Interior Design 4 the Rest of Us

• Start with a theme and think outside of the box. Avoid room themes that are based on your child’s favorite character or television show because it will be difficult to design the room without having to purchase a lot of overpriced and unattractive room decor created to market specifically for kids. Instead, select a theme that is more general based on a broader interest of your child, such as a flower garden or the solar system.

• Allow your child to become a part of the process. Talk to you child about their specific tastes in colors and other room details. Ask them about what they would like the room to look like; perhaps they will have an idea that is lots more creative than anything you might see in a magazine or catalog.

• Use a great paint color but think sophisticated rather than Crayola crayon. Select a paint color that is subtle, subdued and classic. Allow the brighter colors to come from accessories and your child’s toys, these items will inevitably be brightly colored.

• Make it personal by incorporating your child’s name somewhere in the room. Perhaps you can stencil their name on the wall above the bed. Also, rather than spending money on store bought art work, use inexpensive plastic frames to display your child’s artwork and other creations.

• Remember not to strive for perfection when creating a child’s room. Nobody is perfect, including your child, and you want to keep the environment friendly and forgiving for the ongoing mess and clutter that often associated with a child’s bedroom.

• Make toy and clothing storage accessible to your child’s height and reach level. Be sure that your child can be successful in selecting their clothing, and be able to reach toys for play and easily put them away at pick up time.

• Don’t forget about the ceiling. This is another great space to add a bit of visual interest. Depending on the theme of the room, you might consider hanging fabric butterflies, beautiful planets, or other items that relate to your concept.

• Look for wall paper cutouts that are easily applied to the wall, and easily removed. These are a great alternative to traditional wallpaper, wallpaper borders, or murals as they go up (and down) in a matter of minutes.

• Think long term. When purchasing more expensive items like furniture, look for pieces that are classically designed and will grow with your child.

• Keep it simple and fun. Remember those times when you child was very young and more interested in the wrapping paper rather than the actual gift. Same applies with their bedroom design. There is no need to go overboard and spend lots of money. A little effort and creativity on your part will go a long way in creating a room that you will like and your child will enjoy for many years.

A few months ago, Associated Press writer Camilla McLaughlin spoke with myself and other notable interior designers about the process of working with an interior designer.   The article focused on the different working methods of designers, and discussed the options for working with a designer both in house and via online services.

Take a look…

(more…)

New colors come into fashion with every season change.  Keeping up with color trends is a great way to help a home decorated on a budget look fresh and current.  Before jumping in, consider these tips to help keep you in style yet on track with your budget decorating goals.

1. One surefire way to incorporate new colors each season into your home is to have the major furnishings and walls in a neutral palette.  This will allow you to bring in new colors without clashing.
2. Make sure that when you use the latest color in your home, it works with your other items.  A well color coordinated room can make even the shabbiest of interiors look expensive.
3. Do not feel like you absolutely have to use the latest and greatest color in your home.  Just because a color is in style, does not mean that you must like it or use it.
4. Think very carefully about investing money into a piece of furniture or other large item in the latest and greatest color.  You don’t want to be stuck with a sofa for 20 years date stamped spring of 2008.
5. Think small and cheap.  For example, an inexpensive lacquered bowl in a fresh color brings the trend into your home for a small monetary commitment.  A single throw pillow in the season’s hot color is another budget friendly way to dabble in a new color.
6. Consider painting a small table or other furniture item in a new hue.  A quart of paint is very inexpensive; the only real investment with this option is your time.
7. Think practicality when purchasing something simply to partake in a trend.  You might consider purchasing an item for your Kitchen such a set of plastic tumblers or coffee mugs.  This small purchase will give a taste of the color you crave with the ability to store the items in a cabinet once trend has passed.

Remember these seven tips the next time you see those great new colors.  If possible, bring new colors into your home regularly for a true designer look.  Just remember that you can participate in a color trend without sacrificing your decorating budget.

A shabby chic look is a style that naturally lends itself to decorating on a budget.  This is because the Shabby Chic look is based on using furnishings that are comfortable, time-worn, and in keeping with simple and practical living.

If you are on a limited decorating budget and want to create a look that is unpretentious yet elegant, Shabby Chic may be the style for you.  Here are a few of the basic elements that make up a Shabby Chic look that you may want to try in your own home.

