Designing a space can become a challenging feat, especially for non-designers. After all, you have to consider many rules or elements to ensure that you have a functional and beautiful space. Before you embark on this design journey, what are things to know about interior design before talking to an expert interior designer or doing it yourself?
What Beginners Should Know About Interior Design
Before we get to the things to know about interior design, here are the basics that many expert interior designers follow when they design residential or commercial spaces.
- Color
- Line
- Balance
- Harmony
- Texture
- Scale
- Contrast
- Variety
- Focal Point
- Mass
- Form
Things to Know About Interior Design
1. Get Inspiration
If you want to start designing your home or office space, the best thing to do is find inspiration first. You may have a vision of what your space will look like, and that’s good! But it’s best practice to check out other spaces for inspiration. You’ll get an idea of how furniture is arranged and what colors and pieces to use.
2. Choose a Focal Point
One important step in designing your space is choosing a focal point. This is the area of your room where you’ll start putting the pieces together. The focal point DOESN’T have to be the center of a room. It can be near the window or in a corner. That said, you can even put the main piece on that focal point.
3. Put It Into Paper
Don’t let your vision of your space get stuck in your head. Start making it happen by putting it into paper. It doesn’t have to be paper, but you can use a software to plan your space. By having the design on paper or software, the space you want is tangible, and all you need to do now is make it come to life.
4. Be Practical
It can be tempting to splurge on furniture, decor, or pieces that you think will look good in your home or office. However, you want to be practical at all costs. If you’re redesigning your bedroom, you can invest in a bed. After all, you don’t only want a beautiful room, but you want a comfortable bed as well. Another piece of furniture to invest in is a couch, whether it’s for your home or office. You want one that’s comfy and functional. Both of these pieces are large and can catch someone’s eye. That’s why it’s good to spend more on these.
5. Learn How to Layer
Layering is one aspect that interior designers use to make a space look cohesive. And layering is all about putting together everything and making sure everything “fits.” One element of layering is colors. With colors, you want to ensure that the colors match well or it’s part of the same color palette or hue.
Another important element to layer is flooring. You might be preoccupied with all your pieces that you may have forgotten about the floor. With the floor, you want to choose suitable tiles or materials to ensure the whole space looks good.
Finally, the most important element to layer is the decor, such as artwork, rugs, or curtains. With decor, you can mix decor up with texture, shapes, or colors. Decor can be the best indicator of your preferences, but you don’t have to go crazy with it.
6. Consider Lighting
One thing we may forget when designing a space is lighting. We’ve been caught up in designing the actual space that we would overlook how light can illuminate or disrupt the space. Make use of your windows when designing your space. Plus, invest in good lights that will give the space a cozy or comforting look.
7. Talk to An Expert
You don’t have to do the interior designing all by yourself. An expert can help you understand better why certain pieces may not go together. Or why having certain furniture will go well with this color. They can provide recommendations and suggestions to you. Plus, they will do their best to add your preferences to your desired space. Even though they have presented some great ideas on how to make the space better, you call the shots on it.
Interior Design Styles or Ideas
Homeowners or business owners have the luxury of choosing from the best interior design style that best fits their budget and taste. But what are some styles you can integrate into your home or office space?
- Minimalist
- Rustic
- Traditional
- Contemporary
- Modern
- Mid-Century
- Industrial
- Scandinavian
- Mediterranean
- Boho
- Japandi
- Nautical or coastal
- Art Deco
- Chic
But how do you achieve any of those interior design styles? Interior designers will use decors, colors, and pieces to execute any of these styles. For example, if you want a boho space or your home office, you can add indoor plants to your home. Plus, you can add neutral furniture to achieve the look.
And if you need interior design inspiration, Spencil has some design or decor ideas for your room, home office, spa, restaurant, or nail salon. And if you need professional help in designing your space, Spencil can certainly provide designs for your home, office, or retail space! You can start by requesting a quote here.