|
|
12 Considerations When Choosing Contemporary Lighting
When redecorating a room, or even an entire house, contemporary
lighting is a major concern. Dimly lit areas are uninviting and
even depressing since human beings naturally crave the light.
Some rooms, of course, invite subdued lighting ......
How do I finalize budget for my bedroom design project?
Budget is one of the important factors in design and decorating
interior spaces. Professional designers are trained to design
various elements of the space in a way that would be most
economical without sacrificing the beauty of their design.
...
Leather Is A Great Choice In Your Decor
Are you tired of waiting for your children to grow up so you can finally let go of your tired, worn couch? Have a real dining room set? Or even lighter toned furnishings?
If you thought that having a family meant putting your decorating skills...
Simplicity With Your Home Wall Decor
I can still picture my roommate as she lay stretched out on the floor, rummaging through a pile of Martha Stewart magazines. It was our mutual friend’s birthday and we preferred to deliver our own personalized birthday gifts. My roommate sat on...
The concept of positive and negative spaces in interior design.
While talking about positive and negative spaces it is important
to first understand the term "space" in itself. In interior
design any volume which is being contained within masonry walls
and are habitable is normally termed as space.
The...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Interior Designing
The use of white and black in decorating can create a stunning and dramatic decor. Find out how to best take advantage of the combination of these two simple colors to maximize your decorating statement.
There's a rule in decorating that says that "every room can use a touch of black." You might think this is strange if you have a room of pastels or jewel tones. But think a minute.
Using the color black adds a focal point of color that grounds, anchors, and adds a sophisticated look to a room.
Black in accessories, light fixtures, trims, paint, or in one bold piece of furniture will help to catch the eye and sharpen any decorating scheme. It will serve as an outline that sets off specific areas or objects. Black by itself is striking!
But to get real drama and spark, pair black with white.
The use of black and white in decorating gives a fresh, clean, and unquestionably sophisticated and elegant look to any room.
Black and white are a perfect color combination for any decorating style.
Everybody is familiar with the dramatic change that can come about from simply changing the colour on your walls. But how many people have actually considered changing the shape of the space itself? Sometimes we’re presented with problematic spaces that demand solutions. A very narrow room with a high ceiling looks out of proportion - maybe installing a false ceiling with recessed downlighters is the answer. A bathroom next to a WC practically instructs you to remove the dividing wall. Try applying this principle to an ordinary space as well, one which doesn’t have particular problems of size or proportion, but which might benefit from a re-think of the space and how it is to be used.
The past shows us examples of space dividing which may or may not be desirable solutions for the way we live today. The 1960s and 1970s gave us plastic and metal shelving units, open on both sides and jutting out across our living rooms. The style has moved on but the principle is still useable, except today we would use fabric panels, glass bricks, chrome retail shelving, or folding bamboo screens to achieve the same result.
Straightforward square spaces can be given added interest and the illusion of greater length by incorporating a pair of screens that mirror each other across the room. These needn’t be large, they needn’t jut out into the room too far. Their mere presence is enough to create a space-changing illusion. If the room is high enough, you might consider building a platform over one end - for sleeping, reading, watching television. This is an especially effective way of increasing living space in a small studio or one-bedroom flat.
False ceilings needn’t be permanent. Swathes of fabric can create snug areas in an otherwise large and clinical room. Or, you might consider altering your space by changing the floor level. The character of a large dining/living room can be made intimate and distinct by raising the level of the dining room. This also offers the opportunity of using the newly created underfloor space for storage - even as a wine cellar. One clever architect recently tucked a full-sized bathtub under the bedroom floor in a tiny flat!
All of these changes (except for the bathtub under the floor) have been made without changing your structural walls and are usually limited to one room. Redesigning an entire floor (or whole house) is an altogether larger project. Cramped and muddled rooms on a single floor can often be rearranged to create the feeling of more space.