Slip Covers:  Slip covered furniture is the cornerstone of a Shabby Chic interior.  Not only does slip covering furniture give an old item a new look, the cost is quite inexpensive and slip covering allows you to easily purchase used furniture.  The Shabby Chic style often uses lots of simple white slip covers that look clean and fresh and are extremely budget friendly.

Unmatched Printed Fabrics: To liven up the white slip covers, printed and patterned fabrics are added as comfortable throw pillows, chair cushions, bedding, etc.  These fabrics are often floral but can also be striped, paisley or any other type of subdued print.  These various patterns and colors creates a relaxed feel in a Shabby Chic home, and allows a budget decorator to purchase remnants to mix and match.

Painted Furniture: Painted furniture is another key element in a Shabby Chic interior.  Furniture can be purchased at flea markets and garages sales, and then painted for that old but loved look.  Adding paint to an item of furniture gives a clean appearance, and painting several items all one color (typically white in Shabby Chic) gives unmatched furniture a look of an imperfectly matched set.

Flowers: Fresh flowers add lightness and color, and an instant Chic in the home.  To achieve a Shabby Chic look with flowers, use cut flowers from the garden or make you own bouquets from flowers you purchase.  The floral arrangements are typically informal and organic, with a look of just being thrown together.  Flowers are used in all rooms of the home including the bedrooms and bathrooms.

Unique Lighting: Shabby Chic features light fixtures and lamps that typically appear to be flea market finds.  Often the light fixtures have glass or crystal beads which in juxtaposition to the casual furniture creates an unexpected look.  Lamps are often painted, and feature fabric shades made from printed fabrics.

Now that you know some of the key fundamentals that go into making a Shabby Chic look, you can try to incorporate some of these elements into your own home.  A major appeal and the beauty of a Shabby Chic look is the imperfection, so do not be afraid of making a mistake when giving this style a try.

Budget decorating is more than simply just finding good deals.  Basic principals of interior design apply to any decorating project and using these principals of design does not cost a penny.  Balance is one of these design concepts that needs to be considered with all decorating projects.

Good balance can make an interior look just right, especially when decorating on a budget.   Conversely, incorrect balance can destroy an otherwise good design, even a room with high end furnishings.  But what exactly is balance and how can a novice decorator achieve good balance in a room?

The simplest definition of the word balance in decorating is equilibrium.   Often, designers use the word “visual weight” when they are referring to balance.  A balanced interior features furniture, accessories, and colors that are distributed throughout a room in a way that bring a sense of stability.

There are a few basic characteristics of decorating that affect the visual weight in a room.  Here are three basic concepts, ideas to consider when looking at visual balance.

• Large items appear heavier in a room.
• Colors that are warm, bright and dark appear to have heavier visual weight than colors that are cool, soft and light.
• Materials that are opaque appear heavier that materials that are translucent.

It is helpful to keep these concepts in mind when decorating.  So now that you understand the term balance, here is how to put together a room to help achieve a balanced look.

1. When arranging furniture, start with the largest pieces first.  Furniture such as an armoire, sofa or bed will act as the anchor in a room to which all other furniture will work around.
2. After your large items are placed, bring in the rest of your smaller furniture and place these items around the room.  Distribute your furniture by varying the height of items throughout the room.   For example, place a low chair next to a tall bookcase.
3. Bring in your accessories.  Consider placing a translucent item on top of a heavier piece of furniture to continue mixing up the visual weight in the room.  If you have a group of small accessories, consider grouping smaller items together to give them more weight in the space.
4. Use color to finish the look.  If an area in the room is looking unbalanced in relation to heavier visual areas in a room, use a bolder and bright color in these places as an accent.  This will add visual weight and a pop of color.
5. Conversely, you can lighten the visual weight of something like a dark sofa by adding lighter colored pillows.
6. Continue moving things about the room until a visual balance is achieved.  You will know when you have the visual weight correct because suddenly the room will just “feel” right.

Keep in mind these tips plus the basic concepts of balance when working on decorating projects.  Budget decorators that use the basic principals of good design are often the most successful in pulling off a great looking interior at a rock bottom price.