A Practical Interior Design Guide For Beginners
Are you tired of the state of your current space and are looking for an upgrade? Have you been at a loss on how to bring your home together to your benefit? With that in mind, we’ve charted simple solutions to bring your home to life with a handy, practical guide to make interior design approachable even for beginners.
While decorating your home can be exhilarating and rewarding, there’s also something to be said about the intimidation one feels after the fun of sourcing inspiration and ideas moves on to implementing said ideas. When handled without a proper plan in place, decorating can become worrisome, leaving you feeling perplexed and lost when the dream space scenarios you’ve envisioned don’t feel like they are coming together.
Which is why it’s essential to have a concise vision of how you want your home to be decorated and to create a manageable approach to making it a reality. And like everything in life, it all starts with targeting your budget while keeping in mind that it’s possible to decorate any space properly on any budget.
That said, don’t let a tight budget stop you from setting the stage for luxury throughout your home as inexpensive furnishings don’t mean that you have to skimp on quality. Instead, approach your interior design upgrade with a creative, resourceful route as it’s possible to inject affordable decorating ideas into any space while sourcing steals from factory outlets, showroom sample sales, vintage vendors and the ilk.
Step #1: DECIDE EXACTLY WHAT YOU WANT & STICK TO IT
As you begin to chart your course, consider these vital questions to address as you plan to redecorate:
What areas are you hoping to elevate?
Consider the areas you want to redress and note their importance on your agenda from high to low priority.
What is your ultimate goal?
To get you started on creating the ultimate vision for your home, there are tons of free online tools to find inspiration. From Pinterest to Elle Décor to our own informative blog — Décor Mag, scour them for references and must-read articles on how to make interior design upgrades seamless.
Ask yourself exactly why you want to design or redesign your space?
Hone in on problem areas, dead space, and dream scenarios to find motivation and get your creative juices flowing.
How invested do you want to be?
Be honest with yourself and decide whether you’ve really got it in you to commit to a DIY route or if sourcing assistance from a designer is simply more realistic.
Who could help you bring your project to life?
Creating a space that’s designed to last is much easier said than done. It takes stamina, guts, intuition, time, and balance. If you find yourself feeling perplexed from the start, it may be a wise investment to hire an interior designer or other professionals, like contractors or electricians. That said, remember that researching who you hire is key when looking for assistance in bringing your vision to life.
When can you start and when can it actually be completed?
Stick to a considered schedule for your project to keep you on track and organized, while keeping in mind that you’ll have to be ready to work around any last minute changes or dilemmas.
Step #2: DEFINE YOUR INTERIOR STYLE
Once you’ve narrowed down your plan, involvement, and team for your project, now it’s time to choose a style that reflects you. If you aren’t already blessed with a strong direction, begin investigating design sites and publications to see what you gravitate towards. Create free home inspiration boards on Pinterest and pin both what you like or don’t like. (If you decide to go for an interior decorator, you’ll find it helpful to create a board for them of looks that you don’t like). Even just after a few pins, you’ll quickly begin to see patterns and similarities between what you like and don’t, which will instantly point you in the right design direction.
The Space
Know the space you’re working with before making uninformed decisions about furnishings and accessories. Take about 30 minutes or so to measure the space - including the size of doors and windows. This way you won’t be scrambling when your new credenza doesn’t fit through the front door or frustrated when your new pieces are off scale.
While it may seem time-saving and tempting to buy all your furniture in one go, a more budget-friendly trick is to carefully buy a few things at a time. This will allow you to stagger out the cost of furnishing any room while helping you focus on what you really need.
Lighting
As the day progresses, take note of the amount of natural light the room gets to help narrow down where you may need to add better lighting. Be sure to layer lighting elements so the room is illuminated at various levels from a variety of key sources, like pendant lights, floor & table lamps, and wall sconces. If you’re short on natural light, smartly placed, affordable mirrors can maximize the light you do have while adding extra personality. Make sure to also buy the correct wattage bulbs–as while it may sound obvious, it’s routinely a common mistake.
Color
If you’re drawn to rooms exploding with riotous color but aren’t able to narrow which hues down, consider the direction you would like your color palette to go, from warm to cool. It can be as simple as adding new hues with commitment-free items like throw pillows, blankets, and accessories. These extras can help save you from regretting heavy handed wall color as it’s much easier to switch smaller items out as thoughtfully-chosen hits of color can make an impact that’s easier to take in.
Furnishings
One of the biggest mistakes design beginners make that our interior designers are often tasked to correct is underestimating the value of statement pieces. Their biggest complaint? People tend to all too often be safe with their choices, and as a result, all of that effort lends itself to a boring, flat room.
And secondly, they’re tired of seeing matching furniture sets. Just because a company sells coordinating sofas and chairs, refrain from buying complete sets. It’ll be much more visually interesting to have a variety of different, though complementary, furnishings. If you’re insecure about creating a mix of styles, look for a common thread between two pieces, like a similar style, pattern, era, or silhouette.
Flooring
Adding an area rug is an easy, affordable way to add color, texture, pattern, warmth, and personality to any room. Be sure to source rugs large enough to define your space while working as a decorative foundation. As a general rule of thumb, get an area rug that extends either six inches under your sofa or starts six inches in front of it, and six inches away from the wall.
If you’re placing a rug in a high-traffic common area, select something durable, like a low-pile wool or sisal that will be easy and cost-effective to maintain. For low-traffic areas, go for more luxe alternatives, like sheepskin, or an antiqued silk.
Art + Wall Hangings
Art instantly makes a room feel alive and warm while reflecting your personality. Be considerate when selecting artworks to install, yet don’t be afraid to experiment.
Narrow down what styles inspire you, and how much you’re able to invest in art at the moment. If you’re confined to a limited budget, there are plenty of affordable, easy to source options from art shows, street vendors, and websites where you can purchase iconic prints from well-known artists, or original pieces from younger talents. Keep in mind that art isn’t just framed photos or canvases–it can come in the form of a variety of objects too, like wall plates or macrame wall hangings. Art also doesn’t have to tie in the colors of a room together as it’s more statement-making when it pops against neutral or contrasting colors.
Next, decide whether you want to install one large art piece or a create a gallery wall. It’s also essential to take note of scale when selecting and hanging art. If you have high ceilings, a large vertical piece will draw the eye up. Take a cue from a visit to your local gallery and hang art pieces at eye level so you can easily look at and enjoy them.
Accessorize
Trinkets, mementos, pillows, throw blankets, books, and decorative objects are the final extras you’ll need to finish a room and unify the space. Here’s your opportunity to truly personalize a room and make it yours with items that reflect you, your style and interests, like a coffee table book featuring work by a favorite artist, or a vase that’s a cherished family heirloom loaded with conversation starters.
That said, the trick with interior accessories remains in the edit. As there’s nothing wrong with deliberately blank spaces to let the eye rest, don’t overcrowd every surface with accessories.
Let go of the age-old idea that a room needs to feel completely “done,” as nothing happens overnight. You’ll find that one of the greatest joys of decorating is that your space is always evolving. If an item doesn’t bring you joy, don’t force it into your design. Design slowly, and enjoy the subtle transformation.
