6 Design Mistakes That Will Ruin the Impression of Any Renovation

Not knowing some of the nuances when planning the design of an apartment can backfire on its owner, so if you're planning to arrange your living space in such a way that it feels cozy, spacious, bright, and harmonious from a design perspective, it's important not to make mistakes that could ruin the impression even of the freshest and newest renovation.

Eugene Koblov, Architect, Designer

Large Spaces with Low Ceilings

All elements in a space should be in harmony and proportion. Therefore, even the most spacious room, hall, or living room can be ruined by excessive lowering of ceilings. Another variation of lowered ceilings is multi-level ceilings that divide the ceiling into levels.

The same rule applies in reverse: if you have a small cozy room and the ceilings are five meters high, it will create a feeling of a well. The space will instantly collapse and ruin the impression of the entire interior, no matter how ultra-modern it is.

Large in Small, Small in Large

This refers to large interior details in small spaces and, conversely, many small details in large spaces. Improperly maintaining proportions ruins the entire sense of a cohesive picture.

Attempts to Divide the Space

When people try to divide a space—e.g., separately designate a living room, dining area, etc.—by using floor or ceiling separation techniques. You can create zoning, but it should be done carefully; an important condition is not to fragment the space, but rather to assemble it as much as possible to create a more complete and volumetric image of the interior.

Colored Ceilings

This is one of the most challenging techniques in interior design. Even changing from white to several shades instantly disrupts all colors in the interior. This happens because our eyes and minds are accustomed to perceiving all colors based on the assumption that ceilings are white. If the ceiling is not white, the mind unconsciously tries to attach itself to the familiar white. Therefore, this is a very complex technique that I do not recommend using.

Busy Colors

Combining busy colors is also a very complex design technique that, instead of impressing and captivating as intended, can lead to the opposite effect. Professionals learn this over years, and even the best results come with experience and practice. But when a non-professional or even the apartment owner starts working on it, the design can be hopelessly ruined. Overuse of colors and mixing various shades give a feeling of discomfort, and the interior becomes unrefined.

Mixing Styles

There are rare successful techniques, such as using classical large chandeliers in minimalist interiors, but again, it's just one chandelier and one specific interior. But if the discussion involves three or sometimes four different styles, it becomes chaos. Often people mix completely incompatible styles. Therefore, non-professionals should avoid experimenting in this area.

Photo on cover: Design by Daria Tsimbrykova