Basic human nature is to feel good in beautiful surroundings. Home is where one feels most secured and relieved. Peaceful and serene environment of our homes keep us stress free. Although, it is said that home is made of people living in it, yet the physical environment of home is equally important. Home decor is a very personal thing and depends on the preferences and creativity of the residents. However, present day interior design industry is also a flourishing industry. It revolves around the organized knowledge, creativity and innovative ideas of the interior designers. This goes to prove that there are certain basic principles of interior decoration, which, if kept in mind, can make great differences. Here are 101 such tips including certain innovative ideas to help you in decorating your home.
Basics - Before Starting Decoration
1. Determine your resources- How does your ideal home looks, your present and future requirements etc.
2. If in a rented house, study the rental guidelines, plan accordingly.
3. Make a budget according to your financial situation.
4. Make a schedule as to what you will be doing and when.
5. Make a toolbox and collect necessary decorating tools such as pins, glue gums, staple gun, scissors, hammer, screw drivers, tape measure etc.
6. Collect some decorating items such as gold and silver touch up pen, black & white spray paint, brushes, ribbons, buttons, fringes etc.
7. Define your space by making floor plan to know limitations before you start moving and placing furniture.
8. Accurately measure your living area including windows, doors, closets, telephones and electrical outlets.
9. Decide the functionality and mood of the room to be decorated- for relaxing, to be used for own or guests, etc.
10. Decide the theme of the room- water, nature, pastels, country, traditional, contemporary etc.
11. Collect samples of whatever you like- pictures, paint chips, color swatches etc.- compare and then apply.
12. Choose floorings selectively for each room- hard flooring for kitchen & bathroom and rugs or carpets for living room and bedroom.
Interior Decor for Larger Rooms
13. Buy furniture according to floor plan and size of the room.
14. For larger rooms, get larger furniture like tall armoire, high backed sofas, and shelves that reach towards the sky.
15. Start to arrange furniture with largest piece on the largest wall.
16. Place accessories and wall décor in a diagonal on the wall.
17. In living room, keep coffee table where it can be reached from all sitting places.
18. Make one corner of a room beautiful at a time.
19. Decorate walls in innovative ways like installing a water fountain or antique clock or even a contemporary trendy clock.
20. Use any large or antique furniture even antique mirror. If tight on budget get reproductions or do antiquing of furniture.
Interior Decor for Small Rooms
21. For smaller rooms get furniture's that are small and have open design and no hidden legs.
22. A love seat is better than a large sofa for a small room.
23. Get multipurpose furniture for creating more space like coffee table with built-in drawers, tables with enclosed cabinets, and couch with drawers underneath.
24. Get cabinets that have sliding doors. This will save space because they do not take much space of the room when opened.
25. Use lightweight, versatile furniture that can be moved around easily.
26. Place the couch facing the living room entrance to increase the sense of space.
27. Even futon can be used in place of a couch in your living room that can also be used for extra guests.
28. Bunk beds can be used for getting more than one children sleep in a single room.
29. Contrast dark wood furniture with white or ivory colored and textured fabrics.
30. While arranging furniture be aware of traffic patterns, all traffic should flow uninterrupted through your room.
31. Remember less is more, don't over use accessories.
32. Use mirrors & shiny reflective accessories to create the illusion of more space.
33. Select soft & monochromatic color scheme.
34. Use similar colors for large pieces of furniture and walls.
35. Keep the ceiling lighter than the rest of the room.
36. Use soft even light and avoid shadows which tend to slice a room up into smaller spaces.
37. Make the room clutter free- if you don't need it, throw it.
38. Buy a high-quality organizer to keep bills, correspondence, coupons, and other such items neat and accessible.
39. Use the boring sofa backs of floating furniture for keeping a slim glass-top console and an easy-slide chair for a small home office area.
40. If in apartment, rework bookshelf into attractive storage wall, cover them with curtains complementing with window treatments.
Patterns and Textures
41. Use patterns and textures to add interest & character to a plain color scheme.
42. Complex Patterns having several colors, diagonal, criss-crossing lines etc. are good for large area but not for a small room.
43. Vertical lines seem to increase height of a short room.
44. Horizontal lines can add space and width to an area.
45. Remember the general principle- larger the space, larger the print and smaller the space, smaller the print.
46. However, sometimes a large print to a small area can give a feeling of grandeur.
47. To create a sense of continuity, use similar groupings or patterns throughout an area.
48. Use highly contrasted colors to bring in energetic feeling and similar value colors for subdued environment.
49. Select pattern that matches the style of house architecture. Victorian houses will not look good with contemporary geometric patterns.
50. Use some or the other pattern on everything in a room, walls, furnishings, floors, and accessories. Maintain one dominant pattern, and let the others act as support.
