Interior Design for Couples

Interior design for couples is one of the hottest, most popular types of design these days. In the past, men have not taken the initiative to actually be involved in the interior design of their homes, often resulting in very female orientated, elegant designs that are beautiful although not exactly appealing to the Saturday afternoon football crew. This type of design is often beautiful and can be ideal in certain situations. Although, more and more men today are interested in helping to decide what their home looks like on the inside!

Beware! Interior design for couples can put you (the designer) into a bit of a hot seat in the battle of the sexes. Here are a few tips on how to avoid disaster. First of all, always communicate with and listen to what both parties involved envision as being their dream space. Many times one party or the other will be much more dominate in the planning and conversations then the other. Take note of this and pay special attention to the quiet party by asking the questions and making sure to offer them the opportunity to express themselves. In this aspect of interior design for couples, you are the mediator. Take both sides into careful consideration before doing any planning.

During planning stages, again, be sure to include both parties in the process and if one person is noticeably quiet during the conversation, don’t be shy to point things out that might be important to them. This way, you tend to buffer any arguments or resentment that may arise from your interjection of a neutral opinion or thoughts. If there are any problems, remind them both that your vision is to create a space that is pleasant and acceptable to both of them and that interior design for couples can be unpleasant but it is very easy to work within both person’s boundaries in order to ensure that everyone is happy with the outcome.

If you see certain situations that you, as a designer can find ways to compromise in order to fit things into both peoples’ expectations this is key. Also, stress to both parties involved that a little give and a little take is vital when discussing and planning interior design for couples and that while they won’t always reach the same conclusion, if they both make some trade offs it will create an environment they are both comfortable in.

If all else fails, encourage both people when making references to certain aspects of one another’s design ideas that they are good ideas that can be compatible with the other’s thoughts. Whenever dealing with interior design for couples, a certain ‘he says, she says’ attitude is likely to arise at some point and it is your job as the designer to see that things work out smoothly and in the best interest of both people.

Color and furniture are normally the main items that are disagreed upon in interior design for couples. Suggest to the female counterpart that the leather sofa her husband is interested in can be a very classic and comfortable edition to any living space. Explain to her husband that the peach color she is looking for can actually be considered a light beige. You would be surprised what miracles a little bit of convincing can do when carried out in the right manner.

If neither party is willing to compromise, I have seen for instances when the designer actually had both of the couple write down their design needs/wants and do a point by point comparison/bargaining session that allowed each person an equal amount of yes and nos. Sound ridiculously childish? Be prepared!

Cheap Interior Design Ideas

Cheap interior design ideas come in many forms these days. From television shows to magazines, the industry is trying to teach the consumer how to design cheap. In the past, ideas such as cheap design shows would have left most interior designers horrified. The industry of interior design has changed dramatically over the past few years in order to better accommodate consumers. In it’s early to mid stages of evolution, interior design was an industry of prestige. Now, due to the demand for cost-cutting design for the average customer, designing on a budget and cheap interior design has become a topic of much interest and acceptance. Of course, you will always find the designers who absolutely insist that durability and style of a design is identifiable with the name brand associated with the contents therein, which relates back to the price tag. Most everyday people do not relate to this line of thinking therefore it has become increasingly unpopular within the normal ranks of the professionals in the industry.

A secret tool to marvelous rooms created using cheap interior design ideas is good decision making. By purchasing some slightly more expensive key items in a room’s furniture and cost-cutting on the smaller items or accessories you can save big bucks and still achieve the same look that is achieved in other more expensive, name brand rooms. The first question that pops into your mind here is likely to be, alright, simple concept, now where do I buy the bargain items?

Easily answered! Your hunt for cheap interior design ideas and items can begin successfully at any bargain-type store. The stores and availability of items in these stores will vary according to your location. Many times, there are locally known ‘bargain bins’ or stores at which you can by slightly-damaged or used items at a fraction of the cost associated with similar store bought items. When buying at these stores, be careful not to overspend. Many of us have a tenancy to get overly enthused and purchase items that are not good bargains or ones that we are not very likely to use. Save your money for where it counts. If you bargain shop for long enough, you will find the perfect items that fit into your lifestyle and space, just waiting for you to purchase!

