Interior Design Master Class 2024
2024 just made me realize we are almost a quarter of the way into the 21st Century!
Ihave recently observed a rise in interest in interior design which I figured is emanating from the normalcy after the tumultuous uncertain years we have had recently.
Most of us however don’t aspire to be masters at this craft but a little knowledge here and there to help improve our homes will not hurt.
Most of the people offering these master classes online tend to overprice these tips; which I feel should only help bring out the designer in all of us.
This read might not go to the depth of signing up for an actual design course but I will try and wrap the tips nicely with tips to help you discover the style you want for your home.
So whether your style is just cool, traditional, or contemporary like mine, this read will help you to think about your style and how to bring the various design aspects to a beautiful home.
What’s in the article?
I will divide this into five parts to guide you in thinking about your home:
The first section will be about finding your style.
Are you into modern or traditional styles?
This is simply asking you to think personally about the style you love and how that will work for you and your interior.
I will guide you to explore your taste and develop it into a style you can live with every day and for many years.
The second part will explore how to live every day with your design. It will explore how to choose an interior design that will suit your everyday life.
For example, if you have children, if you are living alone, if you are a bachelor, etc.
How you live every day should be at the core of choosing a design that will fit into your lifestyle.
The third part will focus on choosing an interior design that is within your budget.
As a rule of thumb in interior design, expensive doesn’t always cut it.
This part is getting you to set a budget and using this to guide every area of the design process and what you are going to spend.
Are you going to spend more on furniture? Are you going to spend more on fabrics? What are you gonna save on? And how will all this come together to bring your interior dream to life?
The fourth part will explore planning the layout you want in your room.
This will include thinking about the size of the furniture and making sure everything fits because there can be some nasty surprises.
Finally, as a lighting designer, here is my favourite part; the lighting of the room.
This time I will reiterate what my preferred lighting method is for all homes and why.
Whether they are new, old, modern, or traditional, this lighting method has proven to be the best for every style.
So let’s get down to it!
Finding Your Style
If you are struggling with defining your style or don’t quite know what works for you, I implore you to sit back and let me help you develop and train your eye to define what you really love.
Once we have established what resonates with you, we can move on to the next areas of design.
As you might already know, most of the behaviors we have as adults stem from our childhood.
I am convinced the same applies to design.
I think that our past experiences will shape the kind of style and taste we have as adults.
It might be you visited museums or visited stately homes while you were young.
It might be a family member or friend who lived at a beautiful home you never forgot.
The taste we have as adults is influenced by our childhood experiences.
For instance, I have discovered I am greatly attracted to classic designs because I was exposed to historical buildings and museums.
These elements of classical design have stuck with me from a young age and have influenced the way I look at the world and see design.
As you start your design journey, you may notice that you are focusing too heavily on those external factors.
For example, if you visited a lot of stately homes or museums, which are very rooted in the 18th century
The styles there will be very formal, and grand and you may start to develop a taste for such styles.
As the years go on and you start to hone that taste, you may find that it may alter to something you will be able to live with.
That is exactly what happened to me when I started exploring interior design.
Living With Your Design
Now that you have honed what design means to you and what you really want to live with, it is time to consider how you actually live.
What does your day involve from day to day and what is practical for everyday living?
How does it affect how your interior is going to look and feel?
You might want to have silk walls in your house but if you have toddlers running and painting on the walls every day, it is not very practical.
Who is living in the house is where to start in determining the design to come up with a harmonious design.
In addition, you should also consider your daily schedule and how you live in your home.
Following the pandemic, we have dramatically increased the amount of time we spend in our homes.
Most people are now working from home and the design should include comfortable, quiet, private, and aesthetically pleasing working spaces.
Making a diary of your daily activities is a good point to start thinking about your daily routine.
It will help you realise that how you live is interestingly different from how you think you live.
How you actually live and how you actually live is also a factor I want to highlight.
Some of the rooms in your home could probably be more functional and beneficial to you if you just changed the purpose.
A good example is the dining room.
Most people think they should have a dining room to entertain guests or have meals at.
What actually happens is they only use them occasionally and then they are shut off.
They become sad lonely rooms we only see at Christmas and maybe a few other special occasions.
So you might wonder, do you really need a room like a dining room every other day? Or could the room be used for something else?
