Details That Catch a Designer’s Eye

A client asked me the other day about my previous post titled "Unveiling the Potential: What Interior Designers Really Notice Inside Your Home" and wanted to know specifics like, in her words, what makes my eyes twitch when I walk in a room I've never been in before. In my 10+ years running my own design firm, that's the first time anyone asked me that. It's totally true, intrinsic in fact, for designers to notice the details in design both big and small, just like a doctor may notice a pallor to the skin or an odd gait in someone's walk.

It took me a minute of repeating the question "things that make my eye twitch? things that make my eye twitch?" before I remembered a meme that one of my old repeat clients DM'd me recently of a beautiful green tile backsplash with a close up of the messed up uneven grout lines that didn't intersect perfectly. Now THAT makes my eyes twitch for sure and how couldn't it?

We laughed about it but as I said in my previous post, my job isn't to judge a space, it's to help people love where they live. That said, if you wonder what a designer's eye may notice when they walk into your home for the first time, have a scroll and see what jumps out at me right off the bat!

Details That Catch a Designer’s Eye -

Paint Undertone

Paint consultations have been a fixture of my business for many years, so seeing the undertone of a specific paint color comes as easy as breathing at this point. If you feel like something is off in your space and you can't figure it out for the life of you, I can immediately tell you, for example, that your 'neutral' wall color actually has a bit of yellow to it, and is clashing with the blue-gray tones of your furniture.

Now, keep in mind that different light sources, natural light filtration, time of day, and the size of the room can all affect the look of a paint color. But undertones that are cool or warm next to their opposite can feel like your space is unbalanced, off, or tense. Sometimes you want that for that design tension, but I will definitely tell you if those undertones are fighting and need to be separated!

Not Painting Everything at Once

I know, I know - painting walls, trim, door frames, doors, and ceilings sounds as exhausting as anything especially if you have to move out of your house, sand, vacuum and THEN finally paint it all to complete a transformation. But comparing the old with the new, especially when it comes to paint, will always bug you (cue my eye twitch again).

IYKYK, I'm not a believer in touch up paint. Even if you use the same paint, UV rays can discolor paint over time as can poor storage conditions, so the different elements of a room really may not match once all is said and done.

Pillow Fill

I admit that I previously purchased poly fill pillows from big box retailers before, and I will never do that again. Using poly fill for your sofa pillows, rather than down, is an immediate red flag notice because they look flat from the beginning, and they don't provide that cozy, body-hugging feeling that down will give you. Barring use because of allergies, I will always recommend down filled pillows, and using inserts that are at least two inches larger than the cover size (i.e. a 22"x22" insert for a 20" x 20" pillow cover) for the most plush pillows!

Art Heights

Art being hung too high is surprisingly common. Of course, if you are on the taller side, having art hung higher is normal. Our starting point is typically that the midpoint of the artwork itself stands at five feet or 60 inches high, but I will always step back and look at it in the space and adjust as needed.

My rule of thumb is that you should be able to stand directly in front of the piece and be looking roughly at the middle of the art piece.

Drapery Length

Floor-length drapery is the goal for most homeowners, but it is common to see panels hanging one to three inches off the floor. Designers typically plan for panels that just skim or kiss the floor, but this is tough to achieve without doing custom drapery. This one might be an eye-twitch inducing event just for me, but I do notice this immediately in a home! (I am after all a child of the 70s so if you know the term "highwater" as in pant lengths, well, that's what too short a curtain reminds me of).

Light Fixtures and Color Temperature

If you're wanting to change up the look of your home, but can't afford a full remodel, I always land on a fresh coat of paint (with the right undertone) and replacing lighting and possibly lightbulbs as well if need be.

In fact, the reason you may not like your paint color may be that your lightbulbs are the wrong color temperature. 2700 K is common for incandescent bulbs, but the light they emit is very warm, causing your paint to possibly look much warmer (often yellow) than your prefer.

Experiment and change the lightbulbs to 3000 K in one room, and see how you like the paint color then.

Once you try that, replace any builder grade lighting with pendants, chandeliers, or sconces with a bit more personality. Lighting is the jewelry of the home, so pick something special that you really love to see and use every day.

Is there anything you can think of to add to this list? Inquiring minds want to know so leave a comment below.