House Decoration Ideas & Designs

Color Scheme

• Decorating a home usually requires an awareness of various color palettes and an understanding of which colors look best when matched together. A good place to start is to first define the space and its functions. For instance, if you wish to decorate a windowless bathroom and you would like a soothing color, opt for a light hues that will brighten up the room's dark spaces and evoke a sense of calmness. Depending on your tastes, such colors may include shades of turquoise, ivory or sunflower.

Theme

• Along with a color scheme, it is equally important to define the room's theme. They both work hand in hand in creating a perfectly consistent and visually appealing room. Browsing through home magazines or recognizing which architectural styles you appreciate the most might help you decide upon a theme. For example, if you love European architecture and vintage furnishings, perhaps a rustic Italian design will suit you best. Understanding the design you prefer narrows down your color choices, which in turn makes the designing process less confusing. For example, a Tuscany theme would include warm shades of orange and red and earthy brown tones.

Budget

• Once you have a color scheme and theme picked out, you will want to review your budget and decide which items or design ideas are necessities and which can be set aside. For instance, if you decide you'd like a rustic Italian-style kitchen but your budget is not very forgiving, you may need to wait on installing an authentic brick pizza oven and instead focus on purchasing furnishings and changing the wall's color. However, your budget should not dictate the entire direction of your design project. Keep in mind that a focal point can be created with a fresh coat of paint and accents can be added with no-fuss tiles or artwork.

Personality

• No matter which home design you choose to work with, it is absolutely imperative that it is an accurate reflection of your personality. You may appreciate the country or shabby chic styles replete with floral fabrics and vintage knick-knacks often seen in interior design magazines and may even feel inspired to follow suit. However, if you know your personality is low-maintenance, consider a less cluttered design style. Fortunately, you don't necessarily need to change the design exactly as you can improvise as you go along. For example, you can keep the vintage furniture but leave the knick-knacks out.