Interior design today is more accessible than ever. We find inspiration on social media, in magazines, and on numerous platforms dedicated to design, while furniture, lighting, and materials come in an almost unlimited number of options and combinations. However, this very abundance of choices can sometimes make it difficult to answer a simple question – how to design your own space?
To discuss how to create an interior that is not only visually appealing, but above all suits the way we live, we spoke with Ana Banchi, long-time columnist for Večernji list and contributor to Living magazine, who further perfected her knowledge in the field of interior design at the Callegari Design Academy.
Ana is currently in the process of developing her own business project under the slogan "Form Follows Feeling", through which she aims to convey her vision of aesthetics, feeling, and the livability of interiors through conceptual solutions and advice.
Below, she shares a series of practical tips – from space planning and selecting furniture to lighting, colors, textures, and details that give an interior its personality.
Ana, how should one even start decorating their own interior? Should we first think about style, colors, and furniture?
Creating and designing your own living space is an immense pleasure, and interior design today seems simpler than it was just a few decades ago. Inspiration is available almost endlessly, social media and online magazines offer new ideas daily, and furniture, lighting, materials, and the like are available in countless options and combinations. But sometimes this multitude of choices turns out to be a "problem" – the more beautiful interiors are available to see, the harder it can be to define what your own should look like.
A good interior, however, does not start with choosing wall colors, a sofa, or an idea for a kitchen; it starts with understanding the space and, even more importantly, understanding the way we want to live in it.
Perfectly matched colors and designer furniture pieces are excellent details of a good interior, but if there is no place to put things down when entering the space, if easy movement through that same space is hindered, or if the kitchen countertop is too small for the way and frequency it is used, that interior will not be good – it may be visually appealing, but it will not be pleasant to live in.
Therefore, perhaps the most important guideline is not to design a space solely for visual impact, but for living.
Before we start decorating a space, how important is it to observe how we actually live?
Skipping the planning phase is one of the most common mistakes when designing a new home. Excitement about a new space often carries us toward stores, Pinterest, and even choosing a stylistic direction – whether it will be Scandinavian, minimalist, or mid-century style – although having a rough vision of it is certainly an important item. However, what is more important is thinking about how much time is spent inside the home, whether the kitchen is used daily, whether the home also serves as an office for remote work, whether children and/or pets live in the space, whether you own a collection of books, artwork, or items that need to be organized, etc.
An interior is successful when it supports daily life and does not require those who inhabit it to constantly adapt to it.
At the same time, it is not necessary to accept the original purpose of every room as an unchangeable fact – adjusting/changing floor plans or repurposing rooms is part of basic spatial adaptation to everyday life. In other words, if formal dinners are almost never hosted in the home, there is probably no need for a classic dining room. If work is done from home, that specific part of the apartment can become a combination of a workspace and a smaller dining area. If the bedroom has a large square footage and a lot of storage space is needed, part of the room will gain much more purpose if converted into a walk-in closet rather than leaving it empty for the sake of a certain idea of how a bedroom "should" look. The space should work for us, not the other way around.
How important is the floor plan for the final result?
Before aesthetics, there is spatial geometry. The position of doors and windows, communication pathways, natural light, ceiling height, and the relationships between rooms determine much more than it might seem at first glance. A well-thought-out floor plan can make an average-sized apartment extremely comfortable, while a poor layout can make a very large space impractical.
Drawing a space with the actual dimensions of furniture and elements is smart planning – a sofa in a furniture showroom may look like it has "normal" dimensions, but the space where you place it might become cluttered and far from the desired "statement" element of the room.
Very often, when creating a home, the importance of empty space is overlooked – empty space is not wasted space. We need hallways, places where doors can open without hindrance, space around the table to pull out a chair, enough room between the bed and the wardrobe, and clear lines of sight where the space "breathes". Smaller square-footage apartments are a significant challenge, but a well-constructed concept yields great results.
One common situation is placing furniture up against the wall. Although in smaller spaces this is inevitable, when the dimensions of the room allow it, moving the sofa or armchair away from the wall creates an added sense of depth and contributes to better defining individual zones within the space. This is particularly useful in open-space layouts where the kitchen, dining room, and living room share the same area. Instead of walls, we then divide the space with individual pieces of furniture – the sofa marks the beginning of the living area, a rug visually and logically connects it, and lighting provides additional definition.
