Don't put a square peg in a round hole just because you think “you're supposed to.”

What do I mean by that? I mean don’t design a space by using finishes, objects, design elements, etc. that you think should be there just because “everyone else has it”, or “it’s typically done that way”, or even if it’s just your knee-jerk reaction.

Image via: Lonny Magazine

Right: Bathrooms are supposed to have wide mirrors right above the sink, right?

Not necessarily.

Left: Kitchens are supposed to have upper and lower cabinets, right?

Not necessarily.

Image via: Home Bunch; Photographer Brandon Barré

Image via: Mrs. Howard Personal Shopper

Left: There needs to be a sofa in every living room’s seating group, right?

Not necessarily.

There are all kinds of unique ways to address the functionality and design of a space that might not be considered “typical”.

if you’ll stand back, look at the space with eyes wide open, and put the round peg in the round hole, instead of forcing your square peg to fit, you just might get the outcome you want - or, better yet, an even better outcome.

Ultimately, just do what the room beckons you to do with it. Capitalize on the attributes of the space.

So, instead of thinking a kitchen has to have a row of upper and lower cabinets running around a room that has lots of gorgeous windows on one side, perhaps it might be better to have one wall of solid cabinetry, and the other one with no uppers.

Perhaps this works better with the architecture of the room and creates a more unique, beautiful, and more appropriate kitchen layout that gives you more storage than before.

Image via: Better Homes and Gardens

Image via: Traditional Home Magazine

Or, in a perfectly square, smaller living room, perhaps it would be better to have four upholstered chairs centered around a cocktail table or ottoman.

That way the sofa won’t be pushed up against the wall or cut the room in half.

Or, it might mean you install a very tall, slender mirror above a vanity in a bathroom that has an extraordinarily high ceiling.

This way, you’ll be able to celebrate that luxurious extra space in your tiny room that would otherwise be ignored if it featured a shorter mirror.

Do you see what I mean? I’m not simply talking about a kitchen or a bathroom or a living room...

I’m talking about letting an interior space dictate how you design it, just a little bit. I’m talking about looking at the geometry of the space -- the cubic sq. feet -- to see how it can be toyed with to maximize it’s functionality and celebrate it’s own special volume.