The Basic Concepts of Interior Design and Decorating

Home decorating ideas are fun to work around. The first step is finding out who you are and what you like doing. The next steps involve the situation you are in and how you can make themes fit you. An individual, a family, a business or an office situation will reveal character. It is an entirely fascinating and rewarding subject. It is well worth the time it takes to develop themes that fit you. It will make your life well worth living. Do not make the mistake of thinking decorations are only for parties, only for the rich, and only if you have money. Home decorating ideas are for children to develop their personalities; they are for students and for any season of life. Your life can be visualized in what is around you and is a great idea for motivating you through life. Why not motivate you and those around you for the best?

First step is to find out who you are. Understand your likes and dislikes, in other words what kind of personality you are. The basic personalities are introvert and extrovert with as many combinations as there are people. Cultures, past experiences and interests all add to the concept of who you are. Basic point: you will buy from your preferences which have roots in your character.

Another step involves analyzing the situation you are in. The life style you live will of course affect your home decoration ideas. When you are home all the time, you need to make sure that your home decor is practical and useful according to your tastes. Careers take time and therefore the home needs to reflect who you are but also needs to be more maintenance and care free. Offices and businesses will reflect to other people who you are and you need to be comfortable with that.

The next step is to take into consideration where you are. Whether you own your own home or rent; travel in your own RV or travel and live in other temporary housing, take your decorating talents with you. Changing jobs frequently can be challenging or you can turn it into a great adventure. You change your likes and dislikes, but never who you really are. The important part of this concept is to find one theme that enhances who you are and make it fit where you are now.

One more step to understand the purpose of the home decorating ideas. This world is a life of stress and conflict, and your home needs to be a place of refuge for you. Ideally, home should be free from stress, but practically your home should motivate you to be the best you can be. Stress is not the issue, motivation for character is.

The last step is using home decorating ideas for motivation. Home decorating should reflect who you are and show your character. The projects, hobbies, activities you do should blend into your decor and give you the freedom to express yourself. Office decorating should reflect who you are and motivate your business to reflect the character of your business.

In other words, whatever you want to use your home or office decor for will show who you are. Enjoy the experience of becoming better than you are now. Every time you wake up, every time you enter a room, you should be comfortable. Be creative, support those who are involved in your life, and make your life count.

Home Stager - Interior Decorator - Interior Designer - What is the Difference Between Them?

In Toronto and Suburbia (where I live and work) we are fortunate to have a wealth of service industries that cater to home owners. We have home stagers, interior decorators, interior designers, colour consultants, re-designers, home staging-to-live consultants and on and on. With so many closely related service industries it can leave consumers feeling very confused and uncertain about which service best suits their needs. I will try my best to briefly explain the primary differences between several of these services to make your job little easier.

home staging:

Home stagers are part of the Real-Estate industry (not the decorating industry as many assume). Their primary focus is to make your home as appealing and desirable to potential buyers as possible. A fast sale for top dollar is the motivator and inspiration behind their decorating choices. homes are striped of their personality. Belongings are carefully edited and minimized. Colour schemes are neutralized and decors are up-dated to appeal to today's buyers (more specifically targeted markets). They may recommend home up-grades or renovations that will bring a good return on the dollar and be in harmony with current buyer demands, but their role here is usually one of a consultant, as most lack the education and skills required to design and manage a renovation project).

If you are looking to sell your home these are the people to call even before you call your Real-Estate agent. A word of caution though; home staging is an unregulated industry. So do your home work first. Make sure the home Stager you hire has been properly trained and is part of a trade affiliation that holds them accountable for their work and business conduct. Examples of home staging Trade Affiliations are: Real Estate staging Association (RESA), Certified staging ProfessionalsTM (CSP), Accredited staging ProfessionalsTM (ASP).

home staging-TO-LIVE CONSULTANTS: (also known as Re-design)

You will see this service offered by some home stagers. It is similar to home staging To Sell except for home owners personality will be encouraged in the decor not stripped away. This service is also similar to interior decorating except there is greater emphasis placed on the editing of the space. Decors tend to be more minimalistic and colour schemes more neutral (although the current decorating trend amongst interior decorators and designers right now is also quite neutral palettes). Most home staging-to Live Consultants (or Re-design Consultants) are not formally schooled in the disciplines of interior Decoration so take great care when choosing one. Some home owners will hire the stager they used to sell their home to decorate their new one. This is a good bet as they are already familiar with their work and their style.

interior decorators:

interior decorators usually have an in-depth expertise in window treatments, textiles, colour, paint, wall-coverings, furnishings and antiques. Unlike home stagers, their role is to fill homes with personality (the owners personality). Many interior decorators liken them-self to an artist. Their canvas is your empty room; their artistic medium is paint, fabric, furnishings, carpeting, wall papers, accessories and art. Again an unregulated industry (for the most part but that is changing) so do your homework and choose decorators who belong to a trade affiliation like Canadian decorators' Association (CDECA) or Certified interior decorators International (CID). Educational requirements for trade affiliations varies but typically a 2 to 4 year college diploma (degree) is required.

If you are re decorating your space for your own enjoyment and plan on sticking primarily to surface design (rather than architecture modifications) then they are the ones to call.

interior designers:

The criteria to call oneself an " interior designer", varies from province to province (State to State). Generally speaking though, an interior designer is a person who specializes in designing architectural interiors and their furnishings. Although it evolved from interior decoration it is a much more involved discipline requiring a sound knowledge of architecture, product design, drafting, CAD, commercial (contract) design, building codes and other regulatory requirements. Most interior designers, in the residential industry, are also interior decorators and as such offer all of the services an interior Decorator offers. To find a qualified interior designer check out trade affiliations like The Association of Registered interior designers of Ontario (ARIDO), ASID (American Society of interior designers), International interior design Association (IIDA). The educational requirements for membership in these and other trade affiliations can be quite comprehensive requiring a 3-4 year degree from a recognized design school, followed by a 3 year apprenticeship and finally the writing and passing of a qualifying exam (much like law students who are required to write the bar exam).