When it comes to the home, everyone has their own opinion. What is most important? Many factors go into designing a home, from furniture and art to flooring and countertops.
If you want to make sure your house feels like you’ve always imagined it, we’re going to look at the main pillars of design: space planning, furnishings arrangement, color schemes, and personalizing with objects that have meaning for you.
Space Planning: Know Your Home’s Bones
When designing a room, one of the first things to consider is how much space you have. Every square foot counts! The size and shape of your home will determine how much furniture it can hold, as well as which pieces will work best for making your house feel like a cozy nest. In other words, it’s best to plan your rooms before you bring in any furniture at all.
Determine the layout of your home
Think about how many rooms you already have and where they are located. Then imagine what you’d like these spaces to do for you (e.g., sleep, cook, entertain). After you have a list of all the spaces in your home, figure out how many feet each room needs to fulfill its purpose.
Polish your home’s structure
Space doesn’t only mean floor area; it also has something to do with your vertical allowance. Your roofing plays a crucial role in this. If your ceiling temperature rises and falls, the air in your home becomes stale, which prevents you from making the most of your vertical space.
Luckily, you can improve your roof’s structure by adding insulation. There are many polycarbonate sheet suppliers that you can coordinate with, so you can have the possibility of reducing heat gain and cooling air down.
Have a rough idea of what your rooms will look like
Now that you know their functions consider what furniture would work best in each space. Make sure you can fit these pieces in the room with enough space around them. If you’re still stumped, start by placing just a sofa in the room until you better know what else will work.
Arranging your Furnishings: Putting it All Together
Once you understand how much space and the layout of your home, it’s time to find furniture that’s right for you!
Start with the basics
Remember that sometimes, less is more. For example, in a small apartment or dorm room, it’s best to start with just a sofa and coffee table. From there, add in pieces little by little until you have all your must-haves in place for how your space should function.
Take advantage of the space you have
Not every piece of furniture needs to be symmetrical or take up an imposing amount of square footage. For example, if there’s a ladder in your home that serves no real purpose, consider placing it against a wall and using it as shelf space near your television. If you’re a TV junkie, you can put your electronics in a cohesive media center that still has plenty of room to store movies and games.
Plan your lighting
Don’t forget to consider the kinds of lighting you’d like in each space because this will influence what types of lights you buy (or switch out). For example, if you want bright light for reading, include nightstand lamps. If you’d rather have ambient light for watching television, aim for overhead lighting that’s either recessed or placed in the middle of the ceiling.
Color Schemes: Mixing & Matching
Now that you’re familiar with space planning and furniture arrangement, it’s time to think about how colors work well together. You may have an idea of what colors look best in certain rooms or which ones are trending in the decorating world, but for a real personalized style, take your color scheme beyond paint swatches.
Color schemes can be inspired by a favorite painting, a certain piece of clothing, or even the weather in your area. The best color schemes represent who you are and how you want to feel in your own home.
Personalized Touch: Bring in Mementos
Now that you’ve got the basics down, it’s time to personalize your home with pieces that mean something to you. A painting or collection of figurines that represents who you are or what you love will help create a space that’s truly yours. If you’re decorating a child’s room, think about what that little one loves most in the world!
Finding Inspiration: A Few Ways to Get Started
Decorating can be expensive and time-consuming. But with these simple tricks, it doesn’t have to be. Understand the basics of adding style to your home for a personalized and functional space where you can live, work and play.
