Renovating
The Pro Panel: "The Design Rule That Is Ok to Break..."
One question, seven expert answers
When it comes to design, sticking to the ‘rules’ doesn’t always work in your favour. So we asked seven Houzz professionals which design rules they’re known to break, and how you can benefit by following suit.
What design rule do you think is ok to break? Tell us in the Comments.
What design rule do you think is ok to break? Tell us in the Comments.
Kitchen Designer and Renovator Kim Duffin of Sublime Architectural Interiors: In Australia, I think we too often go for the safe option – that is, white, white and more white. So one rule I think is ok to break is: matching elements. Instead, try to mix up materials, finishes and colours to reflect your personality or how you live in your space. I have seen spaces that photograph well and are on the front cover of magazines but then when you enter the space, they are cramped and tight and just don’t flow. An interior space is very personal and needs to be tailored to the user. Good design evokes a reaction, very much a love or hate response.
Kitchen Designer and Renovator Graeme Metcalf of Dan Kitchens: Well, it’s not so much a design rule but rather an industry standard – I really do not like specifying less than 660 millimetres deep (under-bench) kitchen cabinets. The standard minimum is 600 millimetres and for me that is far too shallow for a number of reasons. At 600 millimetres, you limit what kind of sink and tap you can have; you leave yourself very little room for cleaning; the cooktop becomes too close to the splashback and can be affected by the heat; you are limited to specifying only shallow 500-millimetre-deep drawers; wall cabinets are directly in your face; refrigerators in tall cabinets sit too far out exposing their sides; and, lastly, it’s near impossible to connect wall appliances and provide adequate ventilation in a 600-millimetre cabinet.
Architect Dominic Bagnato of Bagnato Architects: One of my favourite design rules to break stems from a piece of advice I received from an experienced architect. He once told me that if you have something ugly like an existing pipe or steel beam in your design, or if your client has a particularly odd-shaped room or structure that you know is going to be difficult to hide, do the complete opposite and show it off. Don’t hide a ‘problem’ – simply turn a negative into a positive. It’s a great (anti-)rule because it opens up your mind to endless possibilities for a design solution. Imagine being in a room with a steel beam flying through the air, for instance. Temptation would say that you box the steel beam in with plaster or drop the ceiling to hide it. However, this will have the negative effect of lowering your ceiling height. Instead, paint it red in an all-white room and it looks as if you deliberately set out to create a showstopper.
Building Designer Royston Wilson of Royston Wilson Design: Function rules should never be broken but the aesthetic rules can be bent and twisted. Often this is how a new trend is pioneered. Once upon a time, clients would never be open to a dark colour in a small space – a rule I’m happy to break – but with the regular appearance in magazines and online, what once seemed such a rule breaker is now becoming widely accepted. A recent ensuite that my practice designed, for example, had a walk-in robe and a lightwell as part of the ensuite. This would have once been considered taboo, but is a great example of how you can change perceptions by bending the rules.
Interior Designer and Decorator Karyn McRae of McRae + Lynch Interior Design: A good rule to break is ‘don’t mix old and new’. You don’t need to stick to a single period or style – you can comfortably mix a little old with new pieces. Embracing contrasting styles can give your home a depth and life that can often be missing from homes that are styled with matching pieces. The trick to making new and old pieces work in the same space is to find a common theme, be it colour, a finish or material.
Interior Designer and Decorator Larissa Davis of Lewisham Interiors: There is a widespread assumption that low ceilings need to be painted white so they appear taller. If this is a rule, then it is one I break often. It really all depends on the other colours in the room as to the actual effectiveness of a white, or even a light-coloured, ceiling. Often white doesn’t factor into a room scheme at all, so to introduce a white ceiling all on its own will look and feel noticeably out of place.
The general rule is that if the ceiling is white or lighter than the walls it will appear taller, and if the ceiling is darker than the walls it will appear lower. While this is basically true and great for homes with low ceilings, a far superior effect and finish can be achieved by simply painting the ceiling (and cornice if it is small) in the same colour as the walls. This will give the illusion of an even greater ceiling height, as the visible line of where the wall ends and ceiling begins will disappear.
The general rule is that if the ceiling is white or lighter than the walls it will appear taller, and if the ceiling is darker than the walls it will appear lower. While this is basically true and great for homes with low ceilings, a far superior effect and finish can be achieved by simply painting the ceiling (and cornice if it is small) in the same colour as the walls. This will give the illusion of an even greater ceiling height, as the visible line of where the wall ends and ceiling begins will disappear.
Interior Designer and Decorator Anne Ellard of Anne Ellard Design: One design rule that I have never been able to follow myself and therefore completely condone the breaking of is sticking to one style in a room or entire home. I call it the catalogue look – everything matching and perfectly coordinated as if it was all just freshly delivered from an interiors showroom. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t dislike this look or encourage people away from it; I just prefer a more natural, eclectic look that incorporates different styles and pieces from different eras to create a relaxed, lived-in look. I guess it stems from the fact that I don’t favour any one style or era – I embrace all styles from contemporary to traditional and love mixing and matching.
TELL US
What design rule do you think is ok to break?
MORE PRO TIPS
“The Biggest Kitchen Design Blunder You Could Make…”
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TELL US
What design rule do you think is ok to break?
MORE PRO TIPS
“The Biggest Kitchen Design Blunder You Could Make…”
“The Best Advice I Ever Received”