Home Improvement Guide

As an interior designer, I’m often asked by my clients if it’s a good idea to use similar colors and furnishings in a room. Their common belief is that similar colors will create a safe, clean-looking design. I tell them that although the design will be safe and clean-looking, it will also be very uninteresting.

Why do I say that? Because a truly interesting room design requires dimension in fabric textures and natural material finishes, as well as furnishings that have a common theme but are diverse in style.

For example, when you enter a beautifully designed room, you first notice the color. Then you notice the dimension of the furnishings, and finally you notice the complete picture as everything takes shape.

Imagine if that room was all in beige tones with very clean-lined furnishings and soft textures on the walls and finishes. Think of how flat, bland, and boring it would look. By just adding colorful art, you’ll add interesting dimension.

How can you ensure an interesting room design? It’s easy. Just work with your interior designer to understand the specific textures, furnishings and colors of a room he or she is recommending. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. The most important thing is to make sure that all the pieces will work together to achieve the look you and your designer envision.

It’s vital that you never forget that it’s your room (or home) that is being designed, and that your functional and aesthetic needs and desires must be met in order for the final design to be considered successful.

But, don’t be afraid to try something different. You’ll probably be very surprised at how wonderful it looks. It may be frightening at first to get out of your comfort zone, but I guarantee that the results will be worth it.

Your home is the most important place in your life. It is where the majority of your time is spent and the place where you can relax and do nearly anything you want. Being that the home is such a significant part of our lives, it only makes sense that we would want to make it as aesthetic and beautiful as possible. Some people get lucky and land on a home improvement television show, and receive an incredibly luxurious, free makeover to their house.

While the average homeowner probably will not get this opportunity, there are still ways to improve on the interior design of your home by yourself, and with the help of friends, family, and local contractors.

To renovate your interior, the first thing you need to think about is, obviously, what you want. Many people can instantly conjure up images of their perfect home, while others need a little more time to think about what would be most pleasing to them. Things to think about include color schemes, room arrangements, how much space you need, what fixtures and accessories to have, and any themes or styles you are fond of. You may also need to get new furniture, or at least clean some of it up a bit, to fit in with your vision. Do not be afraid to spend a lot of time on this step; after all, the dream is what will guide you and will be very evocative of the final product. Since you will literally have to live with the end creation, you want to make sure you will love it.

Gathering ideas is much simpler than you would expect. Many homeowners are faced with the challenge of creating a new interior design, and the market has acknowledged that problem and met it with a variety of resources. There is a multitude of home related magazines available, which include a plethora of tips and suggestions that you can choose to follow. In addition, there are tons of home related websites on the Internet, which can be an additional source of inspiration for you to use. The best ideas are often locked away in your own mind, so take some time to brainstorm. If you cannot come up with anything, do not worry. Often, you just need some time to incubate for the best concepts to emerge.

One popular, specific idea that several homeowners are deciding to go with is the beach layout. In this structure, walls are painted with ocean related colors, such as light whites, greens, and blues. Furniture should be overstuffed, comfortable, and easy to move around, for a feeling of mobility and flexibility. Rooms should be well lighted, and even the lighting fixtures themselves can have a coastal theme, such as a lighthouse shaped lamp. Depending on how far you want to take the premise, you can decorate your home with sea creature figurines and models.

If you want to fully integrate the theme in to your home’s overall environment, you can attach large items to your walls, such as fishing poles. The greatest touch is artwork, which, if chosen thoughtfully, can fully elicit the ocean experience. When you take into account all of the aspects of interior design, there is no limit to how intense a design you can create.