Some accessories are easier to find bargains on then others. If you search and search for a certain item and are unable to find it, try to improvise or select another similar item to take its’ place. Cheap interior design ideas are abundant to the creative thinker who is willing to overcome obstacles with unusual, cheap solutions. Keep your mind open to all possibilities and applications of furniture…a pulled-together solution adds style and a conversation piece to any room.

Other places you can find cheap interior design ideas are yard sales, estate sales, and flea markets. Remember again when shopping in areas such as this that it is easy to get caught up in the moment and overspend. Take your time and comb the items carefully for objects of value. Many times in these type of sales the physically larger items tend to sell for more then cost value and the smaller valuable items are looked over in haste. Cheap interior design ideas are not limited to large items! If you find a good deal on an accessory or such, especially If it is part of a group or collection of items, buy it and use it to accentuate your other items.

Cheap interior design ideas are easy to find these days, you just have to know the right places to look and the right items to purchase. Time is the essential element in designing cheaply. Patience pays off in most any situation, including interior design!

Interior Design for New Homes

When decorating or making decorating decisions for new homes, it is important to remember that your major decisions could affect decorating choices for quite a long period of time. Commitment to bold or unusual color treatments before you have actually had the opportunity to consider how such changes will coordinate with your furniture placement is not very advisable in this type of situation. In any case, the best advice you could receive while planning interior design for new homes is to make mediocre, undramatic design choices to begin that you can alter at a later time if you choose to do so.

This may seem like very unusual advice concerning interior design for new homes especially coming from someone who is working within the design industry—but there is good explanation for this reasoning. A large, open space without viewing or visualizing any furniture content within that space is quite easy to get a little carried away with while making structural changes. Also, keep in mind that by using very bold or dramatic designer interior colors on the walls you might be closing off your future alternative color choices to those that will cover the bright color therefore eliminating any possibility of using neutral colors without major restructuring of wall surfaces.

Wallpaper is another such choice that you might reconsider using while building interior design for new homes. Again, removing wallpaper and resurfacing the surface is often times quite a headache that can be avoided by using other alternatives for creative wall finishing. A great alternative for wallpaper that adds a great texture to the wall surfaces would be a finishing technique such as faux finishing, sponging, or stenciling. These choices (and many more like them) offer you a variety of substitutes that are equally appealing and much easier to change then more permanent solutions such as wallpaper. If you absolutely must have wallpaper in any of the rooms, try using a border to achieve the look you’re going for instead of covering the entire wall surface.

When painting walls, if you apply a few well known interior design tips and tricks to your method, you will be pleasantly surprised in the overall effects when complete. For example, brighten up small or dark rooms with light wall colors. Add character and direction to larger areas by defining them with contrasting colors and textures. Bold or stark color panels can also provide a defining feature to an area that you can showcase wall pieces on when you are ready to accessorize.

Once the walls have been treated in your new home, the next item on the agenda while planning interior design for new homes would be dynamic placement of your hanging accessories such as mirrors, pictures, and art. Do not over clutter walls. Make good choices and place such items in key places by establishing focal points or presentation areas that will flatter the rest of your design.

Interior design for new homes can be a tricky process. There is a good possibility that the area pertained in your new home will be slightly larger or smaller then the space in your previous home. It is this reason that planning placement and theme of each space in your new home is so vitally important to successful interior design of new homes. Be sure to measure widths of furniture and doorways before moving day comes in order to avoid hassle while getting the furniture into your new living space. Take careful notice of any moving activity that occurs into and around your new home. Careless moving errors can disfigure floors and walls and create flaws in your new house before you have even begun living there.

Placement of furniture in new homes is one of the key aspects of unique interior design for new homes. The old philosophy of creating larger spaces (this is seen especially in living areas and rec rooms) by lining the furniture along the walls is true at times although at other times (again, especially in recreational-type rooms), dividing the room into two separate spaces by positioning furniture towards separate focal points therefore adding space and versatility to the area as well as enlarging it.

The most important matter of concern when designing or planning interior design for new homes is to build an environment that caters to the individuals living there. Creating a space that is accommodating to each person’s lifestyles is the general principle of new home design.