Interior Design and Decorating Ideas for Small Spaces

Do you live in an apartment, dorm or a space that when you spread both arms out, opposite walls are being touched? It is very common to live in a small space or have a small living space that you would like to make more use of. Decorating small spaces to be more functional is a large part of what interior designers do and they are here to help. The classic question of how to make the best design choices for small spaces is about to be answered by following these interior design tips!

Tip 1: How to Make Small Seem Larger

It can be tough for those who did not go to a top interior design college to make a small space feel airy and open, but these interior design tips will be a great place to start. One of the easiest ways to create an open flow to any room is to have armless furniture. This will facilitate an unfettered look with the illusion of more space. Also placing larger pieces of furniture back to back, such as a couch and a table, will leave an expansive border around the largest pieces of furniture in the room. You can also seem to add space by covering unattractive storage with a tapestry or artwork. These simple interior design tips will quickly expand your small space.

Tip 2: How to Make Small Functional

Now that there seems to be more airiness in your space, you now have to make your space functional. The first step to functional living is to realize that there just might not be enough room for everything to have its own space, and serious organization is essential. Wall shelving can be used for organizational boxes. You can also use the walls of your kitchen to hang pots, pans and potholders. Remember that the walls, cabinets and awkward spaces within your dwelling are all possible places to store and organize your things.

Tip 3: How to Make Small a Destination

Don't just use your small space, but make your small or under-used spaces a destination within your home. Take an unused part of the living space, like the top of the stairs and add a bench and a reading lamp with a functional reading or knitting basket that can easily fit underneath the bench. This organized, but welcoming look will have you reading for hours and feeling completely relaxed in your small space in no time. If you have a window area, creating this reading area with natural light will make it all the more cozy. Just because a small area is not currently being used doesn't mean it can't be!

Interior Design and the Art of Feng Shui

The role of feng shui in interior design is vital. The principles behind feng shui coincide with the common aim of interior design for the space to be functional and aesthetically pleasing. These are credible and logical ideas that should be treated as beneficial guides in designing and decorating interior spaces. Feng shui is somewhat like a science that is based on a systematic determination of what the space needs, gathering pertinent information, experimenting with furniture arrangements and interior design elements guided by sociological principles, reaching the most reasonable and feasible results and building a list of recommendations that will aid in the design implementation.

Embracing this practice can be done by anyone who has the patience, time and energy to engage in re-arranging and redecorating design elements until such time when a final layout and design can be achieved. You can make your life easier by hiring an expert to have him assess the needs of your particular space. You do have to spend extra money, but for a worthwhile endeavor such as this, it will be one of the wisest things you can do.

Rather than be uncomfortable and restless in your living room with the wrong layout, why not consult your feng shui master or browse a guide book to find a feasible and workable layout. Feel free to rearrange your sofa or the dining table and find out where the best location for them is. Why not interchange the location of your living room and your dining area? You might realize that the new layout is better and it will allow you to maximize the garden view adjacent to the two areas. It will be a matter of trial and error to see what works and what doesn't. You have to learn to be in tune with every element you have in your house. You just might find the culprit for your morning tantrums in the morbid and gloomy painting that you have neglectfully placed on the right side of your hallway. Whatever element that gives you a discomfited and bothered feeling, you either have to remove it or change its location.

For feng shui practices to work and be successful in the long run, you must take the initial step to get to know yourself better and familiarize yourself with your surroundings, specifically your home. You must reach a balance between what you need as an individual and what your space requires. In feng shui, basically every form of hindrance, eyesore, or clutter should be eliminated because they disrupt the flow of positive energy around your home. The design elements that are left exude vitality and harmony that will appeal to you on a physical level as well as on a psychological and emotional one.

Interior Designing and You

House owners from all around the world are turning to professional interior decorators because they are tired of living in the same old house for years and years. Although interior decorators have helped them in every way possible, they also charge a hefty amount as their fees. So why not try something that gives you a new look to your house and also saves you a lot of money. This can be possible only if you are willing to take up the entire affair of interior designing on your own hands. Following a few steps can help you achieve this feat within a matter of days.