Smaller spaces often present a special challenge. How can we make the most out of them?
When we are limited by a smaller square footage, almost every centimeter gains functional value; however, the fact that every part of such a space should be used as effectively as possible does not necessarily mean it must be shaped by the rule that "everything must be small". In other words, a small space does not necessarily have to contain small furniture – too many tiny pieces can make the space feel chaotic and even smaller.
Proportion is what always works well and helps us assess a space, regardless of its size – a rug that is too small under a larger seating set, a tiny picture on a large wall surface, or a massive sofa in a narrow room are some of the elements that create visual imbalance and often give the impression that the space is smaller than it actually is.
It is important to think about multifunctional elements and the vertical dimension of the space. For instance, a bed with storage space, an extendable table, wall shelves instead of an extra chest of drawers, or a built-in closet reaching up to the ceiling can free up a surprising amount of floor area.
With small apartments, people often look only at the floor plan while forgetting its third dimension – height. If the space has high ceilings, it should be utilized – shelves extending to the top will further emphasize the height while simultaneously providing space for items that are not in daily use.
What is even more important is reducing visual clutter. This does not suggest that a small space must be minimalist; on the contrary, it can be full of colors, books, art, and personal belongings, but a suitable place needs to be designed for where everything belongs. Clutter and maximalism are not the same – a maximalist space can be very well organized.
The kitchen is often the heart of the home. What should we pay special attention to?
When planning a kitchen, it is natural to think about its visual appearance first, but the kitchen is probably the best example of why functionality and aesthetics shouldn't be pitted against each other – good design should satisfy both.
It may look spectacular, but if it doesn't provide enough countertop space, if cabinet doors open in a way that blocks the passage, or if items used daily are placed in impractical locations, its beauty will very quickly cease to be noticed.
It is advisable, before choosing front panels and countertops, to think about the workflow – where groceries will be stored, where we wash and prepare them, where we cook, and where we put dishes away.
In smaller kitchens, it is always desirable to make use of the height, but to "reserve" the highest shelves for items that are rarely used. It is useful to think in advance about task lighting for the countertop, an adequate number and placement of electrical outlets, and dedicated space for small household appliances – if using an appliance requires moving several other objects, the solution is not good.
One of the basic rules of a well-organized kitchen is the work triangle – the relationship between the three most important points of the kitchen: the refrigerator, the sink, and the cooktop, structured so that these three zones are close enough for movement between them to be easy and intuitive, yet not so cramped that they interfere with one another.
A well-set work triangle reduces unnecessary movement and makes daily kitchen tasks feel more natural and efficient. However, in modern kitchens, this rule should not be taken as a strict formula – in single-wall kitchens, large islands, and open spaces, it is often more useful to think about work zones and a logical sequence of activities rather than a perfect geometric triangle. The goal is always the same: for the kitchen to follow the way it is actually used.
And the bathroom? Which mistakes are the hardest to fix?
A space where thorough preparation truly pays off is definitely the bathroom. Unlike the living room, for example, where elements can be moved or replaced over time, choices in the bathroom are much more permanent and generally much more expensive.
Before aesthetics, the layout of sanitary fixtures, plumbing installations, drains, lighting and outlet positions, door swing clearance, and sufficient room for movement are items that must be firmly established, because later changes are no longer simple. Only when that foundation is properly set does the much more fun part follow – materials, colors, mirrors, faucets, and details.
Equally important as a good project design is the quality of execution itself – the bathroom is a space where improvisation and sloppy workmanship quickly come back to haunt you. Poorly executed waterproofing, improper slope toward the drain, insufficiently sealed joints, or errors in the plumbing installation can result in leaks or moisture, and then the problem is no longer just aesthetic.
In small bathrooms, every centimeter plays a role – an oversized sink, an incorrectly placed shower wall, and similar mistakes can make a space that looks perfectly fine on paper feel incredibly impractical.
A good bathroom is not necessarily the one with the most expensive tiles or the most attractive basin – it is the one where, after several months of use, you don't even think about where things are placed anymore because everything simply works.
What role does lighting play in an interior?
