Interior Design Is About To Pay Off!

It’s hard to just give general advice without knowing the person, space, or lifestyle, but I’ll try to think of a few things that might help.

1) Clutter: People don’t always realize the reasoning why some rooms make them feel better than others. Rooms with clutter generally make people more anxious and unsettled. If it’s a short-medium sized furniture (coffee table/dining table) one item or cluster of related items (like several pillar candles) in the center at the most. Things like buffets or kitchen islands benefit from one long centre item or 2 tall items on either end (sometimes with a shorter one in the centre). If you’re not a fan of symmetry, always put the tallest item on the left (unless theres a good reason not to).

2) Don’t Hang Pictures or Wall Mounted TV’s Too High. It looks weird and (in the case of TV’s) becomes a nuisance to look at. There are plenty of guides online to help you determine what an appropriate height for your wall is, but it’s just a good thing to think about.

3) Look Online For Inspiration. A lot of people buy decor because it’s what they think they should buy, but not what they actually enjoy looking at. Just because something looks fancy doesn’t mean it looks good. It should be what you actually like to have around you, not just how you think you’re supposed to decorate. This one is probably the most useful tip, since it really helps you form a vision of what you’re looking to create.

4) Sometimes it’s easier to pick room colors based on an item you love, as opposed to attempting to find items based on your paint. Paint is easy to change, but finding the perfect bedspread to match the paint color you like isn’t as easy.

5) When picking paint, make sure to see it in your own lighting. I work in a paint store right now, and one of the things people constantly get frustrated with is that their paint colour looks different in the store than at home. Those little tester cans are great if you’re unsure of a colour. Be sure to look at it in different sunlight throughout the day, and then with your artificial light as well (incandescent bulbs wreak havoc on purple and blue paint, it drowns the colour out).

6) You Don’t Have To Line Your Walls with Furniture. Sometimes there are limited layouts for small spaces, but if you have enough room and walking space, don’t be afraid to angle things in a corner or turn a piece away from a wall to create separation in a large room. Having an accent chair in a living room is great for this if you’re stuck having a sofa on a wall, since it still adds a little free flowy-ness without being too large.

7) Mirrors. They’re a really fun way to fill wall space when you don’t really have furniture or art that works with the area. Mount them on the wall or if they’re large enough, just stand and lean them. They’re a great way to bounce light around a room.

8) Lights. Have lots of them. I mean, not a tonne, but obviously a reasonable amount. If you’re stumped on what to fill a space with, it’s always nice to have some extra lighting, most people under-light their homes and it feels like a cave at night.

9) Don’t Sweat it, Take Your Time. All in all, it’s a lot of trial and error. Sometimes you’ll be on the hunt for something and it could take a while to find, but don’t settle for things you hate just because you need something to fill that space right this second.

SHARE

Stephen Ye

Hi. I’m local home remodelling contractor based in Selangor, Malaysia. I’m CEO/Founder of RS Design Renovation. I am an experienced contractor specializing in home renovations. I am a master carpenter and offer general contractor services, if needed.