Showing posts with label Design. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Design. Show all posts

Design Ideas For Decorating A Small Dining Room

Your dining room is a space for family meals therefore you are looking for it to have a great interior design. But how can you make a small dining room look big on style? But if you practice these suggestions, you will realize that there are numerous methods for decorating a small dining room.

One thing you might want to do is be sure to decide on a room design that makes the most out of small spaces. One principle feature to avoid with small dining rooms is clutter due to the fact that it tends to make the room seem a great deal smaller.

Decorating

By applying a particular decorating style, you can insert furniture and accessories which will make good use of the space in your dining room. Keep in mind design themes which allow for a variety of baskets and shelving since these can be used as extra storage. Deciding on a design you really can live with, however, is imperative as this is where you will be eating lots of meals.

Design Ideas For Decorating A Small Dining Room

Another core aspect of making your dining room look sizeable is the color palette. If you always believed that you were supposed to keep your spacially challenged rooms white, then here is some wonderful news for you. If you don't want drab paint that is boring, think about having a monochromatic interior design in a muted color, or combine different colors which all produce the same intensity. For a scheme that is more colorful consider blues and greens that all have an equal intensity or if you prefer a soothing ambiance think about a monochromatic color scheme of pale blues. To add drama and depth, work on painting one wall a deep, intense tone - this gives it the impression of being further away along with adding an unusual charm. Pale colors will recede, therefore making the room seem larger and blueish gray is a great decorative paint color for a small room. But then if that sounds too colorless, don't despair cool colors like blues, greens and purples also recede so you can use your beautiful shades without making the room appear small sized.

When it comes to loading the room with furniture, keep to small-to-medium sized fittings. One means to maximize space is to use a table with leaves, in lieu of a huge dining table which will free up some room while allowing additional seating when necessary. You can also fix any monotony in the decorating approach of your dining room by mixing large with small, so though you might decide to try the small table, add into your design a large mirror or server, which not only gives some style, but also gives you the feeling that the room is more spacious than it really is.

Thinking about where you place the furniture in the room is an additional tip for decorating a small dining room. Even your dining room might add to your well being when designed with Feng Shui in mind. Easy access into a room will make it seem more spacious, so place your furniture away from the doors. If you can, steer the eye from the open door to a bigger piece like a server or mirror can help divert the eye and give the illusion of space.

Provided you decorate with some industry known suggestions decorating a small dining room is a breeze. Practicing a bit of elbow grease combined with imagination can help make even the tiniest room appear like a designer showplace.

Design Ideas For Decorating A Small Dining Room

Lee Dobbins writes for Decorate EZ where you can make decorating easy with our great home decorating tips.

Victorian Interior Design

Lots of people believe that Victorian interior design is very challenging and expensive. Nothing could be further from the truth. Creating a Victorian look is actually quite easy and can be done even on a tight budget. A Victorian interior design can be achieved by using lots of extravagant fabrics, wallpapers and tapestries. However this does not mean you will have to spend lots of money on these items. You can just use things you have lying around your house.

If you are not very familiar with the Victorian interior design style it may be a good idea to do some research before you get started. Just look at some pictures online or in interior design books and try to duplicate the look.

Interior

While it is always a good idea to let your own creativity dictate your design decisions there are some rules you should be aware of when trying to achieve a Victorian look.

o Darker shades were very popular during the Victorian period. Dark, yet rich colors were used and were never applied to all four walls.
o Fireplaces used during the Victorian era were plain and polished. Their brackets were often curved in some kind of shape. Victorian fireplaces often used white marble.
o Also typical of the Victorian style are stain glass windows. While these are very expensive to have custom made, you can have your windows stained with stain glass colors as an alternative.

While there are lots of other elements that make up the Victorian interior design style, with these basic ideas and some quick research you should be able to begin your design project.