For instance, I rarely use a small kitchen table for my meals as a more functional piece and rarely use the dining table.
I use the dining table to place books and display ornaments and objects.
The table is therefore a decorative piece giving it more function.
If you have a big dining room, that is hardly ever seen, its gathering dust, you can also turn it into an office and you can still dine there when you want.
Finding Your Budget.
It’s probably a sad fact of life but for most of us, a budget will be one of the defining factors of how far we explore design in our homes.
Once you have decided on the kind of interior design that sets your soul on fire and figured out how it will blend into your daily life, now you have to work out your maths.
As aforementioned, your budget does not have to be the most modest.
Interior design is an art and creativity counts more than extravagant spending.
The items you might need to spend more on might include your furniture and upholstery; Sofas, armchairs, footstools, and other essentials you will have to use every day.
These need to be comfortable and of good quality because of wear and tear.
You don’t want to be replacing them now and then.
Another thing I don’t think you can afford to scrimp on is textiles like rugs and fabrics.
If you buy cheap, it will be obvious, well unless you picked it at Zara.
Otherwise, a classic star rug should be allocated a considerable budget.
With that, you can be economical and get the best on your budget.
You can pick inexpensive things from online auction sites and again, design is about blending articles well.
You could just repaint these, up-cycle them, and make them look even better.
Planning a Layout
I cannot count the number of times I have picked a piece with full conviction that it would definitely fit in my design only to realise it was completely off.
Planning a layout, measuring your furniture, and figuring out if it would blend well in your space is very important when decorating any room.
The place to start is the furniture you have in the room.
If you are looking to furnish a room from scratch, and you are starting with a blank canvas, you need to determine how it will fit into your scheme.
You would be surprised how much furniture fills a room so quickly before everything you thought fit forcing you to reconsider.
Planning the layout before furnishing the room saves you so much headache, money, and time.
Whenever you are starting with a blank room, I recommend you use stickers on the floor, pieces of cutout cardboard roughly the size of the furniture, or anything to help you approximate the furniture.
Then you might want to walk around the pieces and see if it is comfortable to live with.
The trick with furniture is to always scale up; bigger always looks better than small.
Bigger furniture makes a room appear larger and feel more finished improving the overall outlook of the room.
It is also very nice to have variations of different sizes of furniture.
These ensure the eye never settles.
Everybody tends to shove their furniture up to the walls and I find this to be a big decorating mistake.
If you have enough room, think about how you can have a conversation while sitting around.
Concentrate the furniture towards the center of the room instead.
Lighting
Ah, lighting!
My favorite part of design!
Lighting is the icing and cherry on top of the interior design cake.
I could talk all day about the different forms of lighting that work together to bring out the wow effect in your house but I am convinced there is one lighting that out trumps the rest.
It doesn’t matter if you have a classic house or a contemporary design- this is the most flattering lighting.
It makes the room look beautiful, casts pools of light around the room and it is- Chandeliers!
Selecting the perfect chandelier is not just about choosing light — it’s about crafting an experience tailored to your space’s unique personality and your distinct preferences- Mr chandelier
I have seen so many beautiful houses with amazing artworks and exquisite furniture but the ambience is ruined by poor overhead lighting.
Poor lighting gives a horrific mood in a room and ruins every effort to improve the atmosphere of a room.
I would advise that the most beautiful light you can get for your home is a statement chandelier.
Note you don’t have to go overboard with this too.
Maintain the proportionality of your space and find a piece that doesn’t overwhelm your space yet acts as the centrepiece and cherry on your interior.
Key Takeaways
As we conclude this thrilling exploration of interior design, let’s reflect on the essence of creating spaces that resonate with our souls.
In a world filled with uncertainty, our homes become more than just physical structures — they become sanctuaries of comfort, expression, and inspiration.
Embrace the journey of self-discovery through design, where every choice reflects your personality, lifestyle, and aspirations.
From uncovering your unique style to navigating practical considerations and budget constraints, each step brings us closer to crafting spaces that truly feel like home.
As I bid farewell, remember that the beauty of interior design lies not only in the final aesthetic but also in the journey of transformation and self-expression.
So, let your imagination soar, your creativity flow and your heart guide you as you embark on the exciting adventure of shaping your living spaces into reflections of your innermost desires.
Here’s to a future filled with beauty, comfort, and endless inspiration within the walls of our homes.
