You’ve probably watched the Home and Garden channel on a few occasions, and you’ve thought to yourself, ‘oh, well I could do that.’ Well, the truth is: you could do that – but first, you’ll just need to know a few simple interior design basics.
1. Who is the room for?
This is perhaps one of the more important questions. Is this going to be a room that your friends, your family and your children can be comfortable in? Once you know exactly who’s going to potentially be using the room, it will help guide you toward making decorating choices that will fit perfectly.
2. Where is your inspiration coming from?
Sure, if it’s a kid’s bedroom or your husband’s office – it’s easy to pick out design elements that you think they’ll enjoy. However, if this is a living room or a family room, it may be a bit more difficult to figure out something that will be pleasing to everything. Here’s a tip: you can’t please everyone. Think about the people who are going to be in those rooms the most: your family. Chances are, your family will love whatever you decide – but if you’re a little iffy, show them a few things (such as paint, or furniture) you’ve picked out to gauge their reaction.
3. Choose your furniture first
If you’re like me, and you love bright colors – you’ve probably found that while you’ve got the perfect color paint, you can’t seem to find the right color couch to go with it. When it comes to picking out the furniture, you should do this prior to choosing paints. Unless your paint is a neutral color such as white or beige, you may want to put a hold on painting until you’ve found the right couch.
If you’re dead set on a certain wall color, be sure to bring the paint swatch with you. Many furniture stores have floor samples that can come in a variety of different colors. Ask a salesman for a color swatch for the particular pieces you’ve been eyeing. Also, keep in mind that when you’ve ordered furniture with a ‘custom’ fabric, it will take several weeks to manufacture – so don’t throw out your old furniture just yet.
4. Choose your color scheme
After your furniture is underway, it’s okay to choose to choose your wall paint and the rest of the colors for your room. Knowing exactly what color your furniture is, will help you in the long run decide what will fit with the room. Your furniture style will help guide the room into a design concept. Design concepts can be anything you choose, or they can be as concepts such as contemporary design, modern design, cottage design, and so forth.
5. Do It Yourself
One of the great things about home design is that not everything has to be store bought. When decorating a room, it’s always a great idea to bring in one piece of design that’s completely you. Whether it’s something as simple as sanding down an old coffee table and painting it a color to match the room, or making a faux floral arrangement to sit on the shelf – it’s something you did completely on your own. It adds a personal touch that can’t be bought and you’ll appreciate it for years to come.
In the long run, you will have saved yourself stress from trying to find matching furniture for your almost redecorated room. You’ll have discovered a process that may or may not work for you in future decorating endeavors and most importantly, you’ll have a newly decorated room that you’ll absolutely love.
Sources:
Personal Experience