Beginning in June I began a series of the most common design mistakes that I've encountered.  I've been an interior designer for twenty-four years, and in that time I've seen people make the same mistakes over and over when designing the interior of their homes.  I'd like to share the most common mistakes with you and give you some tips on how to avoid making them in your own home.  We'll cover a different mistake in each issue.

Mistake #6 - Inadequate Lighting
Good lighting can create a beautiful glow in the most ordinary room.  I've seen so many rooms that don't have enough lighting, and some that have too many recessed cans and not enough lighting from lamps and sconces.  The best lighting has layers. First you need overall or ambient lighting that bathes the whole room in light. Ambient light should be on a dimmer so that it can be adjusted for mood.  Then there are overhead chandeliers and wall sconces which contribute to the ambient light.  Finally you should have some lamps for task and mood lighting.  I consider chandeliers, sconces, and lamps to be the jewelry in a room because they not only add lighting, but they also add personality and style. 

It's always nice to have ambient and task lighting, but it's not always possible.  Many living rooms and family rooms don't have overhead lighting and it's not in the budget to add it.  In those cases we use a variety of lamps to light the rooms.  I often use at least three table lamps on end tables, and often add a floor lamp or lamps on a sofa table.  By spacing the lamps around the room, the overall effect is a soft glow which creates a beautiful mood and includes lighting for reading or close work like sewing. 

It's often difficult to find nice lamps.  I'm hoping that our shopping site will be up and running very soon.  You will soon have access to some gorgeous lamps at great prices for every possible style and decor.  I will let you know just as soon as the site is available to you.

                  

Above is a family room that I designed.  There is a total of five table lamps in this room - two on the end tables, two on the sofa table by the windows, and one on the sofa table in the foreground.  There are also recessed can lights that accent the display shelves.  Although there is no overhead lighting in this room, it is well lit, and allows for different moods based on the the way the 3-way bulbs in the lamps are lit.

Take a look at your rooms in the evening and see where there is a lack of light or too much ambient light.  By balancing the areas that need light and dimming the areas with too much light, you'll create a warm, inviting room.

My Soroptimist club, Soroptimist International of Santa Clarita Valley, recently redecorated the bedrooms of the children of three deserving SCV single moms.  My team had the challenge of re-designing a bedroom for three siblings - 6-year-old Brianna, 5-year-old Eric, and 2-year-old Miranda.  Elizabeth, their mom, had just purchased bunk beds for the two older kids.  She also had wooden letters for all of the kids' names, decorative shelves and signs, and decorative birth announcements that she wanted to have displayed.  Brianna is a talented artist and wanted an easel.  She had been taping her artwork to the wall above her bed.

     

                   'Before'                                                    'Before'

I did a lot of the shopping for our team, purchasing new comforters and sheets to work with the Princess bedding that Miranda already had.  I purchased an easel and art supplies for Brianna, along with a pink flower lamp from Ikea.  Our team selected  some cute lamps, since the room had no other lighting, and a valance for the windows.  We also got Miranda a pet pillow.  Each child also received a decorative throw and matching doll.

     

                      'After'                                                  'After'

We started by painting the room a soothing shade of blue.  I selected this shade because it's calming.  With three kids in the room, there's a lot of energy.  Then we all worked hard re-hanging the decorative shelves and signs in a more artistic fashion.  The most time consuming job was hanging the letters of their names on the walls.  It all came together in one weekend, and Elizabeth and the kids were thrilled with the result!  Our team worked incredibly well together, while having a great time.  We even got a couple of our Soroptimisters to help out. 

You can see more photos and information about this Soroptimist of SCV Makeover project on the Soroptimist Facebook page.  While you're there, please "Like" Soroptimist of SCV.  Soroptimist is one of the largest women's service organizations in the world.  Our mission is to improve the lives of women and girls, both locally and throughout the world.  For more information visit www.SISCV.com or www.Soroptimist.org.   If you're a woman who wants to make a difference and are interested in attending a meeting and learning more, please call me at 661-255-9880 or email me.  We're a warm, inviting group of dynamic women who do so much to improve the lives of women and girls in a caring and fun atmosphere.

If you'd like to update a room in your home and need some guidance in deciding what to keep and what to change, I'd love to help.  Just tell me about your room and I'll get back to you right away.