7 Interior Design Tips for Dramatic Impact

10 years ago, I interviewed Interior Designer Robin Brechbuler (pictured left) when one of her whole house design projects was featured on the cover of Welcome Home Magazine.

During that interview, Robin shared the following 7 interior design tips. What I find most interesting about this interview is how timeless it has proven to be. These tips are just as true today – 10 years later – as when she first shared them.

7 Interior Design Tips for Dramatic Impact

1. When designing a room, keep in mind the overall balance and proportion. The goal is for the eye to sweep around the room, instead of focusing on one particular item.
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2. Darker paint colors look terrific on walls that are broken up with a lot of windows and doors. You get the drama of the dark paint without “closing in” the room. (This is one of my all-time favorite design tricks – especially when paired with oversized creamy white trim, as you can see here). 
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3. Place furniture pieces on an angle versus lining them up along the walls to create stronger visual appeal.
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4. One great piece of artwork in a small room looks much better than several mediocre pieces on all the walls.
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5.  Always scale out foyer chandeliers in the area they are going to be hung before purchasing them. Too often, they end up being too small and get “lost” in the space. (Note: the chandelier used for Robin’s featured project was 11 feet tall!)
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6. Vary heights of all floor objects in a room (furniture, plants, floor lamps, etc…) to create more visual interest.
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7. If you are hesitant about using a dark shade of paint, go one shade lighter or simply add white to get the desired effect. Small changes can make a dramatic difference!

Robin’s Featured Cover Project: 

Robin Brechbuler is a native of the Greater Akron/Canton, Ohio area. She got her start in the competitive world of design at the New York School of Interior Design. After earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts, she returned to this area to begin building her career. Robin is the current President of the NE Ohio chapter of the Interior Design Society. More examples of her work can be seen at BrechbuhlerInteriorDesign.com