The basic principles of this can be seen in good garden design. A diagonal line of vision across a square space makes the space feel bigger. If re-siting a door or incorporating an archway achieves a diagonal line of sight through two or more rooms, the effect will be the same. Gardens also use vistas, looking through and beyond the space you inhabit to an object or space beyond. Creating an enfilade - a progression of rooms linked together by a succession of doorways or archways in perfect alignment - was one of the ways the architects of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries achieved this vista effect in their design of stately homes and palaces. You might consider borrowing this idea for your own home.
Don’t forget about mirrors and glass. The early 19th century architect Sir John Soane
adored mirrors and the space-expanding effect they had on his interiors. His house in London was been preserved, complete with all its architectural quirks, mirrored ceilings and walls, and interior porthole windows. Large Victorian mirrors, bereft of the huge mantles and sideboards over which they used to hang, create an elegant illusion of doubled space simply by being propped up against an empty wall.
Sand-blasted glass panels, glass bricks, and etched glass are all being used in creative new ways to help increase light and a sense of space and airiness in today’s homes. Today’s glass designers can create everything from glass staircases to glass fireplaces. And this glass isn’t fragile! It’s tough, strong and beautiful.
If you have a garden next to your room, try to incorporate that space both visually and aesthetically. Install French or sliding doors to bring the garden into your home. Increase that effect by using the same floorcovering inside and outside - sandstone, terracotta tiles or slate would work well and look great. Even if you can’t install French doors to make the room flow into the garden, a simple expedient of sympathetically planted window boxes will help make the garden flow into the room, especially if the boxes are planted in colours which co-ordinate with your room’s decor.
Once you have decided the sum you wish to invest in home improvements, it often helps to check the feasibility of that budget by allocating portions of it to different areas of expense. For a simple living room refurbishment you might allocate the budget into seven areas; for instance, floorcovering, wallcovering, curtains, furniture, light fittings, accessories and designer’s fee.
A useful tip is to think in terms of percentages rather than cash. We all think money is still worth what it used to be worth in the "good old days", and even millionaires complain about the price of butter. However, by allocating percentages to your project, you are better able to see what you can afford, and are willing, to spend on each area of the redecoration. If you want to have an elaborate curtain treatment, you may have to reduce your budget for the floorcovering, or vice versa. This method also helps you to prioritise your decoration requirements. By being honest with your interior designer about your design priorities and your budget, you are more likely to receive a design and service that will surprise and delight you.
Check that the designer you choose has a defined fee structure and make sure you get this in writing. Ensure that the designer knows your decoration budget and be clear about whether the design fees are included in this budget, or are paid on top. Give the designer the budget breakdown and as much specific information as possible about your expectations within that budget - if you’re expecting to get that antique reclaimed parquet floor above all else, then make this clear. If it your desired object isn’t within the scope of your defined budget, the designer can get back to you early on in the project to juggle the budget allocations.
The designer will welcome clear information on your budget because it is a real time saver for both of you. If the budget extends only to slipcovers for existing furniture, let the designer know this before they set off to pound the pavement in a search for brand new furniture. (Remember, you’re probably paying for their sourcing time!)
If poker really is your game there is nothing wrong with keeping a percentage of your budget in reserve without telling anyone (in fact, this is quite a good idea). If the budget runs over (and if the project requires building, plumbing or electrical work, this can happen when surprises like dry rot, rising damp or structural problems are uncovered), you then have a cash reserve. But if the project has run smoothly, and the designer has completed it on budget, then why not use the extra money to visit the travel agent to celebrate!
