Top 5 Mistakes People Make When Designing Their Homes in India

We love our customers and always think in favor of our customers. A good approach is to not only guide them but also pinpoint mistakes that we all commit while designing our homes. We are highlighting here some critical mistakes that can easily destroy the overall feel of your dream home.

Mistake #1: Chasing trends over practicality

Trends are great for inspiration—but Instagram doesn’t know your floor plan, your climate, or your budget. We see homes where a “look” is copied verbatim and the space stops working for the family within weeks. Some examples to highlight the point:

• A fluted-glass or wooden partition squeezed into a 10’ x 12’ living room “because it’s in,” shrinking circulation and blocking light that the room badly needs

• Bouclé or bright velvet sofas in a dusty city—gorgeous on day one, high-maintenance by day ten

• White marble counters in a turmeric-and-tadka kitchen—stained within a month

And so on… the point here is that just don’t follow the trend because you love it, but keep in mind the practical aspects as well before deciding to spend tons of money on it.

Mistake #2: Ignoring Vastu, site orientation or land shape

In India, many homeowners regard or at least consider principles of Vastu Shastra. Even if you do not believe in Vastu, most of the principles have solid design or living comfort advantages. Ignoring them may lead to unwanted challenges such as low light in certain areas, irregular house shapes, poor ventilations etc. If you believe in Vastu, mistakes can lead to dissatisfaction, family discord, or suffocation.  Few common mistakes are:

• Blocking the North-East direction by loading heavy wardrobes near the window, or toilets in the center or Northeast direction.

• Placing staircases in north-east; irregular house shapes

• Kitchen in Northeast direction; Gas stove placed so the person faces west while cooking

• Prayer/study shoved into SW storeroom, no daylight.

It is important to consult an experience interior designer or a Vastu expert before planning and decorating your home.

Mistake #3: Compromising on Material Quality for Budget

As an interior designer, let me be crystal clear: what seems like a great deal today will become a costly headache tomorrow. The savings you find by opting for low-grade waterproofing, cheap laminates in the kitchen, or inferior hardware are immediately negated when those materials warp, swell, peel, or break within a year or two. The cost of demolition, purchasing new, quality materials, and re-installation will far exceed what you saved initially. Invest smartly where it counts—in high-traffic areas like the kitchen, bathrooms, and flooring. These elements are the foundation of your home's function and longevity, and they are incredibly disruptive and expensive to replace. A quality home is built on quality materials, not fleeting bargains.

Mistake #4: Ignoring natural light, ventilation needs

Natural light and cross-ventilation aren’t pretty extras — they are the DNA of a comfortable home. Too many designs copy glossy photos with sealed glass facades or heavy drapes and end up with dark, stuffy rooms that need AC 12 months a year, or wet, moldy corners after the monsoon. In India this shows up as west-facing living rooms that roast in the afternoon, north-light blocked by tall cabinetry, kitchens without exhaust that smell for days, and bedrooms with no clear airflow where linen goes stale. A climate-sensitive approach is simple: orient and size openings for daylight and breezes, add shaded openings (Chajjas, Jaalis or Verandahs) to cut heat, use operable windows/clerestories for stack ventilation, and pick materials that tolerate dust, humidity and hard water. Do the daylight + ventilation map at the drawing stage — you’ll save on energy, cleaning, and future regret, and your home will feel bright, dry and alive instead of dim and demanding.

Mistake #5: Rushing into Construction Without a Finalized 3D Design and Virtual walkthrough (The "Measure-Twice, Build-Once" Principle)

As an experienced designer, I want to share one non-negotiable piece of advice: never rush into construction before you have a fully finalized, immersive 3D design in your hands. I understand the eagerness—you want to see the walls go up! But relying solely on a basic 2D floor plan or simple verbal discussions is the blueprint for disaster. A flat drawing on paper simply cannot capture the feeling of scale, the flow of light, or, most critically, potential clashes with electrical points or plumbing lines.

This is where the magic of the virtual walkthrough becomes your project's insurance policy. I make my clients step inside their future home using a photorealistic 3D model. We virtually walk through the living room to check if that sofa looks too bulky, stand in the kitchen to verify the granite slab works with the cabinet colour, and check if the bathroom niche is placed ergonomically. When you can literally "see" and "feel" the space before the first brick is laid, you eliminate the emotional and financial pain of having to tug down walls or move expensive electrical sockets after they've been installed. Insist on this process; it safeguards your budget, eliminates stress, and ensures that the result perfectly matches the dream you envisioned.