51. Use books in bookcases, baskets etc. to add texture.
52. To reflect light, use smooth textures and for absorbing light, use rough textures .
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Lights and Shadows
53. To create a cozy space use directed lights such as table lamps, standing lamps having down cast shades that creates shadows.
54. Use warm varieties of incandescent lighting and not the varieties florescent or halogen.
55. Use curtains, drapes and window treatments like blinds, roller shades or cellular fabric shades to control light.
56. Use decorative light fixtures for easy makeover.
57. For creating sense of more space in crowded house, install separate light sources and lamps to have control over atmosphere. Conceal cluttered areas and highlight others to get the best use out of your space.
Colors in decoration
58. Mix and match colors in walls, fabrics, linen, pillows, shelves, curtains etc.
59. Maintain harmony in colors- use the same tone for, say, thrice in the same room e.g. Cushions, curtains and tablecloths can have similar tones.
60. Some color can be added through window treatments, wall art or other accessories.
61. For an effective interior decor, you may use the same color for all of the trim, doors, and ceilings throughout your home. Neutral color like a smooth white can complements the whole decor while contrasting all the paint colors.
62. For easy and inexpensive change just choose a new paint color.
63. Use dark colors on walls, wood furniture or pillow shams for coziness.
Home Furnishings
64. Use beaded or lace curtain in living room, embroidered curtain in bedroom, valence curtain in dining room.
65. Make simple curtains look stunning by adding swags or valences to them.
66. If trying to give luxurious look, use metallic fabric in gold or silver color for making curtains, cushion covers or other home furnishings.
67. Get some accent pillows to bring color and personality to a room. Update them occasionally, if possible.
68. Mix old and new elements e.g. mix fabrics and furnishings from different time periods.
69. For window treatments, use cotton and linen for casual rooms and use silk, organza, or suede for formal spaces.
70. Add tassels, fringe or beads to pillows, curtains.
71. Use embroidered, quilted, and braided home furnishings.
72. Use a fabric with a nap like chenille or faux suede for upholstery.
73. Use throw blankets, plush pillows, soft textures for coziness to your space
74. For quick makeover, put throws or slipcovers on furniture.
75. Cover the walls with paint or other unusual materials like fabric, core board, tin foil.
Displaying Collectibles
76. Display your collectibles in organized ways.
77. When displayed symmetrically, the collectibles are similar in size and color. This suits the modern, minimalist or elegant style decorating.
78. Asymmetrical display involves collectibles of varying sizes that make eyes flow gracefully over each item. It suits the more casual or contemporary style decorating.
79. Beautiful trays, glass cupboards, corner shelves etc. can be used for displaying your collections.
80. To get most out of the display, choose decorative items sparingly in rotation while changing them every few weeks or a month.
81. Give artistic touch to decoration by selecting artistic pieces such as antique furniture, painted bookshelf, an original painting, an original watercolor by some local artist, or even a painting made by yourself.
82. Place a hand painted chest or an armoire and a selection of your favorite china, glass, or pottery in a corner.
83. Display small collections and family treasures on the mantle of fireplace.
84. Display family pictures on table top in family room and cover it with glass.
Bedroom Decoration
85. Give primary focus to bed in the bedroom. Place it in a manner so that its impact is felt when entering the room.
86. Keep other accessories of the bedroom in supportive role only- some good linens and stylish as well as functional accessories will do.
87. Give personal touch to bedroom by framing and placing items that remind of personal moments, photos. Update photos regularly.
88. Avoid bright, bold shades in bedroom, which can interrupt with restful sleep. Go for subdued shades like soft greens, blues, or taupes for walls and flooring.
89. Freshen up the interiors with beauty and pleasant aroma of fresh flowers.
90. Go for ethnic decor such as sitting room in Greek style, bedroom in oriental style etc.
91. Use decorative curtains to give stylish looks.
92. Put up glowing ceiling stars in kids bedroom.
Kitchen Decoration
93. Keep the kitchen clutter free, clean and well lighted.
94. Give a new look to kitchen by upgrading existing drawer pulls to match your style of decor- traditional, contemporary or antique.
95. Mount a strong magnetic strip on the wall for placing knives.
Candles as Decorative
96. For a simple, inexpensive and beautiful effect, display candles in a variety of shades according to seasonal preferences.
97. Get oranges, bright yellows, and rich browns for autumn and softer pastel shades for spring.
98. Keep a glass bowl filled with water on coffee table, place many floating candles and red and pink rose petals in it.
99. Get vegetable and fruit shape candles for kitchen.
100. Get scented candles for bedroom and bathroom.
101. Experiment, think out of box and be innovative.
These were only some of the ways that can be adopted for interior decoration. There is no limit of how you can decorate each and every corner of your house. The only requirement is to visualize what you want, how you'll love your house to look like? And a last piece of suggestion- while decorating your home, don't forget to enjoy the companionship of your family- involve all your family in the activity. Remember – the more minds at work, more the ideas will flow. So, Happy Decorating!
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