Every room should have a personality that fits its owners.
Decorating a room or house can seem like a daunting task, especially since interior design has no hard rules. Fortunately, designers can review several tips to make the process more enjoyable. Just as every person has an individual personality, so too should every room have a personality that reflects the taste of the people who live in it.
Fiinding a Color Scheme
The iVillage website recommends using a color wheel to find complementary colors.
The most common first step in designing a room is choosing a color scheme. Some people use traditional paint colors to inspire moods, such as blue and green as calming colors and red and yellow as energizing colors, but no designer should feel obligated by these rules, according to Home and Garden Television (HGTV). An interior decorating article on the iVillage website recommends using a color wheel to find complementary or related colors that work well together. It also suggests people go to gardens for ideas, as flowers present vibrant color schemes that never clash.
Creating Space
Decorators with small rooms may need help creating the illusion of space in tight quarters. Dark focal walls and cool colors seem to recede, making a room appear larger. Vertical stripes on the walls can make a ceiling seem higher. In an HGTV article, Mark McCauley, author of "Interior Design for Idiots," suggests using clear, sharp colors rather than weak tones. Painting the entryway a dark color and the interior rooms brighter colors can make the interior rooms feel bigger too. In a Las Vegas Review-Journal article, designer Ann McGuire from Beehive Studio recommends using mirrors and glass and eliminating clutter to keep the space open.
Separating Rooms
Decorators should choose a color scheme that will continue throughout the house in subtle variations. As iVillage recommends, designers can decide on the color schemes of individual rooms by ensuring they are visually compatible with visible adjacent rooms. For places with large, boxy rooms that require separation, such as the living room and the dining room or the kitchen and the nook, HGTV recommends placing a bookcase, plant or artwork as a room divider.
Making a Space Personal
A personal item, such as a beloved rug, can serve as the launching point for a design style.
Whether or not they choose an established decor style, such as the bold and muted contrast of contemporary design or the natural richness of a Mediterranean style, decorators can make their space reflect their personal taste. Some designers possess a special item, such as an artwork, that serves as the focal point of the space. Decorators can draw inspiration from the focal item by using its colors or style. In the article "Make an Apartment Your Own," HGTV newsletter editor Anne Krueger says, "Accessories, fabrics, artwork, rugs, light fixtures, drapes, mirrors--they all add wonderful style to a rented space."
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