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Interior Design used to be the privelage of the elite. Your bank balance had to be large to afford to employ a Designer who could create your space. Things are very different now. With programmes like House Doctor people are becoming more and more aware of how to make the space they live in feel like their own little bit of luxury. Home Stagers are rarely qualified in Design, most have just have an eye for what looks good, so when an Interior Designer takes on both Interior Design and Home Staging then the results can be astounding.

Most Interior Designers look down on Home Staging, but that can be a costly mistake. Concept Design Studio in Maidstone have been amazed at the positive response they have received from utilising their Design Practice and incorporating Home Staging into the mix of Interior Design. Designer Saffiere says “It has been an interesting time here at Concept Design Studio, I have through Home Staging, been privileged to have helped many many clients who just need a push in the right direction, and never thought they could use the services of Interior Designer to reach their goal”

Home Staging can very easily be incorporated into the Design Practice. It takes up little of your time and can be a great assest to the business. It is remarkable how just a little bit of advice can assist a client and help them to go in the right direction.

Interior Design does not need to be so inaccessible and expensive, Interior Design should be available to everyone and the philosophy of Concept Design Studio in Maidstone is one that should be taken on by Interior Designers in the UK

Interior Design needs to move forward into this new market of ordinary people who want some advice from a professional but cannot afford to take on a whole project and all the costs involved

Much of everything we own today is due to the past, especially when it comes to architectural buildings. The city we live in, the different countries would not look the same without the contribution of the architects and the designers who have decorated the palaces, the city halls and many other important monuments that attract thousands of tourists per year.

Although they havent been made public by the mass media, there are numerous interior designers that are among the best at what they do. Their fame and reputation has determined celebrities to resort to their help in order to decorate their houses or their offices.

Nina Campbell is one of the famous interior designers at present. She was influenced in the choice of her career by her mother who often asked her to reorganize the furniture in the house. This practice contributed to the development of her aesthetic sense and now she is one of the biggest producers of interior accessories in the world.

Italians know best when it comes to fashion and interior decoration, so it shouldn’t surprise us that Mauro Lipparini is one of the world-renowned home designers. He is appreciated for the bold contrasts he creates between colorful and joyful accessories and the minimalist decor of the room. His preference for smooth lines and rounded shapes has proven once again that less is always more.

Rachel Ashwell, on the other hand, is specialized in the refurbishment of the old furniture and other accessories. The Shabby Chic style she has created presupposes the mixture of old furniture pieces with new ones. Floral motives, pastel embroidered curtains and Victorian romantic chairs are the elements that Rachel often uses to recreate her unique interior decor and for that matter, she is highly appreciated by people who want to create an oasis of peace in their homes.

The lifetime experience of these designers may turn out very useful for those who want to redecorate their houses. You can find a lot of inspiring ideas just by browsing their websites; however, you should not forget to preserve the elements that truly reflect your personality.

Basic Interior Design Principles For Everyday Use in Your Home

All of these basic principles are used every day by designers all over the world. They are all necessary and often interdependent on each other. When a room fails one or more of these concepts is at fault. Often we can walk into a room, even one we have never been in before and notice that something feels off. This can be a subconscious reaction or very obvious. If you were to use these basic principles as a template for the room, you would easily uncover the problem.

The basic interior design principles are the “tricks” all of us successful designers function with. The careful study and understanding of balance, scale, proportion, rhythm and emphasis is what makes it easy for us to walk into a room and often immediately fix a problem. It is not about taste or personality that creates good design. It is the appropriate application of these design principles.

Balance

Balance is a fundamental of life that everyone seeks, consciously or subconsciously, whether in your checkbook, relationships or home. This makes us comfortable, gives us stability, reduces stress and gives us peace. This is the most important element to achieve when creating or changing the design of a room.

For interiors balance takes into account the physical and/or psychological weight of an object. Balance is important in all facets of room design from the physical architecture to the furnishings, materials selected, and accessorizing.

There are different types of balance:

o Formal or symmetrical – This is very traditional and quiet. The focal point is often in the center. One side is the mirror image of the other. An example would be two sofas on either side of a fireplace facing one another with a large coffee table in the middle.

o Informal or asymmetrical – This is much more active but also more subtle. The focal point may not be in the middle. There is no mirror effect but the visual weights play a more important role. It could be as simple as having two completely different chairs sitting across from one sofa in the previous example.

o Radial – All elements radiate around, toward or from a focal point. There is a lot of repetition in form and color.

