Interior Design Ideas
Interior design is an exceptionally self-orientated philosophy. There may be something you have seen in a hotel reception, a restaurant, a new development show-house or even a friend's home, that you found impressive; but could you live with it in your own home? Only by identifying your own unique style and preferences can you hope to create an interior that will stand the test of time. It should be relaxing and meet the demands of your lifestyle, routines, finances and desires.
Design flair is an attribute we all posses, though many lack the confidence to employ it. Some prefer to adopt other people's ideas and judgements, rather than risk producing an original interior that might otherwise attract criticism. Having faith in your own vision is half the battle. The remainder is 'seeing it through' to completion without resorting to compromise or being influenced by narrow-minded and negative comments received along the way. Having the courage to complete the décor and layout within the bounds of an original concept will always produce something unique and inspiring; and if you then feel it truly hasn't worked, you can always alter or modify it.
Interior design inevitably involves adapting existing elements and materials to suit a particular theme. It is not just the individual fabrics, patterns, textiles, soft furnishings and colours that matter: it is when they are presented in a certain way that the final vision is revealed.
Basic Themes
Themes are as good a starting point as any, when trying to focus on a particular style. They involve a broad range and can be used throughout an entire home or just for specific rooms. Themes can also be employed in a methodical and precise manner or they can be softened, expanded or combined to produce a more subtle and 'homely' interior. A theme is essentially a framework on which you can build the rest of the design elements. It is the foundation, a blueprint or template you can mould and customise, according to need. Whilst the following represent a small selection of the vast range of recognised themes, you could invent numerous others by using your imagination and life experiences.
Cutting Edge
'Cutting-edge' themes are amongst the most impressive and spectacular because they are up-to-date with current interior fashion trends. They embrace styles of furniture and materials that are 'in-vogue' and, albeit for a short period of time, reflect colours and textures seen in all the best glossy magazines. The problem is, by their very nature, these elements go out of fashion as quickly as they come in, resulting in a home that requires completely refitting or one resigned to reflecting a period that has passed.
Typical examples include sculptured and patterned ceilings, which are now being plastered over; luminescent coloured walls, now being painted white; vast open plan living spaces that have since been found too difficult to heat and keep tidy; laminated timber flooring that many are now converting to solid timber; bleached furniture, which has now given way to natural wood alternatives. In decades gone by the same was true for woodchip wallpapers, hardboard panelled doors, teak dining suites and dado-rails: all fads of their time whose existence today depict a bygone age. This is the cost of being in the spotlight, at the time.
The 'cutting-edge' approach is often best applied to individual rooms, because it reduces the medium-term expense of renewal and replacement. Bear in mind that most trends last less than five years, so you will need to budget for a new kitchen, bathroom, dining room or living room at the end of this period, if you want to maintain the theme. If you leave it long enough, of course, the theme will graduate from 'cutting-edge' to 'retrospective', without you lifting a finger or spending anything to produce it.
Minimalist
The 'minimalist' style involves clean lines, simple decor and the least volume of furnishing you can reasonably expect to live with. It produces what is perhaps the most tranquil of settings, but often the most difficult to maintain. Minimalism demands an avoidance of clutter and a preponderance of white or plainly coloured unpatterned walls. It is the very simplicity of design that produces the theme.
The advantage is that a single object or item of furnishing can become the focal point, and changing this main element and anything associated with it can produce an entirely different mood. For example, a mainly white living space might have a large brightly coloured abstract print hanging on one of its walls. The colours could also be reflected in one or more of the other elements in the room, such as a rug or the curtain fabric. By changing just these two items, the character of the entire space will transform into something completely different.
Minimalism is very straightforward and economical to create and, with sufficient discipline, it is easily sustained and renewed.
Industrial
This theme relies on mat or polished metal and metallic colours as the main elements. It produces a harsh and rather cold interior best suited to kitchens and bathrooms. The 'industrial' look can be applied to big open rooms, where imagination and inventiveness can transform ordinary living space into virtual factory floors. In smaller rooms, the reflective qualities of polished metal furnishings and fittings can help expand the space, producing an illusion that the room is bigger than it really is.
Gothic
Darkly atmospheric, the 'Gothic' theme comes into its own at night when candles cast shimmering light and shadows across richly coloured and patterned walls. Pointed arched mirrors, chunky oak furnishings and heavy fabrics combine to create an almost ecclesiastically relaxing interior, ideal for entertaining and dining. This theme has been successfully reinvented in recent years and modern versions include the use of glass tables and stone artwork to further augment the feeling of age and simplicity. Creating the impression of height is important because, traditionally, the architecture would have involved tall columns and very high ceilings. This can be achieved by using straight vertical lines in wall coverings and fabrics, and by positioning columnar-shaped objects around the room.
Continental
These themes rely on selecting colours, materials, fabrics and styles from other countries and cultures around the world. Rather than mimicking them entirely, success depends on choosing certain design elements and incorporating them into the space available. Typical examples include schemes using the rich cobalt blue and contrasting white found throughout the Mediterranean or heavily patterned tapestries and mosaics from the Far East .
Period
'Period' styles are amongst the most difficult themes to create, because their success depends on keeping all objects, patterns, fittings and furnishings within a historically accurate design setting, but not at the cost of comfort and convenience. The difficulty here is more often one of combining incongruous elements. For example, it is relatively easy to acquire quality Edwardian reproduction furniture and fabrics, but how will the television set, computer, hi-fi or compact-disc player look when placed within this design?
'Period' themes must inevitably be a compromise of the old and the new for sheer practicality, otherwise you may find yourself living in a stale museum setting, rather than a home. There are many styles to choose from and all can be adapted to suit any modem living space.
