Interior Home Design, Staging and Decorating Tips 101

Interior Home Design -Staging Tips and Tricks!

Designers and decorators have home furnishing and decorating information at hand when going into a home. Some of this is passed onto the client during the planning stage and the rest in not revealed; except in the finished product. What is the finished product? A warm, relaxing or glamorous home. So, when decorating your home, think like a Designer!

Everyone looks through magazines and books for home furnishing and decorating inspiration. We wonder how they have been created and how and if such effects can be achieved in our own homes. Of course our rooms don't have the same architecture, room size or budget to afford those items in the books. And the photographers of the rooms have a lot to do with the ultimate appearance in the books. They use specialized lighting equipment and placement for the best look possible. And, have you ever noticed anything out of place or even fresh flowers or fruit? You never see a stray book, out-of-place pillow, worn down candle or pet. That is usually due to a photo stylist or the decorator who wants the room to look like no one lives there...ever! Interior home design should reflect your personality not someone else's.


We all know our homes are special and lived in; so we want the best and as-professional-as-possible look in the rooms. How do we achieve that? Hire a professional. Of course, today's high cost of everything may prohibit most of us from hiring one. You could go out and buy all these books for inspiration. There are even books with tips. But are they really tips or do they just give a hint of how the room was designed and have lots of nice pictures?


So, how does inspiration add up to a professionally decorated room? Actually it doesn't. Sure you just found a nice way to place some accessories or hang pictures. But what about furniture placement, material matching, color coordinating (see our page on color), window treatments, area rug size, lighting and more? Does this inspiration really add up to your personality? Or, just something you see that looks nice?


This page will give you the tips and tricks that would take a long time to compile and find in one place. Magazines always give a few tips and tricks, but they always apply to the pictures. Designers in the same books always limit exposing their secrets. So, if you need an area straightened out or better decorated you have come to the right place.

We have compiled years of learning, knowledge and experience in interior design and have written it into subject sections to make it easy and quick to find what you need. We hope you will find what you are looking for, but if not, be sure to go to our chat room and see if we or our readers can help.


Make decorating fun and not stressful!



GENERAL TIPS


• Always purchase the best your budget can afford Sometimes you see an item that is within your budget, but poorly made. How long will it last before you have to replace it? Keep in mind that this is an investment and you don't want to have to replace items every year due to poor craftsmanship.


• Have a clear idea of what you want to do before purchasing items. What is your decorative scheme? Do you want themed rooms? Think about the kind of activities your home experiences on a daily basis. Do you entertain? Large or small groups? All this information is critical for knowing how you will eventually decorate your home.


• Allocate a design budget and s tick to it as much as possible. Budgets are a great way to avoid overspending, but they can go over if you don't plan ahead.


• Remodeling budgets can run over due to electrical or structural problems which are not revealed until demolition. So keep a reserve budget for such situations. How many times have you heard from someone who is having remodeling done on their home and say, "Boy, this is costing more than expected!" Sure, it does happen because homeowners budget only the amount the contractor has indicated. Well, the contractor can't see behind walls or floors. Expect the unexpected and you will be prepared.


•Trace or sketch your floor plans for a better understanding of the room. Designer's always plan a room with sketches and drawings. A floor plan will also help avoid constantly moving furniture around the room to find the best position. Graph paper can be purchased at any art/craft store.


• Create a color board with the furniture your contemplating and fabric samples and color swatches and place them onto a piece of oak tag. Now you have a complete view of your design plan. This is where you eliminate or add items. You will also be better able to see how everything matches and which items work better than others.


• Shop salvage yards or flea markets Antique and older pieces are made better and have lasted all these years. You can have a piece re-upholstered in your favorite fabric with the money you saved buying used.


• Purchase items during sales if possible; make deals to finalize the sale. Salespeople like to sell. They also like to make deals to close the sale. See if the store you are in has more than one piece or accessory that you want and make a deal with the salesperson. Often they will work with you. Sometimes they will forego the delivery charge or give a volume discount. Remember, all they can say is no. There are a lot of furniture stores; so if someone won't make a deal; someone else will. Also, buy when there are sales to get a better than retail price or buy display pieces for an even bigger discount.

• Mix different materials Consider the touch of leather and the feel of satin. It also gives the eye visual variety and is widely used by designers.

• Take a chance with decorating t Sure, there are lots of magazines with nicely decorated rooms, but is it really your taste and personality?


• Don't let anyone talk you into a color, fabric or pattern you're not totally in love with. Don't be swayed by magazines, books salespeople or even designer's. Carefully consider what you really like before purchasing any items.


• Stay away from trends with d ecorating after the trend has passed can be costly. If you like trendy pieces you can intermix them with most design styles.


• Get ideas and inspiration from websites and magazines and k eep them in a binder. You can also place fabric and color samples in it. When you go shopping take it with you to make it easier to match colors and materials or find pieces of furniture or accessories.


• Good design is in the details when planning a room. Moldings, cabinet handles, light and outlet switches, etc; can bring elements together and form a more cohesive appearance.


