ForLook Interior Design

Being an interior designer has its disadvantages. We never finish our work. Not only do our minds keep going after the end of the day, but friends and family members constantly ask us for advice regarding their homes. Mainly about decoration issues, but sometimes about spatial design too. However, they hardly ever follow our advice. Neither do many clients for that matter. It seems that people think that they are good at interior design and decoration and follow their own ideas. So they make big mistakes. Although some of them later admit that they should have listened to us, but I still wonder why they had commissioned a designer in the first place or why did they ask for expert advice? We are actually trained to see the bigger picture - and we can visualise ideas, something most people cannot do - but they think they can. We, at Forlook, had a few clients who openly admitted that they were not good at visualising or imagining spaces, and that this was why they turned to us for help. It would certainly be better if more people could come clean about this… their homes would be better looking and more comfortable places to live. But, I must admit, this is not easy, when the media put it over that everybody is a natural home-builder and a born interior designer..

Anyway, I’ve decided to write about the most common mistakes people make when they don’t listen to a designer. In the follow up article I’ll write about the secrets of achieving a successful interior.
 
So let’s start with the mistakes:

Trends

Following fads and design trends can be a big and expensive mistake. These trends only last a couple of years (if that!). Do you want to remodel every two or three years? Of course, if you’re redecorating or remodelling in order to sell (and hopefully capitalise on) your property - then it’s fine. Though actually, even in that case, you should think carefully about the particular trend you’re following because you’ll limit your potential buyers to those who are in touch with the latest design trends and like the particular style you’ve created. Otherwise it’s best to aim for timeless design and timeless materials - just add accessories and details that are fashionable - then it’s easy to adapt as trends move on. I’ll explain about this in the next article. Another issue that people don’t consider is the architecture & location of their building. Not every style goes with every building type. Not every style works in every climate (developers please take note!!!).

Themes

This is one of the after-affects of the Changing Room series. There is nothing worse than themed interiors - matchy-matchy fabrics and furnishing to create a particular theme - in room after room.  But with no coherent thread or overall concept behind these ideas. A room is part of an overall interior space that we call a home which is an integral part of a building which is part of era which is part of a culture and so on… It is just naff to create a Chinese fantasy room in a Georgian villa - sure, you can be inspired by Chinese ideas - but just refer to them and allow your deco be influenced by them because a subtle, well presented & executed space is far more successful than a clichéd, obvious theme.

Copycats

Many people see pictures they like in magazines or on TV and simply copy them. These pictures are manipulated - spaces are carefully arranged, styled, lit and photographed. You can’t properly see the details, colours and textures. For example some tiles, veneered furniture, “wooden” floorboards look good on pictures - in reality they often look fake, plasticky and tacky. Finishing touches and details make or break a space - you can’t see these on the TV or in photos. Sure, be inspired by these shots - put them in a scrapbook and let them help you to create something in your interior that reflects you - the way you live, the things you like! 

Reproduction/fake

People seem to love reproduction furniture & furnishings and even whole houses. What’s the point of buying something new that’s made to look 200 years old? If you like that - buy vintage. If you like the feel and look of old buildings - why don’t you live in old buildings? Why do property developers build houses that look Georgian or Victorian? They say it’s because that’s what people want. I don’t believe this. I think most of us want to live in our own time - i.e. to be contemporary - but this doesn’t have to be ultra-modern. Our homes should be inspired by past architectural and design movements - but it shouldn’t just be a crude copy of past shapes and forms for the sake of it. There are many examples of successful contemporary designs that are influenced by the past - e.g. the Louis Ghost Chair by Philip Stark or these Swarovski chandeliers:-

Now read about the secrets of creating a successful interior.