Put your personality on display with your interior design

Interior designers will tell you that one of the things first time homeowners struggle with the most in decorating their new homes is deciding what it is they like. Anyone can order a collection of furnishings from a catalogue or show room and make their home look nice like a picture in a magazine. But the best interior designs are ones that allow the homeowner’s personality to shine through. Here are some tips for doing just that.

Look for inspiration

Figuring out what you want out of your interior design can be the most challenging part but you have to know what you like before you can set about decorating your home. To start, you need to look for some inspiration. The internet is a great tool since you have millions of photographs and interior decorating ideas at your fingertips. Create a file where you store the photos and links to articles about interior design that you feel drawn to. These will help you narrow in on what it is you want. 2D images can only do so much, however, so you’ll also want to pay attention when you’re in other people’s homes to see what kind of design elements you like. You’re not limited to just homes, either; you can find inspiration in a hotel room, a doctor’s office waiting room, or a restaurant as well. Always have a camera on you in case you come across something that inspires you.

Choose the big pieces first

It’s much easier to swap out accessories and small furnishings than it is to throw out your sofa and buy a new one. It’s easier to add little splashes of color here and there with accessories than it is to repaint a room. So start by choosing the paint color and larger furnishings that go with it. Take your time to really choose pieces that reflect your personality since you’ll be stuck with them for a while.

A warning here: if you know you really like a certain color, that doesn’t mean you have to make that the dominant color in the room. Most of the time you’re better off going with a light, neutral color like gray or tan, and using your favorite color as an accent to the base color palette.

Don’t stress over trends

Too many homeowners spend their time worrying about what’s currently trending when it comes to home design. The problem with trends is that they come and go so quickly that what’s in fashion now won’t be in a year two. A home that’s designed with trends in mind will be the first to look dated so go for timeless design principles instead of trendy fads. Most important of all is that you like the things you’re putting on display in your home. If you like the look, then it shouldn’t matter whether it’s trendy or timeless.

Source: Herald Sun

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