Unlocking the Secrets of Interior Design

By Lisa Rob

Books, the internet, television, radio... with all of the interior design advice that's out there, you would be forgiven for thinking that you need a degree in design in order to create a pleasing interior for your home. But nothing could be further from the truth. Interior design is more about inspiration, creativity and fun. In fact, interior design is one of the only aspects of home-building where you can really let your wildest fantasies take shape.

Your home is a reflection of yourself: we all change as we age, so it's natural that your idea of interior design will change, too. One of the beauties of interior design is that it's a moveable feast: a bold, striking interior with radical design features might appeal to you when you are in your twenties, but you may feel differently about design when you're in your thirties or forties. Your life circumstances may have changed - you may have married, for example, or you may have children - and this will certainly have an impact on the way in which you choose to design your home's interior.

The first step is understanding your interior. Whether you want to re-design a room, a floor or even a whole house, it's important to know what the space will be used for, and who will be using it. A lounge or bedroom can be ruined by the wrong design style, so make your design project easier by deciding up-front how you intend to use your interior.

The next step is to consider who will be using the space. What sort of person are they? Your interior design should take their age, character and occupation into consideration. A bright, vibrant design may not be suitable for a studious or serious person, for example. And a muted interior will suppress a creative spirit or free thinker. Make it a rule to design your interior around the inhabitants.

With your design foundation in place, it's time to start choosing your colour palette. Aim to include 2 - 4 colours or shades: it will be far flattering to your interior than a single colour. And don't be afraid to contrast: bright reds and blues look stunning against a modern white interior, for example, whereas tranquil greens and turquoises will add warmth to an old-fashioned, beamed interior. Be bold: try painting a 'feature wall' in a single colour, and contrast that with interesting accessories... it's an interior design trick that will really bring a room to life.

As any interior design expert knows, it's the finishing touches that can make all the difference. An oversized cushion with an ethnic design; a long table made from a reclaimed railway sleeper; a fireplace full of candles... little touches of design brilliance that will bring your interior to life.

For expert help and inspiring ideas on interior design, visit http://www.evitavonnilondon.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lisa_Rob

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Interior Designers Help Make Your House a Home

By Kay Zeeh

Interior design is becoming increasingly popular all over the world. There is simply nothing more enjoyable than to relax in your own well-decorated and organized home.

If you have recently purchased a new house, you are probably well aware of the stark walls and the bland carpeting. It may be a good idea for you to hire a professional interior designer to help you make your house feel like a home. Designers will work with you to ensure a gorgeous look that reflects the tastes and the interests of your beloved family members. The benefits of hiring a designer are practically limitless.

There are a few reasons why you would want to hire an interior designer to work on the home's aesthetic appeal for you. Designers have to go to school to learn their trade and profession. They have literally spent years matching colors and palettes to create gorgeous homes in a variety of different areas. These professionals fully understand what looks good in a home and what to avoid.

As a new homeowner, you may not know how to match certain colors and which patterns look right in a particular room. Because of this, your own DIY attempts may come out looking quite ridiculous as far as the home's appeal goes.

Hiring an Interior Designer Makes Decorating Easier
Hiring an interior designer is actually an easy and worthwhile task. The interior design specialist will work with you to get a feel for your interests and your design tastes.
For example, the designer may ask you what colors you like and what type of overall look you are going for when it concerns your home. You may tell the designer that you are going for modern chic or more of a country feel, depending on your interests and the area in which you are living. The professional will then be able to come up with a look that is unique to your tastes so that your home reflects these things.
The interior designer will always shoot ideas and opinions your way before putting any of these things into the finished product. They will show you a room's color scheme and the overall feel of the home before they start painting the walls. This gives you a chance to tell the designer if the outcome is going to be something you will love or if you would like the interior design specialist to come up with another idea that better reflects your tastes.

Save Money on Interior Design
Hiring a professional interior design specialist is often quite affordable. There are a few things that designers can do for you. You can hire an interior designer to come up with a scheme for you and have their own workers get the designing done to save time or you can hire a designer to just create a design scheme. This enables you to do all of the work yourself with your family so that you can save money.
It is important that you speak with your designer to find out what they offer and what their prices are like. Do not be afraid to compare different designers, since all designers charge differently and all of them have their own unique design qualities.

Relax and Enjoy Your Home
After the interior designer finishes the project, you will be left with a home that is gorgeous and well-organized. You will find that it is more enjoyable to come home at night after a long day at work when you actually enjoy the way that your home looks. Entertaining guests can also be quite a thrill when the right type of interior design has been incorporated into the home. There is no reason for you and your loved ones to be stuck in a home that is brand new and stark white. The right colors and the right design theme will make a huge impact on the way every room looks.

Newer homes often have the basic colors added to walls and tan carpeting that does nothing for the home's aesthetic appeal. Hiring a professional interior design specialist will help the entire house to feel more comfortable and for you to actually like the way that each room happens to look. You can not go wrong when hiring this type of professional for your own project needs.

If you need help from an interior designer for your Scottsdale home, look no further than Judy Fox Interiors. Their award-winning design team will help you make your home a warm, comfortable place to live. Visit the site at http://www.judyfoxinteriors.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kay_Zeeh

Are You An "Onliner" or "Designer"?

