1. Plan out each room
Before you purchase any furniture or accessories, get design ideas that fit your interest look online and in the latest design magazines and you will discover looks you likely never considered. Pay attention to how colour and space are used in a room and how artwork is introduced. The perfect interior will have great balance and use of the different design pieces. The more you study, the more you will come to understand how to put a room together. And of course, you can always hire a professional interior designer to help you realize your vision.
2. Pick the right floor covering
Your floor coverings can set the tone for your entire interior design so take your time and select floor coverings that give you just the right look and feel. There are several good ones to select from that feature wildly different price points and have varying characteristics. Most will require that you make a compromise either in price or durability. The most popular floor covering is laminate flooring. With its versatility, durability, beauty and price, it can’t be beaten. Companies like Floorsdirectltd.co.uk/laminate-flooring.html sell the widest variety of laminate flooring at prices that are only 10% of the price of hardwood flooring and it is much more durable.
3. The walls are part of your design
Take time and decide what to do with the walls of your home, knowing that they can play a big part in creating a beautiful interior. There are so many wall-covering choices right now. In addition to traditional paints in every shade, you can get all types of paper from flat to textured. The different options can play off of or against furniture and flooring in your home. Consider using different styles in each room to create warmer and more elegant looks throughout.
4. Purchase timeless, not trendy
There is a tendency to buy furniture and floor coverings that fit the hottest trends. The problem is that once these trends shift you are left with big item purchases that look dated. Instead, buy timeless pieces and accessorize them with less expensive trendy pieces. You can buy great-looking trendy art and other easy-to-change pieces. When trends change you can change them and still use your expensive furniture pieces.
5. Buy one signature piece for each room
Many homeowners feel that a room needs to be stuffed with great things but the result is often too much in one space and even though the space may contain great pieces, none stand out. A better approach is to find one great piece from a supplier like Hooker Furniture and make it the centre of a particular room. In a living room, this might be a majestic-looking couch or armoire. In a bedroom, this might be a large and ornate four-post bed. Use the other pieces of furniture to highlight this one piece and it will draw attention to it.
6. Don’t overlook the lighting
Lighting is often overlooked in interior design because it is often not noticed unless it is overbearing. But today lighting design has become an art form and there are many wonderful approaches to lighting that can even put the fixtures squarely at the centre of your interior design. You can use the different types of lighting to create different moods in each and in different areas of the same room. Use lighting to highlight different pieces of furniture, art and even the shape of a room or hallway.
7. Your accessories matter
There is nothing worse than a beautiful room with no accessories. When this occurs, the room always looks incomplete. Artwork, racks, pillows, memorabilia, figurines and other pieces placed strategically around your interior show character and make the place look lived in. Be generous with these and each room will come alive.
8. Create a flow
Your interior should have a flow when it is completed with one room flowing into the net almost like waves in the ocean. This does not mean that every room should look the same, but you can incorporate common elements that pay homage to other rooms in your home. Think about using drapes or even lighting for this purpose. The effect will be dramatic and memorable.
9. Buy out of season
No matter how much money you have, you still need to be price-conscious when you purchase things for your dream interior. If you buy furniture, wall coverings and even art out of season, you can save more than 50% on some items. Get into this habit and also consider buying things one season behind. Very few people will actually notice and you may not be the first in your circle to have it, but you will save lots of money and still have your dream interior.
10. Think comfort over style
Remember that when all is said and done, you and your family will have to live in your home, so do not create a beautiful showplace that is too uncomfortable to live in. If you want to have a museum-type home but have small children this is probably unrealistic. Modify your ideas to accommodate who the interior must serve. This will affect the fabrics you choose, the types of accessories you buy and the style of furniture you select. You may have to make some compromises but you will be much happier in the end.
In the end, when you are creating your dream interior, the key is to take some chances and have fun with it. Like every other renovation project, it will take some patience before you get it perfect.
Lighting is often overlooked in interior design because it is often not noticed unless it is overbearing. But today lighting design has become an art form and there are many wonderful approaches to lighting that can even put the fixtures squarely at the centre of your interior design. You can use the different types of lighting to create different moods in each and in different areas of the same room. Use lighting to highlight different pieces of furniture, art and even the shape of a room or hallway.
7. Your accessories matter
There is nothing worse than a beautiful room with no accessories. When this occurs, the room always looks incomplete. Artwork, racks, pillows, memorabilia, figurines and other pieces placed strategically around your interior show character and make the place look lived in. Be generous with these and each room will come alive.
8. Create a flow
Your interior should have a flow when it is completed with one room flowing into the net almost like waves in the ocean. This does not mean that every room should look the same, but you can incorporate common elements that pay homage to other rooms in your home. Think about using drapes or even lighting for this purpose. The effect will be dramatic and memorable.
9. Buy out of season
No matter how much money you have, you still need to be price-conscious when you purchase things for your dream interior. If you buy furniture, wall coverings and even art out of season, you can save more than 50% on some items. Get into this habit and also consider buying things one season behind. Very few people will actually notice and you may not be the first in your circle to have it, but you will save lots of money and still have your dream interior.
10. Think comfort over style
Remember that when all is said and done, you and your family will have to live in your home, so do not create a beautiful showplace that is too uncomfortable to live in. If you want to have a museum-type home but have small children this is probably unrealistic. Modify your ideas to accommodate who the interior must serve. This will affect the fabrics you choose, the types of accessories you buy and the style of furniture you select. You may have to make some compromises but you will be much happier in the end.
In the end, when you are creating your dream interior, the key is to take some chances and have fun with it. Like every other renovation project, it will take some patience before you get it perfect.
Great tips! Planning your ideas is the hardest thing!
ReplyDeleteI agree with so many of these. Love the idea of choosing just one signature piece to stand out in the room! x
ReplyDeleteVery detailed post! I loved it, good read! Planning is so important :) x
ReplyDeleteThese are some amazing tips! I can't wait to buy my own house so I can do the decor according to my choice.
ReplyDeleteThese are some fab tips, Mel! We can't do much to our interior as we are in rented accommodation but I can't wait to get to work when we own a house of our own.
ReplyDeleteSuch a lovely post with lots of nice tips on it, the photos are great too. I have to agree with accessories, although they are not prominent, they are so important to lift the room up
ReplyDeletegreat tipe! I often buy things out of season, as I rather follow my own taste than the seasonal trend.
ReplyDeleteThese are great tips, particularly like the idea of buying one statement piece for a room and keeping the rest simple
ReplyDeleteI loved and agreed with this post, lighting is a big thing most people miss out! :) x
ReplyDeleteAs I plan on moving in the next few years I have already starting planning the rooms and I am so excited to think about all things interiors. You’re right about not overlooking lighting as it’s so important x
ReplyDelete