Victorian Interior Design

For more information on Victorian interior decorating as well as lots of free home decorating ideas, visit 123HomeDecorating.com

Tips For Great Restaurant Interior Design

One of the things that we really enjoy when we get to eat outside of our
homes and eat in a restaurant is the ambiance, besides the food that they are
offering. Ambiance really plays a big part when it comes to making you enjoy
your dining experience and for some, it determines if they will be returning to
the restaurant or not.

Here are some great tips that you can take note of for a great design if you are
one of those people who are thinking of opening up a restaurant. These tips play
a big part in design and are proven to be very effective when it comes to
creating a great ambiance where people will keep coming back for more of what
your restaurant can offer.

Interior

Know This

One of the best restaurants interior design tips that you should first take note
of is knowing and understanding your target market. Just by determining what
your customers are demanding, you can instantly create a design in your mind
that will suit best suit their lifestyle. Are you going for the young urban
professionals who wear a coat and tie most of the time that will require your restaurant interior design to be more
flashy and elegant? Or are you going for the market of kids who enjoy having
quick fixes for their tummies but will like play rooms or arcades at the same
time?

Getting a feedback from your target customers will clearly help you in
formulating the best design in your mind. Chances are, once that you have
finally determined what they want and once you have implemented all those
elements in your restaurant, the higher the chances that they will, time and
time again, visit your place and spread the word that yours is one of the
greatest restaurants that they have been in.

Ask Help From The Experts

It is also important to recognize that you cannot do all the
restaurant interior design by yourself and sometimes it will be best to get help from the experts. Vision Design is one of the most reputable interior design companies in the industry and they are
specializing in designing restaurants, spas, homes, and others and have already
received numerous awards for their outstanding designs and service.

Tips For Great Restaurant Interior Design

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Famous Interior Designers and Their Styles in Interior Design - Part 1

Introduction

This series of 4 articles takes a brief but informative look at 21 of the most famous and Interior Designers, from the earliest pioneers right through to the most celebrated modern day designers.

Interior

The Pioneers of Interior Design

Jean-Henri Jansen (1854-1928)

Dutch designer, Jean-Henri Jansen, launched one of the first ever international interior design companies 'Maison Jansen' (House of Jansen) in 1880, which became renowned for designing and creating exceptionally beautiful and high quality furniture which would be utilized in a multitude of interior decoration projects. House of Jansen opened branches in 8 of the major cities of the world. Jansen worked closely with the talented interior designer Stephane Boudin whom he made director of the company. The clients of House of Jansen included Royalty and the rich and famous.

Elsie de Wolfe (1865-1950)

The first lady of interior decoration, Elsie de Wolfe considered herself an 'ugly child'. This Victorian stage actress was a rebel of her times and was credited by many to be the inventor of the modern profession of interior design, even though there were already established interior designers in her time. Elsie disliked Victorian tastes altogether, her designs were therefore generally made up of light and bright colors, contrary to the drab and gloomy Victorian décor coupled with unnecessary excesses such as heavy velvet draperies. This was a pioneering departure from the contemporary designs of the time. Elsie's influence continues to be felt in the modern world of interior design.

Ogden Codman (1863-1951)

American interior decorator and architect, Ogden Codman spent his childhood in his birthplace of Boston before heading to France in his youth for a period of time. Codman had two uncles who influenced him tremendously - architect John Hubbard and decorator Richard Ogden. Some of Ogden Codman's works include Edith Wharton's Newport home, Land's End, the Rockefeller family estate of New York client John D. Rockefeller, Jr. and the Newport summer home of Cornelius Vanderbilt II. Along with novelist Edith Wharton, Codman co-authored a guidepost of American interior design, 'The Decoration of Houses' in 1897.

Frances Elkins (1888-1953)

Born in Milwaukee, Frances Adler Elkins was one of the most prominent interior decorator and designer of the previous century. Sister of the famed Chicago architect David Adler, Elkins was known for her futuristic designs that brought together different styles and elements from various periods. They included country French styles, chinoiserie and art deco. The furnishings featured in her designs included designers such as Jean-Michel Frank and Alberto Giacometti. The career of Elkins that spanned over three decades is glittered with many high profile commissions in Hawaii, the Midwest and northern and southern California, none more interesting than the restoration of the 1830s structure, Casa Amesti in Monterrey, California.

Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959)

Frank Lloyd Wright was an interior designer and architect whose career included more than 1000 projects, 500 of them that have been complete. Wright was known for his promotion of organic architecture, an example of which is Fallingwater. The Robie House is an example of Wright's leadership of the Prairie School architectural movement, while the Rosenbaum House depicts Wright's Usonian home concept. Wright also had refreshing ideas for every kind of building, be it church, office, school, hotel or museum. Along with excellent architectural renderings, Wright also designed much of the interiors of his buildings including the Décor, layout and furniture.

Famous Interior Designers and Their Styles in Interior Design - Part 1

In Part 2 of this article - which can be accessed through the 'Article Source' link below - we take a look at the early interior designers including Fritz August Breuhaus, Stephan Bouldin, Emilio Terry and Dorothy Draper.

One of the cornerstones of many great interior designs is the choice of art. Paintings in particular are often sourced by modern designers to complement the rest of the the design scheme. The popularity of art has increased considerably in the UK over the last decade, not only the number art enthusiasts increased but also the number of artists at all levels; from hobbyists right through to professionals. For those artists, ABC Art supplies provide Blank Canvas and Canvas Boards which are durable, long lasting and suitable to be used for art produced for use as part of an interior design scheme.

Design Ideas For Decorating A Small Dining Room

Your dining room is a space for family meals therefore you are looking for it to have a great interior design. But how can you make a small dining room look big on style? But if you practice these suggestions, you will realize that there are numerous methods for decorating a small dining room.

One thing you might want to do is be sure to decide on a room design that makes the most out of small spaces. One principle feature to avoid with small dining rooms is clutter due to the fact that it tends to make the room seem a great deal smaller.

\"room Design\"

By applying a particular decorating style, you can insert furniture and accessories which will make good use of the space in your dining room. Keep in mind design themes which allow for a variety of baskets and shelving since these can be used as extra storage. Deciding on a design you really can live with, however, is imperative as this is where you will be eating lots of meals.

Another core aspect of making your dining room look sizeable is the color palette. If you always believed that you were supposed to keep your spacially challenged rooms white, then here is some wonderful news for you. If you don't want drab paint that is boring, think about having a monochromatic interior design in a muted color, or combine different colors which all produce the same intensity. For a scheme that is more colorful consider blues and greens that all have an equal intensity or if you prefer a soothing ambiance think about a monochromatic color scheme of pale blues. To add drama and depth, work on painting one wall a deep, intense tone - this gives it the impression of being further away along with adding an unusual charm. Pale colors will recede, therefore making the room seem larger and blueish gray is a great decorative paint color for a small room. But then if that sounds too colorless, don't despair cool colors like blues, greens and purples also recede so you can use your beautiful shades without making the room appear small sized.

When it comes to loading the room with furniture, keep to small-to-medium sized fittings. One means to maximize space is to use a table with leaves, in lieu of a huge dining table which will free up some room while allowing additional seating when necessary. You can also fix any monotony in the decorating approach of your dining room by mixing large with small, so though you might decide to try the small table, add into your design a large mirror or server, which not only gives some style, but also gives you the feeling that the room is more spacious than it really is.

Thinking about where you place the furniture in the room is an additional tip for decorating a small dining room. Even your dining room might add to your well being when designed with Feng Shui in mind. Easy access into a room will make it seem more spacious, so place your furniture away from the doors. If you can, steer the eye from the open door to a bigger piece like a server or mirror can help divert the eye and give the illusion of space.

Provided you decorate with some industry known suggestions decorating a small dining room is a breeze. Practicing a bit of elbow grease combined with imagination can help make even the tiniest room appear like a designer showplace.

Design Ideas For Decorating A Small Dining Room

Lee Dobbins writes for Decorate EZ where you can make decorating easy with our great home decorating tips.

