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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. • 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. • 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.
• 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. • 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. • Have a clear idea of what you want to do before prchasing 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? Source: http://www.homedesignsense.com/terms/design.html
FIVE COMMON INTERIOR DESIGN MISTAKES TO AVOID There are several interior design mistakes that one can make. I am going to focus on some that I think are the most common. If you take these steps one by one you will have a successful interior. 1. Over furnishing a room. This is by far the most common mistake that I see. People buy furniture too large for the room or fill it up with too many items. This makes the space crowded and small. Purchase furniture that will allow a room to breathe and not over crowd it. Having furniture that is multi-functional will reduce the number of pieces in a room. 2. Hanging artwork too high. Hang art around 66"-72" to the top of the piece from the floor. This is most visually appealing in a room with an eight-foot ceiling. There are exceptions when the art is very large or it is hanging above a large furniture piece. Don't hang art in a diagonal line. Group smaller pieces together to create one focal point. Take a look in decorating magazines and study how art is hung for good visual examples. 3. Clutter and disorganization. If you organize your day-to-day 4. Quantity versus Quality. Buy only what you love and avoid cheap knickknacks and art. Buy the best art, furniture and accessories you can afford. The quality of good items will last and may hold resale value if you choose to eliminate them later. Cheap stuff is always cheap and will become 5. Bad lighting. Have several light sources in a space not just Source:http://www.designbymail.com/pages/tip_5mistakes.html PAINTING TIPS! If you don't complete your painting project in one day, wrap your paint brush and tray in a plastic bag. They won't dry out and you will only have to clean-up once. Also, the proper way to wash out a brush is to run it under warm water gently tapping it on the sink bottom. Run a wire brush through the bristles to remove all of the paint build-up. Prepping a Surface Prepping a surface for paint is an important step for a successful painting project. Scrape all loose paint or varnish, lightly sand the surface and then clean with TSP, a heavy-duty cleaner called Trisodium Phosphate. TSP comes in a powder, which mixes with water. This is perfect for prepping kitchen cabinets for new paint. It removes grime and years of dirt. Since distressed paint is in style, TSP is an excellent cleaner for already painted and distressed surfaces. Keep it in a spray bottle for quick and easy use. You can find TSP at hardware stores. It is important to follow the directions on the package for measuring and always use gloves. Furniture Painting Enhance a vintage chest with a fresh coat of paint. It's easy! The overall painting process takes a few hours, but in a weekend you can easily transform dated and worn pieces into trendy fresh design elements for any room. Preparation: Dull any glossy finish by sanding with medium grit sandpaper. Dust the area and then clean with either mineral spirits or tri-sodium phosphate (TSP). Once the surface is dry, priming is the next step. Oil-based primers are recommended for heavily varnished finishes or dark woods. Water-based primers will be fine for previously painted new wood or light wood. Painting with a high quality product is extremely important. Satin, semi-gloss and gloss finishes are perfect for furniture. Two to three coats are suggested. Mini-rollers and foam brushes are great for furniture because they eliminate bristle brush marks. It is important to apply the paint evenly with light coats. Source:http://www.designbymail.com/pages/tip_painting1.html
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