The first step towards a successful designing attempt is to have a proper plan. Until and unless you have a plan you won't be able to reach your goal. Now planning may be one of the toughest challenges you face during the stint as an interior decorator. But don't worry as there are abundant sources of information that can help you in more ways than one. Home improvement magazines and television shows on interior decoration can help a lot in providing information about the changing styles and trends in the society. You can also learn about the decor items or furnishings you need to look for while designing the look of the house.

Internet has become also a major contributor in helping out the likes of you when they decide to take up interior decoration on their own hands. A number of websites offer valuable tips and tricks about how to complete the entire task without breaking a sweat. Compiled by a team of competent experts in the field of home improvement, these databases are being used as reference points by millions all around the world. Apart from these there are also a whole bunch of public blogs and discussion forums where users discuss about the intricacies of interior designing. So try and register yourself in one of these platforms and you may updates about the regular development in the world of home improvement.

Internet has also become a good source of resources and furnishing products. More and more buyers are flocking to these online stores to get their hands on the latest products in for decorating their house. The best part about these online stores is that you get the best products at the best possible prices. Don't be concerned about the quality of these products if you chose to buy them from a renowned online vendor. But before you make the payment make sure you go through the company background and shipping policies of the company. Place your order and the products reach your house within weeks. With the approaching festive seasons this is the best time to buy as most vendors are offering special holiday discount packages to buyers.

If you consider online shopping as risky business then stick to the good old local markets. You can always find some very good home furnishing stores around your house. These stores contain extensive collections of carpets, curtains, door, handles, window blinds etc. You may even find a whole lot of stylish appliances and accessories for bathrooms and kitchens.

Interior Design and the Use of Paint Colours

Are you searching for the right colors to paint your home? Its true that choosing and matching colors for your house is not an easy job for a number of reasons. Even if you have a color scheme in mind, you can not be sure it will look good in the room.

First, you must discover what shade would be best for your psychological comfort and how to manipulate it to your interior´s advantage. Interior designers and remodeling experts advise browsing and comparing pictures of different rooms in order to get an idea of how your house will look in a particular hue.

Generally, when decorating a house, an interior designer keeps three important things in mind: the clients´ personal color and style preferences, the use of space and the structure of the room (lighting and architectural details). Other designers rely on feng shui principles in order to achieve harmony and balance in one´s home environment. If you understand the psychological effects that colors have on peoples minds and bodies, you can design rooms which will foster health, well-being and prosperity.

Other things you should consider when decorating rooms are: the effect of light on your color choices, the way colors mix together and if they match with the color of the furniture. Too many or the wrong shades together can create a disastrous look.

Also, be careful when using trendy colors. They can be fresh and beautiful, but they must also blend in with the rest of the objects in the room. If you prefer trendy shades of pink like bubblegum, coral, or traditional rose, do not hesitate to use them for a nice, cozy and feminine atmosphere, without forgetting to add the appropriate furniture and design details. White and blue is also a classic color scheme that would do for any bedroom, but monochromatic palettes of Crown emulsion smell free makes it even more delightful.

And if you live in a house in which rooms connect so that you can see from one into another, choose Crown emulsion smell free colors that relate to each other in a pleasing way. Using unrelated colours in adjoining rooms can affect the overall image of harmony and unity in your house.

Famous Interior Designers and Their Styles in Interior Design - Part 2

Early Interior Designers

Fritz August Breuhaus (1883 - 1960)

One of the most brilliant architects and famous interior designers of his time, Fritz August Breuhaus de Groot has many legends surrounding his genealogy, as he claimed to descend from the Breuhaus de Groot dynasty of Dutch painters. Though he was an architect, Fritz August Breuhaus sought to make a name for himself in the field of interior design. Breuhaus founded the fabric manufacturing facility Mikado-Werkstaatten in Bonn in 1923 to manufacture fabrics printed after his designs. He also designed decorative as well as utilitarian objects during the period. He was always a reputed interior designer, though the peak of his design career was in the late 1920s.

