Interior design is something that seems very simple, but that is actually a rather complex field. That’s why there are professional interior designers, and it’s why, when people attempt to design their homes themselves, problems can occur. That’s not to say that you can’t do your own interior design, of course; if you want to, you certainly should. What it does mean is that there are a variety of pitfalls to look out for, and one of these is not knowing what interior design style is right for you. Here are some ways to understand that, and this will give you a good starting point for everything else when it comes to your interior design ideas.
Research as Much as Possible
Without doing any research, you’ll only ever have a vague idea of what you might be able to include in your interior design, and you’ll only ever have a vague idea of what your own style is. For example, you might know that you like the colour blue, but do you know how it can be used to the greatest effect? Or perhaps you know you want a contemporary look, but what is that exactly, and how can you include it in the right way?
Make sure you browse through catalogues, look at interior design websites, watch design shows on TV, look around your friends’ houses, and anything else you can do that will give you some better and more concrete ideas on what you want in your own home. Being vague is fine to start with, but it’s not going to help you make decisions, and it certainly won’t help you make your home look just how you want it. You need to be much more precise.
Prioritise Pieces
Once you’ve got a better idea of what your interior design style might look like, you need to consider what you might want to prioritise within each room. Think about your study, for example – perhaps there is a certain desk that you definitely want to use. In that case, the rest of your design can work around it. In the bedroom, it might be the bed itself, and the kitchen could revolve around an island or a certain colour.
It doesn’t even have to be a piece of furniture. If you have fallen in love with an antique fireplace from stonewoods.co.uk and you know you must have it in your living room, you can use that as your priority and work backwards from there. It’s much easier to design when you have at least one piece to design around – you’ll know everything will work together in that way.
Blend Styles
There are so many different interior design styles to choose from that it can sometimes feel like an impossible choice. Maybe you are entirely torn between two different styles or perhaps even three or more. Although it would be easier just to stick with one style, if you are careful about what you do and how you put the elements together, it is possible to blend styles so you can have more than one.
This will only work if you think very carefully about which styles are going to go well together. You could, for example, use just one statement piece from one style and then blend another style around it. This will require a lot of thought, so don’t rush – you’ll want to get it right.
Photo by Peng Chen on Unsplash
Author: Mandy Kloppers
Mandy is a qualified therapist who treats depression, anxiety, OCD, PTSD, trauma, and many other types of mental health issues. She provides online therapy around the world for those needing support and also provides relationship counselling.