Scale and Proportion

Both of these relate to the size and shape of an object.

o Scale deals with the absolute size or character of an object or space when compared to other objects or spaces.

o Proportion is relative describing the ratio of one part to another.

Rhythm

o How objects relate to one another develops rhythm. This works the same way in a home as it does in a piece of music. Rhythm creates interest. It can make an area come alive. Repetition and contrast are key elements to use. A modern example of this would be a room that is mostly one color (monochromatic) and feels very harmonious and comfortable. This is achieved by using different textures and materials of this one color. The mix of textures (contrast) combined with the repetition of color provides rhythm.

Emphasis

o Certain areas or elements of a room need to be dominant or emphasized. Variety will keep an area from being monotonous and dull. The best analogy for this would be a movie. In a movie there are stars, supporting cast members and general cast members. All parts contribute to make a whole and all important to the telling of the story though some are more important / have bigger roles (emphasis) than the others. It doesn’t work if the movie is comprised of all stars, you don’t know who to watch or who is more important.

o A great way to handle this design concept is to make sure everything in your room isn’t a star or your “favorite”. Good design will be achieved when you realize you don’t have to “love” every item or element in your room. Every element has an order of importance, though all are necessary.

o You will achieve this through balancing color, placement, and proportion of items and materials you select.

o Contrasting color is one way to add emphasis to an element. To make a beautiful antique carved fireplace in a deep walnut color the focal point you would want to use a surrounding wall color that would show this off. You wouldn’t want to use a color in a similar hue or saturation because the fireplace would blend into the wall and would become its equal. For the opposite effect, if you had a really ugly nondescript fireplace you may want to make it the same color as the surrounding walls so it seems to go away.

These interior design principles are applicable in every situation regardless of home style. As you may notice none of these have anything to do with taste or money. Good interior design is the clever use and application of these design basics and can be achieved by anyone.

Interior decorating for an office is one thing most people employ an expert to do on their behalf. Frequently, an interior designer does the initial designing as well as some decorating if the building is new. Nevertheless, if the building is new and the office is designated as the individual tenant’s obligation to decorate, then that is another story.

Interior decorators can offer swatches on upholstery items, palates of paint samples along with other samples for workplace dcor as well as furnishings. They use modern furnishings, art deco, antiques, folk artwork and several other art items in order to encourage a comfortable office space unique to the actual client’s wishes. The designers provide numerous options to match the requirements of the client and try to bring the components of the area together with the decorations requested by the clients.

Interior decorators focus on things like curtains and window blinds, artwork items, buying furniture and watching for particular pieces of art that would highlight the floor space and office space generally to give visitors to the office a warm and inviting feeling. Depending what type of office space is required by the client is determined by how much furniture is going to be made available and can also help figure out what kind of furniture to purchase.

For pediatricians, for instance it might be wise to have a dedicated area for children with a TV as well as VCR or DVD player available complete with overstuffed chairs along with other comfortable furnishings. Lawyers would not require lots of various furnishings pieces spread throughout the office; actually their office furniture could even be more for elegance than for comfort simply because wait times are rarely long in an attorney’s office. A psychiatrist’s office might consist of lots of various furniture pieces but should absolutely be decorated in earth tones as well as neutral colors. Someone who is a consultant for businesses might get by with lots of primitive folk art.

Interior decorating a workplace differs from decorating a home. You do not just want to have your requirements met but you want your office personnel to feel warm and welcomed at their job and also you want the visitors to the office to feel totally welcomed by the decor plus the individuals who work at the office. Understand your clientele and know what they’ll want and what they will expect once they come into your office for a visit. Then, communicate that to the interior designer who’s taking care of decorating your office.

So you want to redecorate, you want to create a home with a personal touch, one that can always say “welcome”, ease your worries, render you happy, chill you or calm you down.

You can do it: with the right light.

Stop skimming through fancy magazines. If you don’t have the money and the skills to replicate those wonders, you’ll end up with an interior that lacks your personal touch. Instead, use your imagination. Design the interior of your home according to your special wishes.

Let’s say you like blue, but you already have some new white furniture and it makes no sense to replace it. Or maybe you just want to avoid the hassle of selling it (and get way below its value) and buying new. Whatever your reasons, you can still get the “blue” mood your desire through light: controllable light.

We are not talking dimmers. We are talking full color control options. We are talking LED lights and mood lights.

