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Design Tips

Interior Design

Finaly you have made the decission, you don't like the look of your room any more. A room without atmosphere, everything has to change, and it has to be now!

After an endless period of considering, you are ready for it. Lets do it!
But, where should you beginn, where to start?

Everyone is trying to tell you that their ideas and vision on how a room should be designed, is the one and only right one. In the media, your neighbours or family and friends, every one seems to know how to do it.

Just keep in mind: YOU HAVE YOUR OWN STYLE AND TASTE!

And don't forget: the process of re-designing your home, is a process that never realy ends.
It has to grow, just like the way you see certain things, the way you feel about them never stops to change and grow. It will never be completely perfect!

"Your personal style and taste for design, has to grow, it has to be developed. Dare to explore completly new style's, don't be affraid, but above all: follow your heart. It will tell you whether a certain style is the right one for you and it will make sure that you feel comfortable and at home." T. Lubbers

Perhapse the following guidelines can help you.

1. LOOK AT THE ROOM YOU WANT TO DESIGN AND DETERMINE IT'S FUNCTION.

Ask yourself: is the room to large or to small? Is it to wide or to narrow? Is the ceiling to high or rather to low? Is there enough light (natural or artificial)? Who will be using the room and for what purpose?

All these questions will help you to get an idea on how the room should be designed and decorated. By understanding on how the room will be used, you can functionally design it.

A narrow room will be enlarged opticaly by using bright colours, placing one or more mirrors and propper lightning.

Remember: light rooms appear larger.

2. SHOW WHO YOU ARE!

Start decorating the room with something personal, a piece of furniture you are fond of, your favorite rug or carpet, your favorite painting or color. If you want to make a succes of your design, you will have to give the room a personal touch.

What ever you are planning to do - this should be the point you start from. Now you can step by step introduce pieces that blend in with the chosen style.

The result wil be an expression of your personal style and taste.

3. EVERY ROOM SHOULD HAVE ONE POINT OF ATTENTION!

Every room should have just one point that draws the attention. It creates order and peace.

To many points of attention in one room will create chaos and disorder that will give you a restles feeling. This room will be borring.

A good example for a point of attention would be a fire-place, a sculpture or even a magnificant view.

4. PROPORTIONS AND MEASUREMENTS.

The proportions elements have, and their relation to each other, are main players in designing / decorating your interior. Objects with a raw structure, blinding bright colors and motives, seem to be larger than objects with a fine and delicate structure, light colors and delicate motives. Large massive furniture makes a room look smaller, and small furniture and objects in a large room make the room look even bigger.

What does this mean for a room and the objects within it?
The size of the elements placed in a room should be in harmony with the size of the environment. Otherwise the result will be without harmony and in disorder. A room you won't feel comfortable in.

5. MAKE YOUR LIFE COLORFULL!

Colors are of influence on your mood. We can express our feelings with colors, the other way round, colors are able to change the state of mind and our emotional wellbeing.

As for the fact that they have such a tremendous influence, we can use them to change the appearance of a room quick and cheap. No element, piece of furniture or accessory has such an impact. The colors you choose are the foundation you lay on how a room will appear.

Whether you choose paint or tapestry, the feeling should be right.

All the elements, the furniture, accessories, drapes and type of lighting should fit and enhance the atmosphere you want to create. Everything that doesn't fit should be removed! Without exception, do not make compromises!

5.1 THE COLORSCHEME!

A helpfull tool to choose the basic color and the colors that fit in, the colorscheme, is making a colorcollage.

Collect as many photos, fabrics, pieces of paper etc. with the colors you like.
Now choose your primary color and make a collage of all the colors that fit in.

A cool and fresh atmosphere can be created by using white and blue and shades of them.

A warm, sunny surrounding is based upon yellow, orange and red colors.

Peacefull and balanced would be a good description for surroundings with all kinds of green and brown shades. Where the brown's should be light "earth" colors instead of dark browns. To much dark brown colors can be depressing.

Always remember, regardless the color you choose, dark colors make a room appear smaller, light bright colors make a room larger.

5.2 COLOR TIP!!

Stay away from fluorescend and strong flashy colors, unless you want to go nuts!!

6. LIGHT / LIGHTING YOUR ATMOSPHERE!

An important tool that is not used propperly or not at all is lighting. Each room should be lighted accordingly to its function. Light and the lighting you choose, has more than one function. It creates atmosphere and makes it possible to work. What seems to be forgotten and you should be aware off is the fact that light is of influence on the ammount of energy we have. Just think off the difference between a dark winternight and a sunny summerday. You've got the message. Living and working is possible because of the fact we have light.

Every element in designing and decorating a room depends on the ammount of light, daylight or artificial. The function of a room, the possition of furniture, the color to use, it all stand or falls with light. With light / lighting we can create atmosphere. Use it and play with it!

Lighting a room propperly is not something you can do 123. It takes time and effort. If you get lost or haven't got a clue where to start, get help and advise from a professional. A well assorted store should be able to draw a lighting plan according to the purpose and function of each and every room.

Don't cut on the lighting budget, it assures you that all the effort you made on re- decorating / designing your home will be rewarded!

7. THE BUDGET.

The first thing you will have to do is making and calculating your budget. Decide on what you want to spend / how large your budget will be. Don't forget to put in a little extra for the unexpected.

If you don't want any bad surprises in the end:
STICK WITH IT!

Good luck!