Stephan Bouldin (1880- 1967)

Stephan Bouldin was a Parisian interior decorator and designer who became the president of 'Maison Jansen', one of the leading interior design companies of the 20th century. In the early 1960's he became involved renovation and redecoration of many of the rooms within the Whitehouse - including the Oval Office and the Cabinet room - at the request the first lady, Jacqueline Kennedy. He was also a great teacher and mentor in interior design inspiring his assistants, peers and followers to also excel in the discipline of design.

Emilio Terry (1890-1969)

Jose Emilio Terry y Dorticos or Emilio Terry was an interior decorator and designer, landscape artist and artist of Cuba, though he is mostly known for his career in France. Terry's family has acquired the Chateau de Chenonceau, and he was immediately influenced by its style. This influenced his design of furniture, tapestries and other works of art. His style was basically a blend of classical and baroque influenced by the Chateau de Chenonceau, a style referred to by him as 'Louis XVII style'. Among Terry's famous interior design works was carried out in the Chateau de Groussay acquired by Charles de Beistegui in 1939.

Dorothy Draper (1889-1969)

Referred to as "America's Most Fabulous Decorator", Dorothy Draper was a highly influential American interior decorator who was active from the early to the middle of the 20th century. Her style was marked by contrast and a boldness that was truly refreshing. What really became the influential factor for an entire generation of designers was her use of floral glam and color stripes. Possibly the best way to describe her style is through the words of her own saying, "If it looks right, it's right." Her book, "Decorating is Fun" has brought interior decoration and design from its lofty pedestals to the common man.

In Part 3 of this article - which can be accessed through the 'Article Source' link below - we look at the careers of modern interior designers including Jean Royere, Jed Johnson, Verner Panton, Terence Conran, Kelly Hoppen, Mauro Lipparini and Ron Arad.

Interior Design and Home Decoration - Basic Ideas

Homes are decorated through interior design ideas thus turned into a place that invites and helps relaxing. Such ideas assist you on your way to designing a modern interior.

A wide area of your home is subject to interior decoration. Examples include carpeting, painting, tiling, furniture, wallpaper, lighting fixtures, paintings and other. The ideas for designing the interior of your home are always a subject of change and improvement. Nearly each day design styles that are new appear. Through them an individual expresses his vision of the home interior and his personal tastes in numerous ways.

To have a home that is large is not a necessity in order for you to have good furniture and fixtures. You can make it so that you adapt a limited space by integrating your bookcase within a wall thus saving a lot of space. Creativity is necessary should you desire a modern home. Next we'll talk about ideas concerning the modern design of the interior.

Have a basic idea what your room should look like before you start shopping. What is it that must be accomplished? Small details often rely upon basic features so start with them first. Shapes and lines should be taken into consideration. Find what qualities a particular room has. Examine the way textures help creating visual effects. Consider that a room that should gather the whole family probably will have to be full of children and even pets. A room that will host so much action perhaps will have different needs from a quiet room so it's worth considering the paint color, lighting and the fabrics used. If you begin with this in mind it might prove to be a method for decoration your home that is the most simple and economic.

You can start thinking about items such as furniture, lampshades, wallpaper and linens. When making your choice among them consider your budget too as you don't have to spend a fortune just to have it all. Having extra money at your disposal means you can go for wall moderation or even add an additional room.

Art deco is a style that is popular for interior design. In it most lines take angular fashion that look beautiful. The colors resonate.

Another popular design style is the Asian. Both colorful and bold it is used for effect to maximize a limited space. The wooden design is common for this furniture type and so are the details painted by hand. Often the accessories rely on featuring animals.

An interior design not so common is occasionally named an eclectic style. A variety of styles that differ make up for a unique look that adds creativity.

An important part of the design is the lighting. Its types are different and among them are recessed lighting, ceramic lamps, Victorian lamps, and track lighting. A great effect is brought to the room by a shining light. Sometimes all the attention in a room is concentrated on a single bright chandelier.