The 5 Design Rules You Should Always Follow
Photo: Kara Mercer & Sara Tramp
Sure, some rules are made to be broken. But when it comes to interior design, there are lots of guidelines you should be following.
While styles and trends may come and go, designers (myself included) have been sticking to these rules for decades – because they really work in every interior. So get ready to learn the 5 design rules you should ALWAYS follow.
For more design tips and tricks, check out 5 Living Room Design Mistakes (And How To Fix Them) and Your Home Is Designed to Hold You Back (Here’s How to Fix It).
Design Rules You Should Always Follow
1. Make Sure Your Rug Isn’t Floating
When placing a rug in a room, there’s one crucial thing you’ll always want to ensure: that the rug is not “floating” in the space. At the least, the front legs of your furniture, whether it be a sofa, chair, or bed, should be on the rug. This will help to anchor the rug as a grounded piece that is connected to the furniture – and not its own separate element unrelated to the other furnishings.
Design Rules You Should Always Follow
2. Hang Draperies Higher & Wider Than Windows
Unless you have extremely high ceilings, draperies should be hung as high as possible, wider than your window, and extend to the floor, just grazing the surface. This will create the illusion of a taller room, a wider window, and extend the lines of the space. The only exception to this rule? Hanging café curtains, which are designed to hang within the window frame.
Design Rules You Should Always Follow
3. Choose Furniture That’s Proportional
Scale is one of the most important components of interior design. So when choosing furniture for a room, always keep size and proportion in mind. Larger rooms will accommodate larger, wider, and deeper furniture that will match the scale of the room. For smaller rooms, scale down to more compact pieces.
See my tips for How to Arrange Furniture in a Small Living Room.
Design Rules You Should Always Follow
4. Leave Ample Space For Walkways
A lack of adequate space for walkways in an interior will not only look and feel crowded, but it also won’t function well either. As a rule of thumb, try to leave 36 inches of space anywhere that functions as a path of egress in and out of a room. This will ensure plenty of room to move freely and comfortably – no matter the size of your space.
Photo: Kara Mercer
Design Rules You Should Always Follow
5. Hang Artwork At Eye Level
It’s almost always a good idea to trust your eye – especially when it comes to hanging artwork. The ideal height for almost all artwork is eye level (about 57″ above the floor). Placed any higher, and you’ll be awkwardly looking upward. However, this rule can be broken if you’re hanging a gallery wall, with art placed higher and lower to fill in the wall.
Learn all my tips for How To Hang Art The Right Way.
Design Rules You Should Always Follow
Frequently Asked Questions
Do all the front legs of my furniture need to be on the rug, or just some pieces?
Ideally, the front legs of every major piece in the seating area- sofa, chairs, and so on- should land on the rug. If you can only manage a few pieces, prioritize the sofa first, since it’s usually the largest anchor in the room.
How much wider than the window should curtains actually be?
As a general guideline, extend your curtain rod 4 to 10 inches beyond each side of the window frame. The exact amount depends on your wall space, but the goal is always the same: make the window look bigger than it is.
What if I don’t have room to leave 36 inches for a walkway?
36 inches is the ideal, but in smaller homes it’s not always possible. Aim for at least 24 inches as an absolute minimum so the space still feels functional, and prioritize the busiest paths of travel first, like the route from a doorway to a hallway.
Is 57 inches the right height for artwork in every single room?
57 inches to the center of the piece is the standard museum height and a safe default for most rooms. The one place I’ll adjust it is above furniture, like a sofa or console, where I’ll often hang art 6 to 8 inches above the piece instead, even if that lands slightly off from exactly 57 inches.
Which of these rules is okay to break?
The eye-level rule is the most flexible, since gallery walls intentionally break it by mixing heights. The rug and walkway rules are the ones I’d stick to most closely, since they affect how a room actually functions, not just how it looks.
Thank you for the tips.
Thanks for reading!! xx -B