After an extended period of time spent indoors, its understandable to feel like your home might need a refresh. Where this previously might have meant expensive interior design specialists to realise a vision, the democratisation of interior design and the rise of Instagram and Pinterest mean that homeowners have more resources available than ever before to take their home’s décor into their own hands. But you might be struggling to figure out what makes you tick design-wise. Look no further – here we’ll discuss ways to think about your new interior, and how to decorate it.
Research, Research, Research
The first step to any interior redesign journey is research. Pinterest boards are a brilliant way to collect ideas, images, colour palettes and example designs in one place, especially when you create a board for each room to get an idea of your home’s vibe. When looking at other finished interior design objects, ask yourself what it is about the space you like. Is it the colour? The space? The furniture? Knowing the answer will help you translate these ideas to your own spaces.
What’s Life Like at Home?
Of course, finding out what interior design styles appeal to you the most is only half of the battle. It is also crucial that any design and décor decisions you make are practical to you and your family’s lifestyle. For example: do you have multiple children, or perhaps pets of a larger size? In a vibrant household full of life – and family members prone to clumsiness – you may want to avoid brilliant white hallways and landings! Whilst we are talking about hallways and landings you may decide to change the stair components, this change would be a great start to putting your own personal stamp on your interiors.
The question should apply to every aspect of your home life, including things you may need to create a more harmonious one. Perhaps your house is currently cluttered, and storage solutions such as built-in wardrobes need to form a constituent part of your redecorating plans. Home decisions should also take into account your mental state; if you’re easily stressed as a result of your work, or managing your home, you may want to partition certain spaces, to allow you a space in which to relax and de-compress.
Using What You’ve Got
Planning for redecoration with a new interior design style in mind can be particularly intimidating, especially when it comes to the potential costs of updating your home’s furniture across the board. But the beauty of discovering your personal interior tastes is that you can incorporate pre-existing elements, or things you already like to complete the look. Sometimes a simple re-arrangement can give a whole new perspective on an item of furniture – while existing upholstered items such as sofas can be re-upholstered, and brought in line with a new colour scheme or décor style for not much more than the cost of the fabric!
Choosing Tones
In deciding the colour scheme for rooms in your home, make things easier on yourself by simplifying the questions you ask for each space. The possibilities can be overwhelming for a new room, but start with basic ‘A or B?’ questions to narrow down your options. For example: warm or cool? Should this room feel warm and cosy, or cool and breezy? Don’t be afraid to mix things up from room to room, either – each space in your home can act as a different environment, and inspire different feelings when you enter them.
Taking Advice
You may still be a little stumped for ideas when it comes to your home, which is perfectly ok – when the options are numerous, it can be hard to figure out exactly what you want from a space. Which is why seeking advice from other sources is always an excellent way to go, whether you ask people with interior design experience for their opinion, or simply take an online quiz or two so you can turn your preferences into tangible advice.