Your home is your life, so you should put some thought into its design. The home design tips in this article are accessible to everyone and can be applied to any home, no matter how big or small it is.
Here are 8 home interior design tips focusing on the most important elements of your home, which help to bring contemporary flair into your interiors.
They are always relevant, whether you are on the first rung of the property ladder with a one-bedroom flat or funded with millions of dollars to spend creating your dream house from scratch.
Designing a good home can be confusing and it is inevitable that at some point you will find it hard not to be overwhelmed by details.
Begin by writing yourself a brief as you were a client commissioning a designer; not only will this set your mind on you wish to achieve, it will also be a useful reminder to stay in touch with your original vision. You don’t have to make the brief complicated, but it must be written down on paper, not just carried in your head.
In this modern era, there is no doubt that the contemporary movement has affected most aspects of our lives – from our cars, fashion, and technology, to the world of design in architecture and interiors.
Many use the term ‘contemporary’ or ‘modern’ interchangeably to mean a more relaxed break from traditional norms, new design concepts, and today’s attitudes – from bringing in light to dark spaces to opening up floor plans and introducing clean-cut, slim-lined furnishings.
What Is A Good Home Interior Design Tips
Home Interior Design #1 - Floor
When planning your design for certain elements of your home, the floor is usually good to start with. Since it is a dominant feature of a house, it obviously serves as a foundation to anchor all the other furnishings.
In most cases, the floor becomes a relatively permanent fixture since it is costly to install and difficult to change. Regardless of the type of floor or material you choose, it is important to get the best quality material you can afford.
As flooring is a major investment, a cheap floor will end up costing more time and effort to maintain and will probably have to be replaced sooner or later.
Home Interior Design #2 - Walls
Obviously, walls comprise the largest surface area in a house, making their treatment extremely important when formulating your design plans. More than just a backdrop for finishing, walls can create visual excitement and architectural interest.
Depending on how they are treated, walls can visually alter the size and proportions of a room. And because they are in constant view, if you are going for wallpaper or other fancy wall designs, you have to take note of their colors, patterns, designs, and textures.
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Home Interior Design #3 - Ceilings
One of the most neglected areas during the home design process is the ceiling. Normally, little attention is paid to this hard-to-reach surface. Like walls, the ceiling can be painted in faux finishes, covered with fabric, tiled, wallpapered, paneled, or have architectural details applied to it.
The ceiling design also affects the mood and scale of a room. In many cases, design ideas stop at the cornice line and the ceiling is just there to house lighting fixtures.
Actually, ceilings are an excellent place to add decorative details to a room, and you don’t have to sacrifice a good lighting scheme for an interesting ceiling.
Before the invention of the electric light, ceilings were important areas for decoration. The exquisite paintings and architecture of that era included ceilings designed to shift your attention upward.
Home Interior Design #4 - Door
The door is a simple element used to close off space or provide access to another space. It is actually more than just an opening in a wall; it can play a very important part in a room’s design scheme.
Doors represent protection from the outside world and the providence of privacy. They are also a means of exiting or escaping a space. A door changes the physical space of a room.
To place a door on a wall changes the wall. Unlike windows, you cannot place furniture in front of a doorway, thus doors consume both wall and floor space.
Too many doors in a room can make the room look smaller and, as with most other elements in a room, the size of the doors should be in proportion with the size of the room.
Home Interior Design #5 - Windows
Generally speaking, windows are for looking out rather than looking in. Just like furniture, they play an important part in dressing up a room.
As gateways to natural sources of light, windows provide both ventilation and views of the outside world. If the view outside is less than pleasing, the inner view of a window can change that.
Unfortunately, many designers tend to overdress windows. One should keep in mind that window coverings affect the lighting and airflow in a room.
Home Interior Design #6 - Bathrooms
The modern bathroom is a refuge from the outside world and a private place for pampering and renewal. An efficient bathroom contains a sink, toilet, tub, and shower, but today’s bath goes beyond functionality to create an area meant for total relaxation.
The latest bath designs offer such amenities as whirlpool tubs, multi-head shower massages, water-saving/quiet toilets, and even decorative made with luxurious materials like semi-precious stones.
The bathroom has been transformed into a luxurious spa, a place to relax the body, and refresh the spirit. A well-designed bathroom can be a wise investment for your health as well as your home.
No matter how small your bathroom, you can always update your fixtures to add character and style. With the proper use of color, pattern, texture, and shape, you can design a cramped box of a room into a comfortable sybaritic space.
Knowledge of the latest plumbing technology and decorative options can save both time and money.
Home Interior Design #7 - Kitchen
The kitchen is a very special and important area. Whether it is a large room in a house or a small room in an urban apartment, the kitchen is the heart of the house. Besides being a place for preparing meals or foods, it is also a popular gathering place for family and friends.
A well-designed kitchen is one that encourages people to stay but, most importantly, a kitchen must be efficient and durable. A good kitchen renovation takes time and money but is worth it in the long run.
An attractive, functional kitchen can reduce the time and effort it takes to prepare and serve meals. It can also add to the resale value of a house. All in all, upgrading your kitchen is a good investment.
Home Interior Design #8 - Lighting
When installing lighting for a room, it is important to consider both the practical as well as aesthetic choices available. An average room needs general illumination plus specific lighting fixtures for particular areas and activities. At the same time, these lighting fixtures must be consistent with the style of the room.
The key to good lighting is flexibility and careful planning. Not all of the different lighting products on the market today are designed to illuminate a room. Some products create a mood, some add architectural interest, and others are designed as spotlights to create a specific atmosphere.
There are three methods of lighting a room: direct, indirect, and semi-direct lighting.
- Direct lighting is produced by most floor and table lamps, where the light shines directly in a limited area. Since it produces sharp shadows and strong contrast of light and dark, direct lighting is usually combined with other types of lighting.
- Indirect lighting is aimed at a ceiling, cornice, cove, wall, or another surface that will reflect the light back into the room. The immediate light source is hidden and doesn’t produce shadows. It is excellent for the general illumination of a room but, if used alone, it will make the room look flat and uninteresting.
- Semi-direct lighting is a combination of the above two methods. Part of the light shines directly on an object or surface while another part is reflected.
One example of this is a lamp that directs the light up to the ceiling but also allows some of it to shine directly on a table or other areas of the room.
The best lighting plan for a room would be a combination of all three methods: a general illumination with sufficient direct light to produce shadows for interest and enough light for reading or other specific activities.
When planning the lighting layout, be strategic; think of the right mood for the room, which lighting fixtures will be comfortable for your eyes, and the tasks performed in the room. Most importantly, make sure you have control over the intensity, distribution, and direction of light.
We hope the above tips can help you plan and decide on how you want your home to look. Speak to your architects today to start designing your dream home.
If you have plans to renovate your home, visit https://www.renotalk.com for an abundance of ideas.
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