Irish interior designer Geri O’Toole on the biggest mistake people make when renovating their home

Geri O'Toole is the interior designer of choice for many famous Irish faces including Vogue Williams and most recently Rosanna Davison.

Speaking to RSVP Home, Geri spoke about some of the biggest pitfalls people make when they are designing or renovating their homes.

Read more: Inside interior designer Geri O'Toole's Limerick cottage after incredible transformation

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The leading interior designer said the importance of lighting in a home in often overlooked, even though it has a significant impact on the look and feel of your space.

"You cannot overlook the importance of lighting because if you’re doing a full reno and you’re hardwiring electrics, it’s something you only really get to do once".

Geri explained that the best time to enlist the guidance of an interior designer is as soon as you have hired an architect - or even before!

"I’ve noticed in the last year clients are coming to us earlier, either as soon as they’ve engaged an architect or even sooner. That’s always the best possible time to get an interior designer".

Another oversight Geri often sees is a lack of styling, which can turn a home from bland to beautiful.

"The other common pitfall is layering and styling. It’s an easy one to correct. Sometimes we do site visits and people feel like their house is falling a little bit flat or it’s just not interesting enough. When actually they’ve probably come quite far, they have flooring and furniture, but they haven’t styled it.

"As interior designers, we don’t show projects until they have been styled with artwork, cushions, candles and the little ornaments that bring a space to life. It’s a big one that’s overlooked".