4 Factors of Interior Design

Decorating a home or room appears to be a very simple job. Professional decorators that publish beautiful bedroom, living rooms and kitchen in magazines seem to pull it off effortlessly. How much work is decorating? Is it hard to personalize a space? Preparation is an essential factor in interior decorating. An effective decorating project begins with an elaborate plan. When designing the décor of your home, find inspiration, determine your style, consider the use of your space and access your materials.

Finding Inspiration
The first step to almost any project is inspiration. When people dress daily, it is often influenced by an image viewed in a magazine. Decorating a home or space is similar. When decorating, it is key to have an idea of the desired outcome. This usually is inspired by a picture in a magazine; something viewed on television or maybe even an advertisement. From the color scheme, to the artwork to the furniture used in the space, it is important to have a general idea of the desired result. How can you work toward a goal of which there is no vision?

Determine Your Style
"Home is where the heart is" is a very true statement. We spend the most times in our homes. Our homes not only provide shelter but also relaxation and entertainment. A person is most comfortable in a space that is comfortable. A comfortable space is likely a space that reflects your personality. A fun loving, spontaneous person would decorate their home much different than that of a conservative introvert. When decorating a space, be sure to allow your personality to shine through, maybe it's a piece of wall art or shag rug, no matter how big or small, make your space a reflection of "you".

Consider the Use of the Space
If you are the parent of 4 children under the age of 5, it may not be practical to decorate your space in all white, glass, sharp pieces. Your family would be very uncomfortable and the room would definitely be "display only". When designing the décor of your space, consider how the space will be used. For example, when decorating a kitchen, make sure there is ample lighting where food will be prepared. Make sure bathrooms have ample vanity lighting if a female will be applying makeup. Creating a magazine worthy space will certainly be a waste if the space is off-limits.

Access Your Materials
The first step of any project is reviewing or creating the budget. One of the biggest expenses of any project is materials. When designing décor for your space, make sure to consider the materials that are available. Purchasing additional items/materials is anticipated, but if it can be avoided, that is wonderful.

Designing the décor of your space of home is an exciting time! Proper planning can lead to an effective and speedy process. Get started planning your next project today!

Incorporating Feng Shui Into Interior Decorating

It does't have to become an expensive proposition to incorporate the principles of feng shui into your interior decorating adventures. In some homes that have been decorated without the consideration of this ancient Chinese art, there is a decided lack of warmth. As a result, visitors to your home do not feel comfortable. The “chi” is lacking in the overall scheme of decorating and this is the universal life force within the home that connects those inside to the environment.

Feng shui involves the use of the five elements of fire, wood, water, earth and metal. You should incorporate a combination of all five in your interior decorating efforts. Having bright colors in the rooms of your home is one way in which you can bring the element of fire into the house. This does not necessarily mean that you need to have every wall painted a very bright color. It means that you can have contrasting items that are bright so that they bring out the essence of all the other colors. Triangular and diamond shapes in objects, artwork and frames for photos will also give you the elements of fire without having to completely redecorate.

The use of earth tones in the color scheme will provide you with the elements of earth that you need in feng shui. Such elements help to ground the body and the spirit in the home. Horizontal shapes for tables and decorative items and the placement of furniture in proportion to the size of the room is one way in which you can accomplish this.

You can achieve metal by having artwork and picture frames made of metal, but you can also use metallic colors in your overall color scheme. Paintings and ornaments placed around the room will also help you achieve this effect. You can combine the two elements of metal and water by having a water fountain of some type in your home. Falling water helps to bring a feeling of peace and contentment in any room of the home. Wall fountains that are edged in metal are wonderful decorations to have in a bedroom to help you fall asleep easily and in the foyer to provide a welcome for visitors.

Fresh flowers in each room of the home will provide your home with positive energy and help to bring a sense of nature to the interior of your home. Flowers will also provide a pleasant aroma. Decluttering your home is another aspect of feng shui that will help your give home a more welcoming atmosphere. In order for the positive energy (chi) to flow, there must be enough room for it to flow freely throughout.

Interior Decorating Ideas: Ten Hints For Decorating Your Living Room

Many people think of a modern living room as a nice, open space sprinkled with contemporary furnishings. The space is airy and comfortable. But for many people, this is not the reality of what they open their front door to each day. If you imagine a more contemporary, airy space, but you live with an entirely different space each day, then maybe you need to take steps to change it. Read on for ten great ideas to decorate, revamp, and declutter your living room. If you follow these tips, you can enjoy interior bliss. The lifestyle of your dreams can match your everyday lifestyle.

Step 1 - Set a budget for your interior design project. You need to make sure to stick to your budget. You do not want to overspend on your dream living room. This will only bring unhappiness to you.

Step 2 - Declutter your living room. Clutter makes everything look less appealing and less modern. It is impossible to achieve a contemporary look to a room when it is covered in clutter. Do you have mail sitting about? How about piles of books and magazine that you have not yet gotten around to reading? Maybe you even have extra pieces of furniture or broken items of furniture that you need to take out of the room. Cleaning up the space will improve it and help you focus on what you need to do to make the space meet your desires.

Step 3 - Take out furniture that is out of date or out of style. Do you have pieces in your living room that are simply not from this decade? Maybe you have a hodgepodge of pieces in the same space? It is impossible to create a sleek look with eclectic pieces in the room. If you need to revive your space, then you need to clear out the furniture that doesn't belong in the room.

Step 4 - Replace your carpeting or floooring. If you have old carpet or outdated parquet flooring or the like, then you really need to think about updating your flooring. Maybe hardwood to warm up the space. Or perhaps you would like to save a little with laminate flooring. Fresh carpeting always perk up a space. You can create a fresh look or feel to the room.

Step 5 - Freshen up the walls with paint or wallpaper. Your living walls are the best place to use a color scheme to create a nice feel to the room. Fresh paint or wallpaper will get the job done nicely. The nice thing about paint is that it is easy to change and you can do it yourself quite easily. Wallpaper is a little trickier. You can even paint just one wall in your room instead of all four of them. It creates a focal point. You can pick a color that is your favorite or just reflects your personal taste. Or choose a color that accents your furnishings. if you want your room to look bright and airy, then you want to paint the room yellow or even white. But you can also paint neutral tones in your room and that will keep the space airy and bright as well. Taupe, beige and even cream will do the trick.

Step 6 - Buy new furniture to replace the old. You do not have to go contemporary with your decor. You can do vintage or rustic. You can even go the minimalist route if you would prefer. You can redecorate in any style you would like.

Step 7 - Buy cushions, pillows, and rugs to create accessories for your space. Cushions, pillows, and rugs can tie the entire room together. If you select the right accessories you can create just the right look for your space. You can make the room look however you would like.

Step 8 - Turn your attention to the lighting in the room. Lamps set up in strategic locations about the room. This makes an atmosphere and ambiance that is pleasing to you. Your room can have the right feel to it with the right lighting.

Step 9 - Find rugs and paintings to dress up the walls. Your walls are bare right now. Yo u need paintings to create a bold statement in the living room. Rugs will give the room warmth. Family portraits and paintings of scenes that you like will make the space unique and personal to you.

Step 10 - Add gadgets and electronics. Maybe you need a flat screen or sound system in your living room to bring it into this decade and give it a modern look.