Top interior design tips to make your house a home.
From Chloe, Materialise Interiors.
I mainly work designing interiors and occasional exteriors for commercial clients (such as Kevin at Number One Mortgages) but the same principals apply to domestic interiors too. Below are some ideas which I hope might help you turn your new house in to a home.
TIP 1: If you can, buy and gather furnishings and interiors slowly. If you rush you risk buying a ‘look’ rather than a collection of items you love and have meaning. Doing this will serve you better than buying ‘things’ that you have no connection with which often get ditched a few years later.
TIP 2: Large items in small rooms can make the room feel smaller as a rule, so less is more in smaller rooms. Avoid over cluttering. Mirrors help give the illusion of more space by bouncing light around the room. For a rustic look try reclaimed windows with mirror inserts which can be a really nice addition to give the feeling of more space.
TIP 3: Upcycling adds character and stories to your home that connects you to your interior design.
TIP 4: Things in threes is always a good rule. I’m not sure why but it just works.
TIP 5: Use an accent colour, or collection of colours, to tie decor together – even if it’s subtle hues, the overall result will be more coherent.
TIP 6: Consider a variety of lighting types in a room. Lights that can be used to brighten or tone down depending on the use of the room and time of day. Lamps create zones and are so much more comfortable and relaxing than a single light source in the middle of a room. Add dimmers to lighting whenever you have the opportunity!
TIP 7: Before buying any large item of furniture it’s worth marking out the physical area with something easily removable (like masking tape) to help you visualise it in the space. It might save you some costly mistakes.
Wishing you an enjoyable time designing your new homes,
Chloe, http://materialiseinteriors.com/
TIP 8: Remember to check and double check that the item will fit through the doors, considering all of the entrances on the way to the room it will be located. There’s nothing more disappointing and stressful than not being able to get your new piece of furniture into your home.