Well, to start with, let’s simplify the task! Instead of trying to duplicate someone else’s elegant interior, create a list of the things that are important to making your life easier, functional, attractive and a reflection of YOU!
Do away with the fantasy of holiday dinners served at a ten-foot farm table if you don’t have room for a ten-foot table. Let go of the thought of white-on-white decor if your house is teeming with kids and pets. The first rule of home decorating is to know YOURSELF! Make your home accommodate your real everyday life.
HOW TO DO IT:
· Take a realistic view of how you and your family use your house - every day, not just on holidays or when company is coming - everyday!
· Don’t buy anything unless it meets your functional needs first.
· Organize! Throw out what you don’t need. Keep what defines you.
· Have a Plan! Create a theme for the whole house.
· Prioritize! Start with the room that’s most important to you and make it your own.
· Determine a budget no matter how big or how small. This will define your choices.
· Take on one room or one problem at a time then move on to the next and the next.
· If you’re not sure of your choices, ask your family and friends for opinions, then do what you think is the best!
· And remember, many interior designers offer consultations to help steer you in the right direction, so don’t hesitate to ask for help.
Getting started is the hard part. Getting into it is the
Define Your Style
Well, to start with, let’s simplify the task! Instead of trying to duplicate someone else’s elegant interior, create a list of the things that are important to making your life easier, functional, attractive and a reflection of YOU!
Do away with the fantasy of holiday dinners served at a ten-foot farm table if you don’t have room for a ten-foot table. Let go of the thought of white-on-white decor if your house is teeming with kids and pets. The first rule of home decorating is to know YOURSELF! Make your home accommodate your real everyday life.
HOW TO DO IT:
· Take a realistic view of how you and your family use your house - every day, not just on holidays or when company is coming - everyday!
· Don’t buy anything unless it meets your functional needs first.
· Organize! Throw out what you don’t need. Keep what defines you.
· Have a Plan! Create a theme for the whole house.
· Prioritize! Start with the room that’s most important to you and make it your own.
· Determine a budget no matter how big or how small. This will define your choices.
· Take on one room or one problem at a time then move on to the next and the next.
· If you’re not sure of your choices, ask your family and friends for opinions, then do what you think is the best!
· And remember, many interior designers offer consultations to help steer you in the right direction, so don’t hesitate to ask for help.
Getting started is the hard part. Getting into it is the
Home Design for Everyday Living
Interior design is more than making a space beautiful. It includes organizing and planning for tasks and functions. That doesn’t sound very exciting or romantic, but it is a very important part of design. If a space is beautiful but does not meet functional needs, then the design is unsuccessful.
Instead of being fixed on beautifying a space to improve it, deal with the challenge of functions. Start by identifying what the space challenges are: piles of shoes by your everyday entry, stacks of mail and magazines, an overcrowded room, not enough or the wrong furniture, under-illuminated spaces, and countless small items that accumulate throughout your home.
When a home is shared by several people that have different habits it is hard to make changes, baby-steps might be in order. After you have identified your challenges, begin with the one that irritates you the most. It might be that pile of shoes. Focus on that one challenge and research several ways you can eliminate that it.
Thankfully, the Internet has many products at your fingertips. Browse websites for product options that will help you with space challenges. Don’t get crazy and start buying all kinds of bins and shelves, that will further complicate the task. Deal with one challenge at a time so that you can complete it and move on to the next.
Consider the visual appeal of the product. Can it be in plain sight or should be behind closed doors? Maximize closets and incorporate storage furniture to eliminate clutter. Your home will become your dream home when you take control of it and treat it with care instead of a place that stores your stuff. Take advantage of the cold months and create your dream home.