Interior design can mean a lot of different things to different people. For you, it might mean that you’re looking for something to make a big statement, but how do you decide just what it is you want? Below are a few considerations to keep in mind before you embark on a major interior design project.
Consider Your Lifestyle
Do you have young children? Do you entertain a lot? Do you have pets? Are you at home a little or a lot? The answers to these and similar questions will help guide you toward the next big design overhaul of your place. Your approach may be very different if you have three children under six or four rescue dogs than if you frequently throw swanky dinner parties. Of course, maybe both of these things are true. The point is that while there’s nothing wrong with design choices that are aspirational in nature, they should be somewhat realistic regarding how they will fit around the rest of your life.
Consider Your Needs
This should be in part about what you want, not just what you need, but if you or someone in your family has mobility issues or is in a wheelchair, perhaps installing an impressive spiral staircase is not the right choice in your home. On the other hand, you could consider an equally impressive, luxurious and comfy residential elevator. Elevators are not very difficult to install in a home, contrary to many people’s expectations, and they can make a big, bold statement. The key here is to balance your needs with the effect that you want to convey.
Think About Your Budget
Of course, budget always needs to be a consideration. If you’re looking at home design tips and something is out of your price range, you can always see if there are ways to cut back on your spending, cash in an asset or borrow money, but you don’t want to go into a huge amount of debt for something that is largely cosmetic. If your budget is on the smaller side and you have a good eye for design, you might be able to DIY all or some of the project that you have in mind.
Tools You Can Use
Knowing your style is an important part of a design do-over that you’re happy with. If you aren’t sure what your style is, spend some time looking at magazines and at photos of rooms online and saving the ones that you like. Even if you don’t know what they’re called or there initially doesn’t seem to be much rhyme or reason to your choices, this will help you start to narrow things down, and it may all make sense to a designer even if doesn’t to you. After that, try out some apps that can help you preview how various color schemes or different types of furniture will look in your place. For example, there are apps that can overlay different choices over your existing rooms so you can better visualize how they will look.