• Explore all the decorating possibilities decisions. You don't want to walk into a store and find something you really like because you never went into that particular store. Explore everywhere before purchasing anything.


• Large-open plan rooms are hard to separate into smaller section. Area rugs can do a great job of delineating areas in the same room. But, since they are in the same room they need a common color to link them together.


• His and her design ideas can bring harmony t It's hard when two people living together want to have completely different ideas implemented. So, you have to compromise. If he likes antiques and she likes modern...mix them together. It's called eclectic. Compromise is the middle ground where two different ideas become one.


• Take your time when making decorating decisions The results will be better than if you rushed to get it finished. Rome wasn't built in a day. And those TV shows take a lot longer than an hour to complete those 'fast' rooms.

Color You r Home!



Color your home can bring life and excitement to otherwise dull areas. Why do we choose particular colors for interior decorating? It is because we either like them or have seen them in a magazine or someone's home. But, some of us have trouble deciding on which colors we really want to use in our own home. Choosing to color your home can be difficult if you let it.


So, what do you do? Look around the room and see what color is predominant in your furniture and fabrics. Now choose a predominant color from the ones you see and that will be your base color for the room. It will also be the interior wall paint color.


OK, now that we got past choosing color; you want to know "Do colors really reflect our personalities?" Why don't you decide for yourself? Below is a list of colors and their respective personality traits.

Yellow = Idealist, Self-fulfillment, Lofty dreams.

Green = Moral, Balance, Caring companion.

Blue-Green = Sensitive, Exacting and sensitive.

Blue = Secure, Conservative, Trusting and loyal friend.

Purple = Polite, Vain and non-impressionable.

Lavender = Social, Civilized and neat.

Brown = Dependable, Conservative by nature.

Red = Aggressive, Vigorous, Impulsive in your mood and actions.

Burgundy = Ambition, Conscience and strength.

Pink = Romantic, Charm, Softness and warmth.

Orange = Adventuress, Good-natured and charming.

White = Simplicity, Neat and immaculate.

Gray = Cautious and non-committal.

Black = Dignified, Sophisticated and mysterious.




However, don't run out and buy the color that matches your personality if you already have colors in your home. These personalities are just a non-scientific way to look at colors and how and why people choose them. But, keep in mind that some colors don't work in all rooms; so be careful how you choose them.

 Entry - This is the portal that invites people into your home. The entry door. So, the color should give the impression of a grand "Welcome to my home" message. Of course the color may be dictated by the color of the house.


Living Room - This used to be the most formal room in the home. And in some it still is, so it should be comfortable and have a cozy atmosphere. Here you can use most any color you feel comfortable with and that works with your furnishings.


Kitchen - The colors that can be used in this room are endless; since most of the time the cabinets are white or wood. Of course, there are some colors that should be avoided like blues, pinks and oranges. Not only could these colors have an opposite affect on the appetite by suppressing it, but could cause an uncomfortable feeling for your guests while eating.


Dining Room - Today this room functions as a formal area for holidays and parties and since red is the color that stimulates the appetite (how many restaurants have red in their color schemes); many designer's prefer this to other colors. Be careful not to make the shade too light or it will be pink. Pink is a relaxing color and may cause your guests to not want to leave.


Bedroom - The bedroom color plays an important part and tends to depend more on personal preference than individual psychology. Of course, the color decisions will also be based on the color of the bedding you have (or will) purchase. Greens are a relaxing color and reds can get your adrenaline flowing. Pick your bedding first before choosing paint colors. It is much easier to match the paint color to the bedding colors.


Kid's Room - Children are influenced by many factors such as music, TV, video and friends. Some colors are soothing while others could create a possible disabling or disruptive behavior. Try to avoid dark blues, blacks and too much white and of course, reds. Purple seems to have a mentally stimulating effect, while violets have a rescinding effect with emotional disorders. Consider greens which are relaxing as well as pinks.


Bathroom - The bathroom has one primary function to prepare and escape the troubles of the world. There are no clear cut colors to use in this room. Some decorator's and designer's use certain colors to enhance skin tones. Some like blue because of it relation to water. While others prefer the purity of white.


Entertainment / Family Room - This is the place that will give you a great deal of stress-free time to un-wind, sit back, watch a movie or read a book. This is where the true personality of the owner should be present. Color use in this room will depend on its ultimate use.


Exercise Room - Exercise room colors should be carefully considered. Green should be avoided; since it is a color that is linked to relaxation. Red increases adrenal-gland stimulation, helping us become strong and increase stamina. However, stay away from pink since it is a soothing color that won't help you to work out.


Please keep-in-mind that these are just suggestions to aid you in your color choices. Your colors should be your personal preference. Don't be influenced by trendy colors.


Colors are also influenced by demographic (nationalities) and geographic locations. So when you color your home check out our "Design Styles" page, which will help with furnutirue design styles.

For more information, please visit our website:

http://www.dutchtouchstaging.com