3 items you're putting in your room that are too small

Proportion is paramount when choosing items that work together to bring your decorating scheme to life and if you choose things in the wrong size, they can be lost in the mix.

When you’re investing in significant items for your home, sizing up can feel like a big dint in the budget, but in the long run the impact is worth it, for the greater good of the space.

1. Rugs

A small rug in a big room is a huge mistake. Unless you’re able to layer several to build up a montage of colours and textures, invest in the largest one you can afford. 

“If you’re putting a rug beneath a dining table, have enough room around the table for chairs to be pulled out and sat on comfortably within the rug,” says HB editor-in-chief Wendy Moore

“Big is always better!” interior designer Grace Garrett advises. “Invest in quality and ground the space with your rug – make sure the furniture is not floating away, but sits within the zone created by your rug.”

“In a small bedroom a wall-to-wall rug actually creates space - it looks more spacious and sophisticated,” says Grace. If budget is an issue, “Place a runner at the foot of a bed, rather than a piecemeal attempt at a smaller rug.”

2. Artwork

Art makes a statement and feeds our soul, so is an important addition to your interior space. “When picking art for any room bigger is better!” says contemporary fine artist Christine Krainock. “Take into account the amount of furniture that you have in a room, if it is sparse, then a large piece of artwork will fill up the visual field as furniture might.” If original artwork stretches your budget too far, rather than choose a piece that is too small for your space, consider a salon hang, or unconventional objects displayed as art instead.

3. Lighting

Lighting is having a moment in our home interiors and there’s never been a better time to get maximum bang for your bucks. Take your cues from the graphic lighting installations in restaurants or public spaces and go all out with your own. Allow it to  make a statement but ensure pendants share a visual link with other items in the room, or your space risks resembling a lighting showroom. Take care also to allow circulation space around and beneath the piece – whether it’s above your kitchen bench, dining table or forming a central point in your living room - make sure the room flows both visually and practically.

Interior Designer Grace Garrett is an interior designer who has collaborated with Coco Republic to design an exclusive range of bespoke rugs that can be ordered to any size, any shape and in your selection from a choice of over 100 colours.