Interior Design - Decorating Walls

It's sometimes hard to start redecorating your home, especially when you don't really need it, but you'd like a change. Interior design is a job for professionals, but with a little bit of imagination and some guidance you too could create an astonishing design. This is hard when there is no plan to follow. So, the first thing you should do is create a decorating plan, in which to include what you want to change, the available budget, tools you'll need, materials and the estimated time period.

Many people believe there is not much you can do on a low budget. That's more or less true. I'd prefer saying less. There are so many resources available today, plenty waiting at a click of the mouse, that you have practically no excuse not to create astonishing interior designs. You'll find online all you need, from complex mural and decorative wall paintings to ordinary wallpapers. Here are a few wall decorating ideas.

Decorating

Printed Fabrics to Replace Expensive Paintings

When all you have to enhance is a plain huge white wall, you might want to choose an extra large painting, but art doesn't come in cheap. If your budget is low, investing $ 500 - $ 700 to enliven a plain room might be too much. Are there any alternatives? Well, you could either make that painting yourself - but this will still cost a lot (large canvases are expensive; acryl or oil colors as well, plus the most costly tool of all: your time) - or you could visit a few of the local textile stores to choose a nice piece of fabric that will match the colors of your furniture or the other design patterns in the room. You'll need to choose a fabric with big prints and a special pattern, something meaningful, like a flower, leaf or butterfly; something exotic (maybe a palm tree or a colored bird) or something abstract. No matter what you choose, make sure the print goes together with the other elements of the room.

Decals Make Nice Wall Ornaments

Decals are funny in children's rooms. There are plenty of decals made especially for interior design purposes, both for walls or doors and even for furniture. You could find them in many home improvement or interior decorating shops, or online, at very low prices. The decals are great for small accents or trails around windows or doors. If you ever get tired of them, peel them off carefully and they will not cause any damage to the wall.

Latex Paints to Design Your Own Wall Patterns

You could also use latex paint to design your own wall patterns. If you do the job well, no one will ever make the difference between your work and real wallpaper. But you'll have the satisfaction of something unique, something no one else in the world has, not even those who employ skilled interior designers to do the job. If you want a regular pattern, you'll need a stencil. For your pattern to be really unique you should design your own stencil. It's fun and easy. Browse the web to find stencil tutorials for interior decorations that will guide you through the whole process step by step. Yes, this technique requires a lot of your time, but the results are worth the price.

Interior Design - Decorating Walls

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Interior Design

Design Ideas For Decorating A Small Living Room

Your living room is a space for gathering and entertaining therefore you want it to have a comfortable interior decorating theme. But what should you do when the space is really small? Fortunately, there are a lot of room design tricks you can use to make decorating a small living room easy!

First, you should pick an interior design theme which appeals to you but which will also add appeal to a tiny space. Having a good amount of clutter in the living room will make the place feel smaller so avoid decorating themes that clutter up the room.

How To Decorate And Live Well

Don't forget when you are decorating a small living room to research where you are placing the furniture. Even if some people reject the aspects of Feng Shui, the ideas behind it may still be used when placing the furniture in your living room. Unhindered access into a room is able to make it feel bigger, so put your furniture away from the doors. Moreover, if you do go with a larger piece of furniture, such as an entertainment, for example, it tends to help to veer guests attention to it therefore making the room seem larger into the bargain.

If you stick with an explicit design approach, then you can plan from the beginning on how to maximize the living rooms space. A sleek contemporary look can be best because this de-emphasizes clutter and is likely to emphasize space. Choosing a design style you really enjoy, however, is a good idea as this is going to be where you spend the majority of your time.

Small or medium sized furniture is your best bet when decorating a small living room. In place of having a large sofa, look at using a loveseat which will give the illusion of more space while still allowing guests to be comfortably seated. You ought to consider mixing some small pieces with some large items for added style, so combine your small sofa, use a large mirror or art piece- it might make the room feel sizeable in addition to adding character.