By Bill Philby

It seems in this digital age, everyone is trying to reap the rewards of shopping online instead of enlisting the advice of a designer or a local showroom. Apparently it's just as easy to get a sofa online as it is a date. But just how much are we willing to sacrifice to save money? And who really looks like their online picture.
In the past, hiring a designer was a luxury only a few could afford or so they thought. Many people found it intimidating as their designers suggested items that were priced well outside their comfort zone. It was a time when it was more about the cost than the style and that usually meant a hefty commission to go along with it. High priced designers were making a killing...and it was our profession they had just about buried.

Hiring a designer is no longer just for the lucky few, it's now for the savvy. Over the years, scores of well-established design schools and universities have churned out a sufficient number of talented individuals to make access to a designer more reasonable and in a more consumer-friendly environment than ever before. This, in turn, has changed the way many people approach furnishing a new home. Designers have the ability to negotiate wholesale pricing and even with their fees added, the price is usually still less than retail. Plus, you have a designer on your side to help avoid mistakes.

But still there are those who feel compelled to shop online, forfeiting any type of personal guidance or service in hopes of saving a few dollars. For smaller, disposable items, it can make good sense but buying an item of value online can be a little like Russian roulette. Who cares if the sofa you ordered online doesn't fit? Just put it in your next garage sale. What if the fabric looks terrible in person? If there's a defect or damage in
shipping, or if the item breaks after only a few months, you will probably wish you had someone local to call to make the problem go away. And the only person with a vested interest in your happiness, other than yourself, is your local designer or showroom. I have a feeling when you call them that your call isn't going to get rerouted to a customer service department in a third-world country. (Peggy, can you hear me?)

Many better quality retail stores and design firms are eager to work with clients on smaller projects. And this isn't just because of the economy. It's because we have all gotten a little smarter over time. We realize that helping a young couple with their first home and developing a relationship with them often results in future homes down the road. It's become the building block for smaller firms and for designers who are in the business for the long haul. It's residual business. I have personally had clients start out with just a small living room and, over time, grow into several jobs for their relatives and also larger homes for themselves as their careers have blossomed. When it comes to clients, a good investment always grows.

Onliners pride themselves on savings but in many cases, item for item, the prices end up about the same. And if you have a problem once you get it home, they can usually resolve it easily and quickly. Online companies often had hidden charges such as crating, in-home delivery, etc. that add to the price. And it's funny how they make you pay for it in full before you even take delivery. Hmmm.

We all use online services for something. Electronics, games, reviews, news and yes, even dates. But a sofa or dining room set? What if I answered the door and the sofa didn't look anything like it did in the picture? Ah, the date from hell.

William Philby, ASID is the co-founder of Retro Interiors and Island City Traders in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He is a Florida licensed interior designer and professional member of ASID. A graduate from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, Mr. Philby has been practicing interior design for 30 years in South Florida for a variety of high profile clients.

You can visit his company website at http://retrointeriors.net or his personal blog at http://designmindblog.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bill_Philby

Tips to Become an Interior Designer

By Paula M Dungan 

Although many people have talent when it comes to decorating their personal spaces or even those of their friends or families, there is far more to a career in Interior Design than being able to match a couch to a wall covering. A true designer has a degree in Interior Design that includes many related subjects that help to understand the underlying concepts of how and why certain things work together and others do not.

When you study Interior Design, the first thing you learn is computer skills. Just as with any other profession today, there are many computer aids and programs that can assist a designer in their work. You also need to use programs that allow you to make presentations or advertising materials or properly process photos.

The next thing on the agenda is drawing. You have to learn to draw. A designer's life is full of proposal drawings, floor plans, sketches of items to be built and a million other kinds of drawing. Drawing teaches you how light and shadow play off one another and how to sketch realistically in three dimensions. Drawing leads to color theory, which is a designer's best friend. Once you understand the interplay between colors and all of the subtle enhancements of each color that are possible, it is easy to apply a sophisticated palette for any design assignment.

It is at this point that it starts to get more difficult. Digital visualization means being able to design floor plans and furnishings in a manner that allows you to see them in three dimensions, top, bottom and at 360 degree rotation. Following this you move right into basic drafting. Some designers work right behind architects and construction crews, so an understanding of blueprints and the procedure by which they are developed is essential.

There are also courses on textiles, kitchen and bath design, art history and commercial design, among many others. You can get an associate's degree in Interior Design in two years. If you do not wish to attend school or if you are not sure about your future in design, you may elect to take a twelve month diploma course called Residential Planning. In the diploma course, you learn all of the basics, but don't get as intensely involved in kitchens and baths, art history and commercial design.

Studying Interior Design is delightful; it seems more like play than work. Anyone, who wants a career that combines a love of art and color, with the intense desire to create beautiful spaces; should consider acquiring an education in Interior Design. Even if you never have a career as a designer, you will soon find yourself living in increasingly attractive surroundings. You just won't be able to help yourself.

Paula Morris-Dungan attended Art Institute of Pittsburg for Residential Space Planning and Interior Design. She spends her spare time remodeling and designing the interior of her 80+ year old house. She is a full-time freelance writer who writes for blogs and a discount fabric store about various topics including paint, and interior design in general.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Paula_M_Dungan