In design, the details make all the difference. You may have lovely furnishings and exquisite accessories, but somehow the room just isn't coming together. It may be because a few of the details of design have been lost in the big picture.

One of the mistakes frequently made in decorating is hanging the artwork too high. The artwork seems to float on the walls. It has no connection to the other furnishings.

Artwork should be hung at eye level. This is a bit arbitrary, since your eye level may differ by several inches from your spouse's. Use these rules of thumb: The center of the artwork should be 60 to 66 inches from the floor. For artwork over the couch, allow no more than 14 inches between the back of the couch and the bottom of the frame.

While artwork is routinely hung too high, drapery is hung too low. This creates an unsightly gap between the drapery and ceiling, and it makes the window appear hunched. Install the drapery rod 6 to 12 inches above the window for an 8-foot ceiling; this will give height to the room while the drapery provides a connection between floor and ceiling.

Your flooring choices may also harbor a decorating faux pas. Do you have a small area rug floating in the middle of the room? Did you put it there to break up the expanse of flooring? Correct this by putting down a larger rug and anchoring it with the furniture grouping.

How you group your accessories can also be an area in which the details are lost. Setting out several family photos is a lovely way to show you care, but don't scatter them about the room. They lose their impact.

Instead, group them together either on a wall or tabletop. Use similar frames, but don't put them all in the same kind of frame. You want cohesion, not conformity.

For other accessories, such as figurines or ceramic vases, use the three of a kind rule. Place three of the same kind of item together for display, and then leave it at that. If you have a plethora of accessories, change out the pieces occasionally. Don't overload your tabletops or shelves with knick-knacks and whatnots. No one thing will stand out and the room could look cluttered.

Does this mean you can only set out three little klotchkies at a time? No. It means one of the common decorating mistakes is confusing collections for klotchkies. If you have a collection you want to display, set it up in a display case. Make it part of the furniture, not the accessories.

A wonderful detail for displaying collections is using a case with interior lighting. You can highlight the collection when you wish.

Lighting is another area in which decorating mistakes can happen. When purchasing lamps, buy table lamps that are of similar height and shape for either side of the couch, and repeat the shape or form in floor and desk lamps. They needn't be identical, but should share common elements, such as size and shape of the lampshade

When placing your lamps, think about the triangle of light. You want to place your lighting so there are no dark corners; avoid surrounding your seating arrangement with lamps and leaving the rest of the room in shadows. Hit the two corners that flank your seating and get a third lamp on the opposite wall. Fill in the rest of the room with smaller lamps or up-lights.

The details in your design, such as the height of your artwork and the grouping of your accessories, can turn a disjointed room into a cohesive, well-designed space. Train your eye to seek out these small adjustments and you'll have a beautiful, comfortable space.

Learn more about this author, Shelly Mcrae.
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