If you want to paint your living room, then the colors that you adopt will play an important role in making it feel larger. If you have always thought that you had to keep your smaller rooms white, then here is some terrific news for you. You are able to have color while still making the living room seem bigger by pairing colors that have the same intensity, or sticking to a monochromatic color scheme. So you should plan to pick all pale blue, or bright colors in orange, yellow and red. You will generally add interest and depth to a room if you paint the wall opposite the entrance an intense, deep hue. A gray-blue color is great for overall attractiveness and for also making the walls seem to recede, hence making the room feel more spacious. If gray isn't your favorite color, you could also try cool colors such as purples and blues to get the same effect.

Even if you have never tried to decorate before decorating a small living room might be easy. Making use of a little bit of elbow grease as well as unique creativity can help make even the smallest room appear like a decorator showplace.

Design Ideas For Decorating A Small Living Room

Lee Dobbins writes for Home Decorating Tips For Decor Charm where you can learn more about interior decorating and get more decorating tips for your home.

Home Bar Design Ideas - 4 Types To Choose From

There are basically two approaches in installing a home bar. The first one is of course to design it yourself and build it at home. But you also have a option of getting a custom made home bar with table that comes in 4 types and bar stools.

Whatever way you decide to go, there are four main types of bar designs that are most popular. Let's have a look at them one by one.

How To Decorate And Live Well

1) Straight type bar.

This type of home bar is normally used at the end of a room with the length spanning the width of the room. The storage of the drinks and bottles, glasses are normally under the counter table. A minimum of three bar stools can be arranged in a single row.

2) Back bar

This type of bar has a storage arrangement just like a bookshelf. There are three parts to this bar. The first one is the same as a straight bar with bottom storage with a counter. The middle portion is normally open. The third section is above the counter that stores drinks bottles and can have wooden or glass shutters. Thus type of arrangement is done for display purpose.

3) L type wet bar

As the name suggests this bar has a L shape in plan. The short side of the L is normally used to fix built-in sink for washing purpose.

4) Corner bar

This type of bar is actually just a small cabinet to store the drinks. This is used where space is an issue. Because space is an issue this type of bar uses maximum storage space available using bottom and top
cabinets.

Apart for the type of bar tables there are many factors involved in designing the perfect bar such as finishes, color schemes, lighting to create a mood. Also if you plan to install a small refrigerator in your home bar then proper electricity supply must be arranged during planning stage itself.

No matter which design style you choose, make sure to plan before you build and you will have a wonderful experience with your friends in you own home bar.

Copyright Shrinivas Vaidya

Home Bar Design Ideas - 4 Types To Choose From

Shrinivas Vaidya is the webmaster of http://www.homedesigndatabase.com Visit today to get more free home bar design tips to design a charming and motivating home office of your wildest dreams.

Bedroom Design - How to Properly Arrange a Bedroom

It may seem simple to design a bedroom, but it can be quite complex. How you arrange your bedroom furniture can influence how well you sleep at night and how guests feel when they stay with you. Learning how to properly arrange a bedroom can benefit you when arranging a child's room, a guest room and a master bedroom.

It's always a good idea to arrange your bedroom periodically. Sometimes it is not easy to rearrange, especially if you have a small room but rearranging will give you a chance to really clean every corner of that room.

How To Decorate And Live Well

Guest Room
If you have guests to stay over frequently they will appreciate the effort that you put forth in order to make them feel safe and comfortable. There is nothing that makes a guest leave faster than if they cannot feel comfortable. When you prepare your guest room you want to keep it bright and clean looking. Don't clutter the room in extra stuff you just don't know where else to put it. Guests do not always show up when scheduled. A lot of times it is done last minute. Keeping the room bright and cheerful looking will always be inviting to your guests. Arrange the bed against the wall so when your guests walk into the room the bed will be the first thing they see. But you want to avoid putting the bed under windows in the winter time. If you have a twin bed in your guest room you will only need one night stand. If you have a double to king sized bed you need to have a night stand on each side of the bed. The only thing you need on the table is a lamp and one alarm clock. The dresser should be somewhere else in the room away from the bed.

