10 Design Tips That This Girl Lives By

There are many secrets in the design world that are all too often KEPT secrets. I love finding out new design tips that will help make my home a more comfortable, organized, happy place to live.  Isn't that what we all want?  There are a ton of do's and don'ts out there and I am here to share some of my favorite do's. 

Here are 10 guidelines that I always revisit when I am transforming a space:  

1. Is my TV too big or too small for my space?  To figure out what size TV best fits your space, measure the distance in inches from where the TV will sit to the edge of your sofa, divide that number by 2.5.

2. What makes an area rug too big?- always leave 18" between your area rug and the closest wall. Unless you have an incredibly small space.  

3. How high do I hang my wall art?   When hanging wall art or a picture frame always hang it at eye level. Due to our varying heights the average height up from the floor is anywhere between 55"-60".

4. Clutter Free Countertops-  When it comes to your kitchen countertops try to keep them as clear as possible. Rule of thumb is NO MORE than 4 small appliances on the counters at a time. The more counter space the bigger your kitchen will look. If you have a smaller kitchen I would suggest only 2 appliances out at a time.

5. Dining room rugs- Not sure how far your area rug should extend out from your table?  Allow 36" from the edge of the table to the end of your rug.  That is plenty of space to be able to push a chair in and out without having it come off the rug. 

6. Stocking Bookshelves- Do not pack your books onto a bookshelf and leave no room for them to breathe, especially if you are accessorizing with things other than books. 70% rule=  try to only fill your shelves about 70% of the way.  More than 70% would be considered TOO MUCH and would probably give you a headache.

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7.  Space planning- If you are trying to position a sofa and an arm chair in a space and you aren't sure how far away they should be from each other, remember the 4-9 rule! Keep the two pieces about 4ft away from each other and no more than 9ft away. You still want to be able to have a conversation without having to scream across the room. MAJOR no no...do not line your walls with furniture. Even just sliding a couple pieces off of the walls will create a more intimate space.

8. Keep furniture away from a doorway- On average you should keep any furniture about 36" from any doorway.  You don't want to walk through a door way and run into the side of a table or sofa.  This obviously doesn't apply to entry ways and any small living spaces.

9. What is a good height for a chandelier over a dining table? Anywhere from 30-34" up from your kitchen/dining table is a perfect height for your chandelier.  It is just high enough so that you can still see the people across the table from you. 

10. Mounting a TV- This is an easy tip to remember. Go sit on your couch and look at the wall where you want your TV mounted and the center of your TV should be at your eye level. Makes sense right? Of course you can allow for the top or bottom of your TV to be at eye level as well.  So if you are sitting on your couch and any part of your TV is at eye level, Ya did good! 

Feeling inspired to do some rearranging after reading this? Go get 'er done!  If you have any questions during the process, feel free to ASK AWAY! I would also love to hear about any design guidelines that you lovely readers live by.