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10 things to think about when re-designing your home’s interior

Whether you finally want to get rid of that pesky retro 60’s mustard brown wallpaper or you just want to make a couple of small changes here and there, it’s good to have some inside knowledge.

We’ve compiled 10 things to keep in mind, from the professionals who do this day in and day out – interior designers.

  1. Choose materials that open up space

When it comes to furnishing a small area, Design Library say it’s important to avoid bulk at all costs.

Do these three things instead.

  • Items with slimline silhouettes: thin table & chair legs; chairs that can slide fully under tables; sofas and benches with narrow, preferably no arms
  • Materials that ‘open up’ your space, think wicker that has an open weave rather than compact weave, slatted seats or fabric seating that allow light to penetrate and glass table tops
  • Go vertical with greenery: to create that lush feeling and still have room for outdoor furniture, install a vertical garden (Petite Retreat has some easy to install options) or hanging planters.
  1. White, done right, can differentiate an interior

You don’t always have to paint the rooms in your house a neutral colour. Although tricky to pull off, painting your interior white can make it stand out – and for all the good reasons, according to Homes To Love.

White may technically represent the absence of colour, but its application is more popular than ever in interiors. Rather than being clinical or cold, decorating with white can be a wonderful opportunity to experiment with texture and tone to create timeless rooms with qualities of lightness and serenity.

  1. Mix it up!

Interior Designers Online believe that there is no one rule that should be followed, when it comes to design.

Don’t be afraid to merge styles in a single room. Introduce a few rustic elements into a sleek modern space. Blend decorating ideas for an eclectic feel. As long as you maintain balance with items that share a thematic shape or colour, you can be as creative as you like.

Go on – be brave!

  1. Furniture positioning can make all the difference

It’s next to impossible, or at least impossible on a boot string budget, to change your floor plans – but you can change your furniture placement.

Furniture put in the wrong place can cramp a space or simply look unattractive. Martin Kolarik believes symmetry is important.

The most common mistake in furniture placement is to position all the pieces around the walls, thinking that it’ll make the room look larger.

Wrong. It does the exact opposite.

  1. Start from the bottom – work your way up

Where to start designing is probably a question you’re asking yourself… right?

One interior designer, Taylor Rose, starts from the bottom. She begins with flooring first, then looks at paint colours, window treatment and furniture. “You can always change the furniture and wall colour, but it is a lot harder to change flooring.”

  1. Find a hero piece

Jen Clark Spaces transformed a space from “depressive to impressive” by finding a hero piece, among other interior design strategies.

Every room needs a hero – let’s say a stunning peacock-blue chair, for example. In a room that’s been otherwise decorated on a small budget, with a lot of flat-pack Ikea items, a unique chair lends the space an interesting bespoke feel.

  1. Consistency is key

Wall Creations gives some great advice on making sure the design throughout your house ‘flows’.

Creating a house that matches visually will help to create a harmonious and comfortable home. In order to do so effectively, you need to think of the entire house when decorating each room. There’s a golden rule and that rule is that consistency is key! There are three things that we recommend you consider on undertaking a project like this: colour, finishes and furniture.

  1. Add candles, vases or centrepieces to tables

Brighten up your dining tables and lounge table by adding pillar candles in various sizes placed on a decorative plate, a brightly coloured vase with fresh flowers or another unique centrepiece. 

  1. Go with the season!

Why not add a bit of the season into your interior design? Inside Out Colour Design certainly thinks it’s possible to. Put a twist on colours and came up with a crisp pastel palette that captures the change of the seasons perfectly – from winter to spring.

  1. Dress up your walls

Home Heaven offers some great tips for redesigning your home, for less!

Tips and secret tricks like this:

If you don’t want to paint an entire room, paint a large canvas and hang it on a blank wall to give the room colour without spending money on art or large amounts of paint.

And there you have it… 10 tips that you can implement, from the experts in interior design.

Happy decorating!