Finding the right style for your space may seem like a task only a professional can get right, especially if you have tried before and found you didn’t like what you had chosen. While it might be impossible to imitate the creative intuition that most interior designers have when it comes to putting the most important finishing touches on a room, there are some general guidelines that you can use to help point you in the right direction in your pursuit of your dream space.
The great news for those who need to fully furnish the space they plan on designing is that less is usually more. While it is important to have enough seating and table space for whatever room you happen to be redecorating, also keep in mind that too much furniture can overwhelm a room and make it feel cluttered. If you focus on buying more quality pieces that you love instead of a lot of furniture to fill space, you will find that the room will end up looking much easier to navigate and natural to the eye. This will also allow your furniture to showcase itself without being lost amongst the fray.
Another place where many struggle is where to place their furniture in relation to their area rug. Generally it is best to have your furniture’s front legs on the carpet with the back hanging off when you are looking to create an open spaced feeling with a defined area. When working with smaller spaces a rug where none of the furniture’s legs are on the rug is appropriate. If you are going to put all of your furniture’s legs on the carpet just be sure that you leave enough floor space beyond the carpet to the walls so that the area rug does not overwhelm the room.
A common mistake is to choose a theme for the room and run with it throughout the entire design process, basing all of your choices off of that one theme. While you may be drawn to a particular style, it is best to use this as a thread that informs your decisions from a 50,000-foot view, while allowing yourself to play with textures, styles and ideas. If you don’t allow other inspiration into your interior design your room can begin to lack originality. Choose one feature of the room to showcase rather than several. Work the rest of your design to show off this favorite feature.
For instance, in the room above, the natural beauty of the wood-look tile floor shows the immensity of the room and the clawfoot tub is central. These are enhanced by all other object displayed — nothing is competing for your attention.
These are just a few tips to help get you started on your way to your dream space. Come back next time for some more interior design tips to help get you decorating like the pros!