space. Think modernly: it’s always better to design one, even small, closet than clutter and overcrowd the space with bulky furniture.

Method #10: “Copy” an Interior from a Magazine

Creating an “interior from a picture” without considering the specific features of your space is another common mistake. Mismatches in areas, window placement, and ceiling heights will lead to the fact that the interior you liked in the picture will look out of place and foreign in reality. Begin the renovation process by collaborating with a professional designer—skilled specialists can help you bring your dream of the perfect interior to life or guide your actions—advise you on where to start and how to achieve the desired effect.