LEDs are no longer the kitschy, flashy annoying lights that were used a few years ago to catch our attention towards a new product. LEDs are no longer used solely for traffic lighting and automotive lighting. LEDs are now used in light therapy, mood lighting, accent lighting, landscape lighting, building illumination and so on. Because LEDs are economic, environmentally friendly (they do not pollute: there are no UV emissions, no IR emissions – unless built so – no noise emissions) energy saving and provide for flexibility of design, but, above all, LEDs are controllable! RGB (red, green, blue) LEDs, based on what engineers call “the three chip technology” are able to display over 16 million colors – more than human eyes can see. LEDs are wonderful and their light. beyond description!

The best part is that you can choose from thousands of LED products the one you can afford and still have exclusive, somehow unique illumination to astonish your guests and to create the right mood in your home.

For example, look for controllable LED cubes – not those you can use as ice cubes for your cocktails (yeah, that’s possible too!), but those you can use to replace your coffee table. For example, NeoNeon offers LED mood light cubes you can use as chandeliers, while My-tronic offers LED cubes in different sizes, for several uses. While Traxon is the “real deal” when it comes to mood lights, they are still a little too expensive. Many other companies offer similar products for affordable prices. You just need to browse the web and order what best fits your design expectations: LED tubes, LED stripes, LED spots, LED wall panels or, why not. LED ropes (Think Christmas! – Think safe lighting!). Just remember to search for “controllable” LED light sources.

Why? Because you want to CONTROL light, to set the light color you want: blue to relax, red to create a romantic, appealing atmosphere, green to bathe a room in the color of hope, purple, violet or pink. You want to be able to dim the light or make it brighter. You can even create the rainbow with a controllable LED light source, or any other light effect! You want a light source for the years to come, one that can look different every day.

After getting through one of the most overwhelming tasks in home painting which is choosing the right color and you thought you are finished with decision making, then comes another selection to go through. Paint finishes are what helps you achieve the texture you prefer -rich, sleek, or average and the durability that the room requires, making the result last for the longest possible time. With the right color and finish, you can turn your New York home into the ultimate haven of relaxation and beauty whether you are in Long Island, Staten Island, Brooklyn, Manhattan or Queens.

Matte Paint Finish

Also referred to as a flat finish, this does not offer any sheen when the paint has dried. The beauty of a matte finish, compared with other paint finishes, lies in its bare simplicity. Because it does not reflect light, but rather absorbs light, it is perfect in camouflaging wall imperfections such as cracks and small bumps. It serves as a great choice for painting ceilings as well as for use in low-traffic areas. As they do not wash well, it is not ideal for kid’s rooms, baths and kitchens. And even with the washable types advertised today, touching up scratches and marks may still need a bit of paint.

Eggshell Paint Finish

As the name indicates, the paint finish will give an appearance like that of an eggshell. Though of low sheen, it is among the top choices of contractors and designers in adding artwork to walls like murals. Even through repeated washings, an eggshell paint finish is able to maintain its look making it ideal for use in rooms where the need for beauty and durability to go hand in hand is a must. As it does not absorb stains and can withstand scrubbing, it is most popular in baths and kitchens.

Satin Paint Finish

Offering that smooth, velvety look that lasts a satin paint finish is most often used to paint ceilings, doors, windows and trims. Other than these, it can also be used for walls and particularly ideal for areas receiving lots o traffic. As it holds up to light scrubbing and washing, it can be used for baths, kitchens and kid’s rooms.

Semi Gloss Paint Finishes

Semi gloss paint finishes afford any interior surface a subtle sheen that is great at highlighting. Its reflective nature does not make it helpful if you are trying to cover up any flaw in the walls or imperfections in application. It is ideally used on cabinets, doors, trim and woodwork. In the old days, it was a popular choice for walkways, baths, and kitchens but today, even if it can stand the conditions, it is not as popular. 

Glossy Paint Finishes

Careful surface preparation is crucial when opting to use glossy paint finishes as its very high reflectivity makes just the littlest of blemishes magnified.  Though not a good candidate for your interior walls, this can create the most dramatic effects on your furnishings. Especially for very formal or contemporary designed rooms, your cabinets and trim can add a touch of sleekness with glossy paint finishes.

As with any job the pay scale is going to depend on how much schooling you have and how much hand on experience you have. This is a very stressful job and you are going to have to meet deadlines on time.

You are going to attend a college for two to four years depending upon if you want an associate’s degree or a bachelor’s degree. Whatever degree you decide on when you are finished it will get your foot in the door. Everyone has to start somewhere and an associate’s degree will get you a job as an assistant to an interior decorator.