One of the mistakes in interior design is planning the lighting at the very end – light defines a space just as powerfully as color, material, and even the furniture itself.
Illuminating a space with only a single central source often makes it look cold and unwelcoming, whereas a well-lit space almost always features several layers of light – general ambient lighting for optimal movement throughout the space, task lighting in areas where we perform activities, and accent lighting that adds depth and atmosphere.
In the living room, lighting might include a ceiling or pendant lamp, a floor lamp next to the sofa, a smaller table lamp, and discrete light highlighting artwork or wall texture, alongside several sources that can replace the main ceiling light in the evening.
In the kitchen, lighting is primarily a tool, but that doesn't mean the work area can't look good. General ceiling light on its own is rarely sufficient – countertops need to be illuminated separately and evenly, without shadows cast by your own body while preparing food.
The bedroom area does not require a lot of lighting, but rather well-chosen light. Instead of one bright central source, a more pleasant result is achieved with smaller, separate light sources that adapt to the moment – bedside lighting, softer general light, and very gentle indirect lighting.
The bathroom is also a space where lighting is a crucial element of how the space is experienced. By the mirror, lighting that evenly illuminates the face without harsh shadows is essential. At the same time, make sure aesthetics and technical safety go hand in hand – light fixtures must be adequately positioned with respect to water and moisture zones.
Many people shy away from colors. Is a neutral interior always the safer choice?
Approaching a space with the mindset that neutral is inherently sophisticated, while color is something to be cautious with, is quite common when creating modern interiors – a neutral palette is an excellent base, but neutral doesn't have to mean quiet and balanced, just as colorful doesn't necessarily mean chaos.
A neutral scheme in interiors shouldn't be an end in itself, but rather a backdrop for something that will give that neutrality dynamism. For example, beige, gray, white, or natural wood tones gain a whole new dimension when paired with a deep green piece of furniture.
Color is one of the simplest and most budget-friendly ways to build character in a space – it emphasizes form, connects different zones, visually corrects proportions, creates a narrative, and brings energy.
However, more important than the presence of color is understanding its relationship with the rest of the space. When choosing colors, people often talk about matching them, but contrast is a very powerful tool when defining the character of a space.
It is crucial not to view color in isolation from materials and light – a matte wall, a high-gloss element, velvet, or stone look completely different under light that changes throughout the day from natural to artificial illumination. Color needs to be seen within the space and alongside the materials it will live with and on.
And perhaps most importantly, a good interior does not need to have perfectly matched colors – an overly controlled palette actually deprives the space of spontaneity and personality. A small dose of "mismatch", an unexpected contrast, or a color that appears in only one spot can be precisely what makes the space feel real, personal, and memorable.
Besides colors, how important are textures and details like rugs?
When creating a space with a reduced color palette, the role of texture becomes vital. An interior in shades of white, beige, and brown with smooth or identical surfaces will feel flat – introducing linen, rough wood, wool, ceramics, stone, metal, glass, and similar elements adds depth and layering to the palette.
A good interior comes from well-thought-out relationships between the objects within it – an isolated object, such as a rough wool rug, might not look attractive on its own, but combined with other elements, it can take on an entirely new dimension.
Selecting a rug is a key detail in interior design because incorrect proportions are easily noticed. A rug that is too small in a living room, instead of connecting elements and space, often fragments them.
A good rug is much more than decoration – it ties furniture together, defines a zone, improves acoustics, and introduces texture and warmth.
Should we combine old and new, or stick to a single style?
Homes that draw us in almost always have a certain degree of tension – something old alongside something new, something elegant next to something a bit "raw", a designer piece paired with a flea market find.
Homes decorated by purchasing an entire collection from a single showroom look flawless, but are very often devoid of personality – everything matches, but nothing surprises. Perfection isn't always the most interesting path.
Some interiors, no matter how meticulously designed and executed, suffer from looking as if everything was placed inside on the exact same day – combining old and new is the simplest way to avoid that impression.
A vintage chair next to a modern table, an antique chest of drawers under contemporary art, or a classic lamp in a minimalist space create a tension that gives the interior its character.
Combining contrasting elements requires a bit of skill, as the goal isn't to turn the space into a storage room for random items – you need connecting elements like materials, color, a good eye, and a sense that the objects communicate well with each other.