Child's Room
You don't want to put the bed under windows because a draft may come in and make your child sick so always keep the bed against the wall without windows. You need one night stand or table to place a lamp and an alarm clock beside of their bed. Shelves are very important in a child's room in order to keep their favorite toys. It's good to place shelves in every corner of their room when possible so you can display everything. If more than one child shares the room you need to invest in a divider for privacy, no matter what age they are. Include one toy chest for each child to keep their toys in. Get creative on storage containers to personalize them with your child's favorite action heroes or princess. You can buy white contact paper and cover boxes to put little things in. Your child can help you do that. Add blinds to the window for extra warmth and privacy

Master Bedroom
This room is probably the largest bedroom in your home. You want the bed to be the centerpiece in your bedroom. Put the bed against a solid wall if possible. You can place the other furniture in between windows or on short walls. Furniture like dressers, wardrobes and chairs balance the room when placed on short walls. If you have a lounge or sitting chair in your room you may want to place it in a corner as long as it is out of the walkway.

There is no reason to complicate the bedroom by adding things that are not necessary. Bedrooms should be a private place to get away from the world. Making your bedroom more personal will have a cozy and comfortable affect on you.

Bedroom Design - How to Properly Arrange a Bedroom

Add a touch of luxury to your bedroom with a real wool flokati area rug or a funky new shag rug from HouseOfAreaRugs.com

How To Design A Contemporary Living Room With An Electric Fireplace

Designing a modern living room is accessible today to more people than ever before because of the contemporary electric firebox. It is an inexpensive addition to any living space whether the room is large or small, is in a condominium, a loft, an apartment, or a single family home. Because an electric firebox comes in a variety of styles, people can choose from models that include mantel packages, electric log inserts, corner units, and wall mounted electric fireplace packages.

Regardless of space limitations, most electrical units offer the same benefits of being able to be plugged into any 120 volt electrical outlet and are safe to operate around children and pets because they are constructed of cool to the touch materials. The most reputable units are tested to make sure they meet UL standards and have an automatic shut off feature if the electric firebox becomes overheated. As an added bonus, most models can be thermostat controlled for energy efficiency and the flame effect can be operated with or without the heat being turned on.

How To Decorate And Live Well

A Wall Mount Electric Fireplace Offers Beauty And Space Saving Designs

For individuals who live in condominiums, lofts, apartments, and even single family dwellings, making wise use of available floor space is always a must. A wall mount electric fireplace is a space saving device that will bring any living room to life with traditional, classic, or modern designs that can accommodate a wide array of floor plans. There are many styles to choose from and include wall hanging units, or built-in electric models, including units with panoramic wrap-around window designs. With its patented flame technology, the realistic effects allow the viewer to have the ambiance of a real fire from any viewing angle so you can place it wherever you want it to be.

Not only is the wall mount electric fireplace a great space saving device, but it is also cost effective to operate. Individuals can enjoy the ambiance of a real fire for 3¢ per hour with flame only and about 12¢ per hour with the flame and heating element turned on. It is an eye-catching, space saving supplemental heat source that can heat the rooms that are regularly used by the entire family rather than heating the other rooms that are unoccupied for the majority of the time. Each unit provides about 5,000 BTUs per hour and uses a quiet fan to force the generated heat into the room.

A Wall Mount Electric Fireplace Helps Bring Advanced Technology Into A Home

As technology advances with wall-mounted televisions and digital picture frames, it is easy to see why wall mounted electric fireplaces have become so popular. These fireplaces enhance a more modern décor, safe floor space and provide a great "fire" experience. For individuals with advanced technological tastes, the wall mount electric fireplace has moved into the traditional hearth's technological slot. These units come in classical, traditional, and modern designs that include white brushed stainless steel, black stainless steel, and a unique wood finish that will compliment many decors. In addition to their modern appearance, they still offer the same random flame effect that a traditional fire produces, which creates an amazing illusion of the real thing and is a pleasant experience for all those who see it.

