Rika Rè Interiors | Rè-Style Blog

As an interior designer, you’re faced with a wide range of situations on any given day. One moment you’re in an initial client meeting and halfway through it becomes clear they have no real sense of their personal taste. Another day, you’re navigating the classic scenario of a couple with completely opposing styles struggling to compromise. And sometimes, you’re simply working through a wishlist that is… well, let’s say generously outside of reality and trying to find a diplomatic way to explain that the marble columns for a home gym might not be a reasonable budget line item…

There are countless things to troubleshoot in this field, but a designer with a solid head on their shoulders and a toolkit of wit, adaptability and intuition will usually find their way to the right solution.

And here are some of mine:

“Why does my living room feel kind of off but I can’t figure out why?”

Well, it’s likely because one or more of the core principles of good design hasn’t been given enough attention in the process of developing your space. The first things I assess are the size, scale and proportion of the objects within the room. If they’re too large or too small for the space, it will immediately throw the entire composition off.

This is the most common culprit, but there are other factors that can contribute as well, such as the misuse of negative space or the tendency to fill areas that should be left open for visual and functional breathing room. I usually troubleshoot this along with the aforementioned and if the space still feels “off,” it’s time to step back and evaluate individual pieces, the color palette and overall balance. And often stripping the room down to its essentials before rebuilding it in a way that allows it to function and breathe on its own terms.

“Can you make a space look good without buying all new furniture?”

Some people genuinely don’t believe me when I say this, but yes, most of the time you can make a space look completely fine without buying all new furniture. There are plenty of options if swapping everything out isn’t on the table right now.

One of the first things to consider is whether your furniture simply needs a refresh. Reupholstering, for example, is a great way to keep grandma’s old chair while giving it a second life that actually suits your space. Refinishing is another solid option—sometimes all it takes is a good sanding, a new stain, or a fresh coat of lacquer or paint to completely change how a piece feels.

(Unless it’s a coffee table that’s been beaten beyond recognition. When it’s time to go, let it go.)

Generally speaking, I’m all for upcycling and giving furniture a second chance. Sometimes all it really needs is a bit of TLC, some elbow grease or a good local craftsman who actually knows what they’re doing.

“Is it normal for my place to feel cluttered even when it’s “clean”?”

Understand this: clutter has nothing to do with cleanliness and everything to do with excess. Your space can be spotless, dust-free, vacuumed, bed made—and still feel cluttered. If it does, it’s because there’s simply too much in the room.

Too many pieces of furniture, not enough negative space, something on every wall, collections everywhere, no room to move or let the space breathe? It all adds up. The result is a room that feels cramped, compressed and overwhelming, no matter how clean it is.

“Why do my Pinterest boards look better than my actual room?”

Easy. It’s not that your space doesn’t have the potential to look “good.” It’s that most of what you’re comparing it to isn’t real life.

A lot of what you see on Pinterest is editorial. It’s styled, staged and shot to look perfect for a moment, not to function day to day. And here’s the honest part I remind clients of all the time: creating a good space doesn’t have to be expensive, but creating an editorial space usually is. That level of polish doesn’t come from a few hundred dollars and a cart checkout.

Part of my job as a designer is finding realistic ways to create a space that feels like you, works for how you actually live, and stays within budget. That’s very different from building something purely for the camera.

Most people don’t realize the difference between editorial design and livable design and social media hasn’t helped. It makes these spaces look effortless and attainable, like everyone just casually lives in a perfectly styled home. They don’t. I can almost guarantee those rooms don’t look like that when the camera’s off. It’s the same idea as real estate staging—hide what’s not pretty, highlight what is. (And let’s be honest, we’ve all done a quick “tuck everything away” before company shows up.)

I could go on about this for hours because I do have a slight vendetta against Pinterest-perfect interiors being labeled as “design.” A lot of it is impractical, excessive and honestly a bit performative.

Don’t feel bad. You’re probably not far off. Most spaces don’t need a complete overhaul. What they need a few smart adjustments. Focus on the bones: layout, lighting, materials, hardware. Prioritize what actually works over what just looks good in a photo. That’s where real design lives.

“Do I need to follow “rules” in interior design or is it flexible?”

Short answer: Yes.
Long answer: Yes… but.

Let’s start with what interior designers actually do. We’re hired to provide expertise in planning, consultation and problem-solving for spaces that aren’t working the way they should, whether residential or commercial. At the core of it, designers are problem-solvers first and stylists second.

Good design isn’t just instinct, even though the best designers do have a strong sense of spatial awareness and creativity. It’s a practiced discipline. It’s education, experience and the ability to apply both in a way that serves the client’s needs not just visually, but functionally.

Because no, it’s not just about making a space look “good” or photo-ready. It’s a skillset and a mindset. It’s in knowing how to build a space that works, holds up over time and actually supports the way someone lives in it. And sometimes, it also means mediating disagreements, managing expectations and leading a project through to a cohesive result. That’s part of the job too.

Now, with that being said—there are plenty of designers who know the rules and choose to ignore them. What I tend to call “editorial design.” It looks interesting, it photographs well and it can be visually stimulating, but it’s not always practical. A lot of it is trend-driven, surface-level and not built for real, long-term living and especially in residential spaces.

And that’s where the distinction matters.

There’s design as an art form and then there’s design as a technical application. Both have value, but when you’re creating a space people actually have to live or work in, functionality, safety, longevity and usability have to come first. Otherwise, it’s just a concept. It’s not a solution.

I tend to be very honest (often blunt), when it comes to design choices and especially when I see things that are being passed off as “good design” when they simply aren’t. I’m not going to pretend poor decisions are creative just to spare feelings.

That being said, you can absolutely do whatever you want with your space.

Just understand, it might not look good if you don’t know what you’re doing or ignore the “rules” of design. And more importantly, it won’t feel good to live in. It will feel oddly uncomfortable over time. Poorly designed spaces are hard to relax in, hard to function in and even harder to enjoy long-term.