It is true that interior design is a matter of taste. What looks good to one person might not be appealing to another. Most people want their home to be stylish, providing a pleasant atmosphere for both the residents and visitors. Your home decor should be a reflection of your personality, but there are certain design techniques that are flat out bad choices. This article will discuss some of the techniques you should not use, as well as some more appealing alternatives.
Don't: Draw Too Much Attention to the Paint - The homes of the 80s and 90s had a very distinct style of using dark, bold colors for the walls. In many cases, the paint scheme would differ in each room. Thankfully, in modern times, this trend has been all but done away with. Boldly-colored walls can be a distraction, drawing more attention than they should. And homes with drastically-shifting paint schemes can make moving from room to room jarring.
Do: Find a Subtle Color Scheme - A more subdued palette is often much easier swallow. Soft, earthy colors have the benefit of being easy on the eyes. The walls should serve as a backdrop for the main elements of the design scheme. The more subtle tones, such as light beige or gray, are able to do just that. They will not draw more attention than they deserve. It is also a good idea to keep the paint scheme consistent across the home.
Don't: Make Everything Match Too Much - While it is important that an interior design scheme maintains a level of consistency, there is also a point where it becomes too much. If you use just one color or material, it can quickly make the room become bland. For instance, just because the coffee table is one type of wood does not mean that the shelving has to match it exactly. An overly-focused scheme can be as bad as an unfocused one.
Do: Use Contrast to Good Effect - Variety and consistency are two things that you have to strike a balance with. It is easy to overdo the number of styles and colors, but also, you should be willing to mix it up a little. Have a wooden bed frame? A white nightstand next to it can actually work pretty well. You can add color accents with secondary elements, such as cushions that are brighter than the rest of the couch. Just because two things are different does not necessarily mean that they are incompatible. If you find that it works, try mixing and matching furniture from different sets.
Don't: Put Carpet in the Bathrooms - This one should be a no-brainer. Whenever an area has running water, it will only be a matter of time before some of it ends up on the floor. And if you placed a material on the floor that is very good at absorbing and holding onto moisture, such as carpet, you are putting yourself on the fast track to mildew and mold problems.
Do: Use Easy to Clean Surfaces - Tile is the most popular type of bathroom flooring for good reason. It is durable and easy to clean. The choice of tile is up to you. Some types are more water-resistant and easier to install than others, but they each have their advantages.
Don't: Make Things Tacky - There is plenty of room for variety, irony, and personality in a design scheme. But there is also a line of tackiness that you should take care not to cross. Some items went out of style long ago and do not work in modern designs. Other items have been tacky from the get-go. If you have to question a decision, it is probably the wrong one.
Do: Make It Your Own - While you do not want to overdo it, a design scheme that does not reflect the owner's personality will appear plain and soulless. Try to figure out the balance of items, not deviating too far from the tone of each room. If you have tacky items that you cannot part with for whatever reason, you might at least keep them out of the home's most used areas. They better serve as decorations in your personal areas, such as your home office or den. That mounted trophy buck works better there than in the dining room.
Don't: Draw Too Much Attention to the Paint - The homes of the 80s and 90s had a very distinct style of using dark, bold colors for the walls. In many cases, the paint scheme would differ in each room. Thankfully, in modern times, this trend has been all but done away with. Boldly-colored walls can be a distraction, drawing more attention than they should. And homes with drastically-shifting paint schemes can make moving from room to room jarring.
Do: Find a Subtle Color Scheme - A more subdued palette is often much easier swallow. Soft, earthy colors have the benefit of being easy on the eyes. The walls should serve as a backdrop for the main elements of the design scheme. The more subtle tones, such as light beige or gray, are able to do just that. They will not draw more attention than they deserve. It is also a good idea to keep the paint scheme consistent across the home.
Don't: Make Everything Match Too Much - While it is important that an interior design scheme maintains a level of consistency, there is also a point where it becomes too much. If you use just one color or material, it can quickly make the room become bland. For instance, just because the coffee table is one type of wood does not mean that the shelving has to match it exactly. An overly-focused scheme can be as bad as an unfocused one.
Do: Use Contrast to Good Effect - Variety and consistency are two things that you have to strike a balance with. It is easy to overdo the number of styles and colors, but also, you should be willing to mix it up a little. Have a wooden bed frame? A white nightstand next to it can actually work pretty well. You can add color accents with secondary elements, such as cushions that are brighter than the rest of the couch. Just because two things are different does not necessarily mean that they are incompatible. If you find that it works, try mixing and matching furniture from different sets.
Don't: Put Carpet in the Bathrooms - This one should be a no-brainer. Whenever an area has running water, it will only be a matter of time before some of it ends up on the floor. And if you placed a material on the floor that is very good at absorbing and holding onto moisture, such as carpet, you are putting yourself on the fast track to mildew and mold problems.
Do: Use Easy to Clean Surfaces - Tile is the most popular type of bathroom flooring for good reason. It is durable and easy to clean. The choice of tile is up to you. Some types are more water-resistant and easier to install than others, but they each have their advantages.
Don't: Make Things Tacky - There is plenty of room for variety, irony, and personality in a design scheme. But there is also a line of tackiness that you should take care not to cross. Some items went out of style long ago and do not work in modern designs. Other items have been tacky from the get-go. If you have to question a decision, it is probably the wrong one.
Do: Make It Your Own - While you do not want to overdo it, a design scheme that does not reflect the owner's personality will appear plain and soulless. Try to figure out the balance of items, not deviating too far from the tone of each room. If you have tacky items that you cannot part with for whatever reason, you might at least keep them out of the home's most used areas. They better serve as decorations in your personal areas, such as your home office or den. That mounted trophy buck works better there than in the dining room.
About the Author:
It's much easier to come up with a great design if you have a beautiful home to begin with. And a brand new home can be a blank canvas. For new homes in Washington, be sure to check out SeaPacHomes.com.
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