7 INTERIOR DESIGN RULES WE’D HAPPILY BREAK

There are plenty of rules in interior design.

Some are genuinely useful. Others seem to exist mainly to make us panic over whether our cushions are the right shade of beige.

After years of designing homes and seeing what works in real life, there are a few “rules” we’re very happy to break — including some of the ones we hear most often.

Because ultimately, your home is yours. It should work for the way you live, not for an imaginary panel of interior design judges.

Here are seven rules we happily ignore.

1. Everything should match

We love a cohesive room. But cohesive doesn't mean identical.

Matching furniture sets, perfectly coordinated colours and identical finishes can sometimes make a room feel more like a showroom than a home.

We'd much rather mix old and new, different materials, textures and styles.

A contemporary sofa next to a vintage side table? Yes.

A modern dining table with traditional chairs? Absolutely.

The trick is to create connection, not perfection.

2. Choose the sofa first

The sofa is often one of the biggest investments in a living room, so it can be tempting to start there.

But we'd rather look at the room as a whole first.

How much natural light does it get? Where are the windows and doors? What is the layout? How does the room connect to the rest of the house? What else needs to fit in there?

A beautiful sofa in the wrong size can make an entire room feel awkward.

So before falling head over heels for the perfect sofa, measure the room.

Your future self will thank you.

3. Every room should be Instagram-ready

We love a beautiful room.

But we also love a room that looks like someone actually lives in it.

Real homes have books, blankets, charging cables, toys, laundry and the occasional glass of wine left on the coffee table.

And that's OK.

Good design isn't about creating a home that looks perfect in a photograph. It's about creating a space that feels good to live in.

If you have to constantly tidy your home before you can relax in it, something has probably gone slightly wrong.

4. You have to follow colour trends

Every year brings a new collection of “must-have” colours.

And while it's fun to see what's emerging, you don't need to repaint your walls every time a new colour becomes fashionable.

If you love a trend, use it.

If you don't? Ignore it.

Choose colours because you like how they make you feel, how they work with the light in your home and how they sit alongside the things you already own.

A home you love will always outlast a trend.

5. The flooring should be the same throughout

Open-plan living has made continuous flooring incredibly popular — and it can look fantastic.

But there's no law saying your entire home needs to have the same floor.

Different rooms have different needs.

Timber might be perfect for a living room, while tiles could make much more sense in a hallway or bathroom.

Different flooring can also help define spaces and add character.

Consistency is useful. Consistency at all costs isn't.

6. Furniture should be bought as a set

We've already established that matching isn't everything.

So why buy the entire bedroom set, dining set or living room collection?

Mixing furniture creates layers and makes a home feel as though it has evolved over time.

Combine something new with something vintage. Add a second-hand piece. Keep the chair you inherited from your grandparents.

Not everything needs to have been purchased on the same Saturday afternoon.

7. Design your home purely for resale

Of course, if you're planning to sell soon, resale value is worth considering.

But if you're planning to live in your home for the next five, ten or fifteen years, why should every decision be based on what a future buyer might like?

If you love green walls, have green walls.

If you want patterned tiles, go for it.

If your dream kitchen isn't everyone's dream kitchen, that's OK.

You're the person who has to live there.

So, which rules should you actually follow?

The useful ones:

Measure before you buy.

Consider scale.

Think about how you use a room.

Invest in things that need to last.

Don't ignore lighting.

Make sure your furniture fits.

Your home doesn't need to look like everyone else's. It doesn't need to follow every trend. And it certainly doesn't need to impress on Instagram.

The best rule of all is simple: create a home you genuinely enjoy living in.

Everything else is negotiable.

ABOUT MIKA DESIGN STUDIO

Mika Design Studio is an online interior design studio on a mission to make a positive and meaningful impact on our clients’ lives.

We believe great interior design should be accessible to everyone — not just those with big budgets or the time to manage a full-scale project. That’s why we offer affordable online interior design packages designed to provide as much or as little help as you need, whether you’re refreshing a single room, struggling with a layout or planning a complete transformation.

We listen to how you live, understand your style, priorities and budget, and create a personalised plan that works for you, your home, your budget and your time.

Our approach combines creativity, thoughtful design and sustainable materials to create authentic interiors that feel personal, practical and built to evolve with you.

Visit our website to find out more about us.