How much can plants change the feel of a space?
Greenery is one of the simplest and most beautiful ways to bring life and nature into an interior. Plants soften the space, create contrast against hard surfaces, and transform the overall atmosphere.
However, plants should also be selected based on the actual conditions the space provides, rather than solely on how they look in a photograph – a plant that needs plenty of light will not thrive in a dark corner just because it looks great there.
It is always better to start with a few well-chosen plants than to attempt creating a mini indoor garden overnight without the proper conditions or time to care for it.
When grouping plants, using different heights, volumes, and pots works wonderfully – arranging plants into a small composition is much more interesting than scattering them individually around the room.
If we want to make the most out of a space, does that mean we need to use every single centimeter?
Getting the maximum out of a space is not necessarily about using every centimeter and filling every corner. Very often, it actually implies recognizing what the space does not need.
A good interior has a hierarchy – not all objects are equally important, nor do they all need to compete for attention. It is necessary to decide what you want to highlight and allow everything else to act as a supporting backdrop.
If an interior has a great view, perhaps that view is the main decorative element. If there is an interesting, authentic parquet floor, it doesn't need to be covered entirely with rugs. A high ceiling adorned with crown molding shouldn't have to compete with ten other dominant elements.
Sometimes, a great design decision – and the best way to maximize a space – is not to add anything, but to leave it just as it is.
When is it worth investing more, and where can we save money?
A large budget is not a prerequisite for a good interior, nor does it guarantee a successful result. If the budget is limited, it is worth investing more in items that are used most frequently or are hardest to replace – a quality mattress, a good sofa, a functional kitchen, flooring, sanitary fixtures, and proper lighting.
It is much easier to save on decorative elements, and second-hand furniture pieces can coexist beautifully both aesthetically and functionally.
Good design is not a matter of the price tag on an individual item, but the relationship between all elements together.
Sometimes the most expensive mistake is investing in something we didn't actually need.
How do we know when a space is finished?
Maybe it never truly is. A home isn't a project that gets completed forever on one specific day – every change in habits, interests, and needs is natural. The space evolves along with us.
After some time, certain things are no longer needed, while new needs arise – a larger dining table, a requirement for a home office, and so on. This isn't a sign that we made a mistake at the beginning, but a sign that the space is alive.
Because of this, it is advisable to leave room for a degree of flexibility when decorating – not every decision has to be permanent, nor does every piece of furniture have to stay in the exact same spot for a decade.
Sometimes, all that's needed is a shift in energy, which can be achieved by rearranging the sofa, swapping out a rug or lamp, or painting a wall – change is the only constant anyway.
Finally, in your opinion, what is the most common mistake in interior decoration?
Inspiration is useful, but copying is rarely successful. An interior that looks perfect in magazines or on social media belongs to someone who likely lives a completely different life.
A white sofa might be ideal in one home, but entirely impractical in another. Open kitchen shelving is a striking choice for someone with minimal tableware, but a potential source of frustration for a family of five.
The same applies to trends. They are interesting because they provide guidelines on lifestyle shifts, how thinking about space, materials, and colors is evolving, and they introduce new technologies – encouraging us to try something new.
However, a trend is not a rule, and if a home attempts to adapt to a new dominant style every two years, it quickly loses the most important thing – personality.
Ultimately, the best interiors are those where you cannot immediately pinpoint a single style, but rather sense who lives there. A home should reflect the person living in it.
There are rules and guidelines that help – proportion, ergonomics, functionality, lighting, and an understanding of color are not arbitrary, and it is good to be informed. But beyond all the rules comes what cannot be taught – feeling.
An interior can be executed with technical perfection and still leave the observer completely cold, while another might break a few rules yet be a space where you genuinely want to stay. The difference is very often found in personality.
A home doesn't need to be a textbook example of knowing every trend, look like a catalog, feel like a space no one uses, or be stylistically pure – it needs to contain traces of life.
Good design does not impose a way of living; it recognizes and supports it. Therefore, the most important question to ask yourself is how you want to feel when you step into your home.
Because form is important. Function is essential. But an interior only becomes a home when you discover that third element – feeling.
