Design Dispatch: What's the Most Common Design Mistake I See?

It isn't a paint color.

It isn't a decorating style.

It's scale and proportion.

It's the quickest way to make a room feel "off." Get it right, and you've already done a lot of the work. A room with good scale and proportion feels balanced, cohesive, and pulled together.

One thing I've learned over the years is that almost nothing in design is ever truly "done." Good design evolves. Even elements that have become commonplace can feel fresh when they're used thoughtfully and in the right context.

When I'm evaluating a trend, I tend to separate it into two categories.

The first is when something becomes so popular that people feel like they need it, whether it suits their home or not.

The second is when a trend, whether it's a particular wood species, a lighting silhouette, or a finish, is interpreted in a way that feels personal instead of copied. Those are the spaces that stand the test of time.

The same principle applies to scale.

There are two pieces I see mis-sized in homes more than anything else. One is almost always too small, and the other is almost always too large.

Can you guess which is which?

Rugs are usually too small. Sofas are usually too big.

Undersized rugs are often a budget decision. People see the price difference, choose the smaller size, and hope it works. Unfortunately, a rug that's too small can make an entire room feel disconnected and unfinished, no matter how beautiful everything else is.

Sofas, on the other hand, are often purchased based on how they feel in the showroom. Deep seats and oversized cushions are undeniably comfortable, but comfort alone doesn't tell you whether that sofa belongs in your living room. Once it's in the space, it can overwhelm the room, interrupt circulation, and make everything around it feel cramped.

As a starting point, use these guides before you buy. They aren't hard-and-fast rules. They're simply guidelines that can help you avoid the most common sizing mistakes and create a room that feels balanced, comfortable, and easy to live in.

Of course, there are exceptions to every rule. Some rooms call for breaking convention, but those decisions should be intentional, not accidental.

The easiest way to improve a room isn't necessarily buying better furniture. It's paying attention to how each piece relates to everything around it. More often than not, getting the scale right is what will make the room feel right.

Want more designer tips like these? Read our recent blog post on lighting and our cost breakdown on kitchen renovations.

In the Mix: Countertop Edges Are Getting Interesting

For years, countertop edge profiles have been... well, predictable.

After the bullnose and ogee edges of the '90s and early 2000s had their moment, the industry collectively shifted toward the clean, understated eased edge. It's timeless for a reason, and it's still my go-to for many projects.

Lately, though, I'm seeing something that genuinely has me excited.

Stone fabricators are getting creative again.

Instead of simply choosing from a standard list of edge profiles, they're treating the edge as a design opportunity. Layered details, sculptural profiles, and mitered returns are bringing personality back to countertops in a way that feels fresh rather than fussy.

One detail I'm seeing more often is a deep mitered edge, where the front return makes the countertop appear to be a substantial block of stone resting on the cabinetry. The effect is dramatic and luxurious, particularly on heavily veined natural stone. And even more so if it's a stone that can be back lit.

There is one practical consideration, however. That thicker-looking edge isn't just visual. The cabinetry below often needs to be adjusted to maintain comfortable countertop height, which can reduce drawer height and storage space. It's a worthwhile trade-off in the right application, but it's one to discuss early in the design process.

What excites me most isn't any one profile. It's that we're seeing innovation again in a part of the kitchen that has looked largely the same throughout my career. The craftsmanship coming from today's fabricators is opening up new possibilities, and I'm looking forward to seeing where it goes next.

All of the photos featured here were taken at DMD, one of the local fabricators we regularly partner with. Curious about what happens after the slabs are selected? Take a look at our Meet the Makers interview with Carmina, who owns DMD alongside her husband, Dylean. It's a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the fabrication process and the craftsmanship that brings these details to life.

Off the Clock: My New Best Friend Is Named Audrey

No, she's not a person. She's my AI assistant.

I named her after Audrey Hepburn because she's always represented the kind of style I admire most: classic, timeless, elegant. Never trying too hard, and always approachable. Those are the same principles that underpin every project I design.

Audrey doesn't design projects for clients. I use her to explore ideas, test concepts, plan trips, organize information, and communicate design concepts that are difficult to explain with words alone. For our recent Hawaii trip with extended family, she efficiently helped organize the itinerary, create a sign-up calendar for meals, and even suggest activities for the littles.

One of the most useful applications I have found for her has been creating images to communicate design ideas.

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A couple of weeks ago, I shared a reel on Instagram where I said oversized island pendants were "done." I received quite a few questions afterward because thirty seconds wasn't enough time to fully explain what I meant.

The truth is, it wasn't really about the pendants. It was about scale and proportion.

Like many design trends, oversized pendants became popular because they looked fantastic in the right space. Then everyone wanted the look, whether their own space was right for it or not. Somewhere along the way, the design principles that made the trend successful got left behind.

Oversized pendants absolutely have their place. The problem isn't the fixture. It's using one without considering whether the room can support it. When scale and proportion are ignored, the fixture starts competing with the room instead of complementing it.

I wanted a way to illustrate that concept without borrowing someone else's photography or waiting until I had the perfect real-life example. Audrey created these two images for me:

The first intentionally exaggerates the trend and gets the point accross. The pendants dominate the room.

The second still makes a statement, but the fixtures are in proportion to the space around them.

Neither kitchen exists. They were created to communicate a design principle, and that's one place where I think AI really shines. It isn't replacing creativity or experience. It's helping me communicate ideas more clearly, visualize possibilities, and even solve everyday problems a little faster.

I'm still exploring what Audrey can do and how to best communicate with her for efficiency, but the more I experiment, the more uses I find. She did do a pretty great job though- don’t you think??

I'm curious...

Are you using AI yet? If so, what's the most useful way you've found to incorporate it into your work or everyday life?

Until next time,

🤍

Lisa

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This newsletter is meant to support and inspire you in the world of design and home—not as a business venture, but as a way to share insights, ideas, and resources I truly believe in. Occasionally, it may include affiliate links, which help support my work at no extra cost to you. I only share products and tools I genuinely believe will be useful to my readers.