An Electric Unit For Easy Modern Living

Designing a contemporary living room involves making life easier as well as more beautiful. A wall mount electric fireplace does this with style and ease. Wall mount electric fireplace packages do not require gas fittings, masonry work, venting provisions in exterior walls, or expensive chimney installation. Many models simply hang on the wall and plug into a standard household outlet. Other units may be either partially or fully set in a wall requiring and may require hardwiring. Both allow you to sit back to enjoy the warmth and realistic flame of a fireplace.

A wall mount electric fireplace is a natural choice when one has limited space available and/or wants to add a contemporary element to their current furnishings. It requires no physical square footage of ground space and is available in a wide range of models that include hanging models, corner wall packages and built-in wall units. Furthermore, a wall mount electric fireplace can add an interesting focal point to any room. These units take up little space and are on par with other technological advancements. Yet unlike a computer, this advancement adds warmth and character to any room.

How To Design A Contemporary Living Room With An Electric Fireplace

Rick Morse is the CEO of Electric Fireplaces Direct. With a wall mount electric fireplace individuals can include the technological advancement of an electric fireplace to their home.

Interior Design: How To Handle Problem Areas

How often do you enter a room and find certain details or areas that you feel good about? Are there areas in your own home that you find nice or appealing? In interior design, these are good features of a room. There is a decorating philosophy that goes, "Accentuate the positive and eliminate the negative". By following this basic interior design philosophy you can highlight the positive or good features of the room and come up with a pleasing design scheme. Let's say you have a beautiful fire place in your living room. This is a good feature and often a fireplace is used as a focal point in interior design. The first thing you want to do is accentuate this good feature by making it the focus of attention and building a conversation area around it.

It is rather easy to notice the positive details of any given room, making the task of accentuating the positive features easier, but how do you deal with the problem areas? The interior design philosophy teaches us to eliminate the negative and when it is impossible to eliminate it, just camouflage it. Do you have any area in your home that you wish doesn't exist or is it in a particular architectural style that doesn't go with your own personal taste or does it have pillars or columns that are distracting?

How To Decorate And Live Well

Here are some possibilities of problem areas that you might have in your home and how to deal with these.

How would you deal with a wall containing a distracting column?

1. You can make it disappear by installing cabinets that will fill the spaces on either side of it. This will make the column appear as if it were part of the straight wall because it is already in line with the cabinet's face.

2. If your area is big enough and you can afford to lose some space, just simply build a new wall that runs across the face of the column.

3. The simplest and least expensive way is to paint the wall and column with one color, making the column blend into the wall and thus make it appear less obvious.

Have you come across a room with a pillar planted right in the middle? I bet you wanted to hack that pillar right off the floor. The problem with a pillar placed right in the middle of a room is that it cannot just be removed as much as we want to. This usually is essential in the structure's integrity and eliminating this is definitely not an option. How then will you deal with this kind of a problem? Although this is not a positive feature of a room, you might want to accentuate it and make it stand out. Instead of looking at it in a negative perspective, try to make it a positive feature by making it the focal point.

1. You can paint the pillar a brilliant color, especially if you are planning to have a high-tech or avant-garde room.

2. You can also use some eye-catching device or paint it in stripes to catch attention.

3. If you are planning to have a traditional room, try installing an intricately designed capital and make the pillar stand out.

4. If you have a large room, a mid-room pillar may actually give you the opportunity to divide one big room into two. The pillar could be used as a starting point of a wall that will convert one huge room into two different areas.

5. The easiest and least expensive way to camouflage a pillar is to paint it with the same color as the walls. Although this is not a very effective way to eliminate the irritating center pillar it can at least make it less obvious.

6. The best way to make a mid-room pillar disappear is to mirror it. This is very effective since the mirror will just merely reflect the rest of the room.

Having vivid mental pictures and good imaginations of how things should look like will enable you to solve your interior design dilemmas. And with some help from the interior designer's well followed philosophy, you can create the same harmonious room that often only designers can achieve.

Interior Design: How To Handle Problem Areas

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Interior Design