About the Author: For more information on interior design please visit the interior design resource center at http://www.interior-design-help-guide.info
Source: www.isnare.com
|
|
|
|
|
About's Interior Decorating Site |
Decorating ideas, articles and tips plus categorized links on kitchens, baths, home offices, furniture, and flooring. |
interiordec.about.com |
  |
MyInteriorDecorator.com: Interior Decorating & Home Décor Website |
Interior decorating ideas, tips, tricks, and advice for decorating your home. Interior decorating advice, how to articles, & home décor store for furniture, ... |
myinteriordecorator.com |
  |
Decorating and Painting at DoItYourself.com |
DoItYourself.com provides instructional information on paint colors, supplies, techniques and preparation; interior decorating accessories; building, ... |
www.doityourself.com |
  |
Home & Garden Decorating and Room Design Solutions |
Enjoy our many interior decorating and design services, including our home and garden news, home and garden forum, decorating pictures, home shows and event ... |
www.designingonline.com |
  |
Fabric - Blinds - Lamps - Mirrors - Interior Decorating - Shopping ... |
Fabric Store,Interior Decorating and Design Center for furniture,fabric,blinds,area rugs,lamps,comforters,bronze sculptures,curtain rods,wall mirrors, ... |
www.interiormall.com |
  |
Home Interior Design - Interior Decorating Ideas - Color Design |
Home Interior Design - Interior Decorating Ideas - Color Design: Get interior design ideas from dozens of articles and hundreds of images. |
www.behr.com |
  |
Decorating Homes : Home Decorating Ideas, Interior Decoration ... |
There are many types of home interior decorating for example the modern, contemporary and antique styles of decorating your home. ... |
www.decoratinghomes.com |
  |
Home Decorating / Interior Decorating - Decorators Catalogue |
Visit Decorators Catalogue For: home decorating, bedroom furniture, interior decorators, home décor, home renovation, home furnishing, home furniture, ... |
www.decoratorscatalogue.com.au |
  |
Interior Decorating - Home Decor - Furniture - Wallpaper ... |
Interior Decorating and Home Decor products including furniture,wallpaper and wallcovering, art, luxury bedding and statues. |
www.interiordecorating.com |
  |
Home decorating: interior |
Information on feng shui interior design · Ten tips for home interior decorating · Interior decorating style: make it your own! ... |
www.essortment.com |
  |
Interior Decorating Tips - Online Interior Design School ... |
Interior decorating tips from Sheffield, an online interior design school offering online tips on interior decorating, design trends, and the latest designs ... |
www.sheffield.edu |
  |
Interior Decorating - Interior Decorating Jobs - Interior ... |
Discover the interior decorating industry secrets and practical advice you need to become an interior decorator, and get paid to do interior decorating ... |
www.fabjob.com |
  |
Living Rooms: Interior Decorating Ideas - iVillage |
Create a comforting and comfortable living space that's as stylish as it is functional at iVillage House & Home. |
home.ivillage.com |
  |
Interior Decorating Schools and Colleges - Interior Design Schools |
Directory of Interior Design Schools and colleges offering Interior Decorating degrees & classes. |
www.interior-design-decorating-schools.org |
  |
Home-and-Family - Interior-Decorating Ezine Articles |
EzineArticles.com allows ezine or email list publishers to upload or download free expert content that can be used within email newsletters or websites. |
ezinearticles.com |
  |
Waverly interior decorating, redecorating and home decorating ideas |
How to decorate with Waverly-home decorating ideas and tips for interior decorating and redecorating your home. |
www.waverly.com |
  |
WannaLearn.com: Home and Garden : Interior Decorating |
High-quality instructional guides, tutorials, lessons and more on interior decorating! |
www.wannalearn.com |
  |
Interior Decorating 101 - free Suite101.com course |
This course complements the Suite101 topic, Interior Decorating for Beginners, which aims to instill confidence and share basic interior decorating skills, ... |
www.suite101.com |
  |
Interior Decorating |
Interior Decorating. IN the rudest attempts to provide homes we find evidence of a desire ... Interior decorating usually encompasses all aspects of design. ... |
www.bozzle.com |
  |
GBC - Continuing Education - Interior Decorating |
This has made the interior decorating business more lucrative than ever. Whether you want to train for a career or wish to get your closets finally ... |
www.coned.georgebrown.ca |
  |
|