Since you have been going to college for the past years you will not have experience in this field. Do not get discouraged though because you are going to get experience as you work. For the first two years you can make between $29,030 & $41,425.

As you fine tune your skills and learn the ins and outs of the job you will find the pay increases. For the next two to four years you will find yourself making between $35,072 & $47,322 yearly.

You are slowly starting to see you schooling and commitment start to pay off. By now you are probably working with people under you. Now you will start to have people coming to you and wanting to know how to do different things on the projects. By this point you have four to six years of experience and are making between $39,787 & $55,788 yearly.

If you continue to stick with this line of work and you are enjoying what you are doing your pay scale will show it. You now have six to eight years of experience under your belt and the clients might be seeking you out. Now the interior designer salary will be between $46,335 & $68,074 yearly.

Finally after eight years or more of hard work and getting your name known within the different businesses the college education is really benefiting you. Now you are making between $53,912 & $81,130 yearly. By this point you might even have your own company and be the boss.

An interior designer salary will differ in different cities. It is always best to research a company thoroughly that is offering you a job. Make sure what they are offering to pay you along with any benefits. Some companies like to offer extra bonuses to their employees when they are working hard and making the deadlines in a timely fashion.

If you like going in and totally redoing the inside of buildings and making everything match from the ceiling to the floor, then this job just might be for you. It is a fast pace job that will keep you going for many years if you love what you are doing. Always remember throughout the years to take pictures and keep them in your portfolio. You never know when a client is going to want to see exactly what it is you are capable of doing.

Are you the type of person who pays extra attention to how a room or an office is decorated? If so, you may want to consider a career as an interior designer. There is more to this job than simply knowing how to decorate a room. A professional interior designer is an individual who decorates/furnishes the inside of a room according to the regulations of federal, state and local rules. Therefore, how much training do you need?

1. An interior designer needs to have a basic training on how to read blueprints, understand flammability and toxicity standards. At the same time, to be able to properly communicate with engineers, architects, and clients. Also it is necessary to obtain a bachelors degree on a college approved by FIDER (Foundation for Interior Designer Education Research)

2. You can not be a professional interior designer without at least knowing the basics on computer management. For that reason, it will be recommended if you include CAD (computer-aided design) in your college electives.

3. Many schools offer internship programs. If your school does have an internship programs apply for one, after all it is very common to obtain a job through your contacts.

4. Every state has it own rules and regulations, therefore you must contact your state’s regulatory agency and inform yourself on all the licensing requirements you need to start working as an interior designer. You can also visit the NICDQ (National Council for Interior Designer Qualification) website where you will find a sate-by-state licensing requirements.

5. If you want to join a professional organization in order to succeed in the designing world, you must first take the NICDQ qualification exam. However, before you take the exam you must complete two years of field work, which is a requirement to receive your license.

You will meet and closely work with people of different cultures and background. You will also design the interior of a variety of places such as art galleries, boutique stores, corporate head offices, hotels, law firms, museum stores, restaurants, spas, and doctor’s offices. In fact, this career has become so popular that people are not only seeking a designer to decorate a home or office, many people are also looking for designers to decorate the interior of yachts!

Although the training required is not as easy as obtaining a bachelors degree, there are several benefits unique to interior design. These include but are not limited to, having a well paid professional job, freedom, fun, interesting and the ability to meet many different kinds of people. By becoming an interior designer you will be apple to make all your creativity a reality for people to see and appreciate.

Interior Design Career – Should You Go For Design Firms Or Self Employment?

The interior design career is a very exciting career. But if you decide to join this industry, it is better to know some of the important features of this industry. This will help you to know the pros and cons as also help you to get an idea of the kind of work that is needed to succeed in this field.

In 2006, there were around 72,000 interior designers in the United States. Between 2006 and 2016, there has been stipulated to be a 19% growth in the field. To be successful in the interior design career, you need to be highly competitive and have organization and artistic skills.

Two things that are very important in this field are experience and education. There is a lot of creativity, flexibility and variety in the profession. This profession requires a lot of challenges and there is no particular way to approach in this profession. This is one profession where you can customize your approach to suit your needs. But there are a few important things that you need to consider in this field.

Do you want to go for design firms or be self employed? The U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that there a marked 26% of interior designers are self employed. Both kinds of jobs have some benefits and some disadvantages. There are some ways in which you can find out which kind of job suits you best.

Work Hours

When you work for a small firm or are self employed, work hours will vary widely. This means that you will be able to adjust your work hours according to your needs. But if you start your career with a job at a big design firm, then the work hours will be more strong and predictable. So if you like flexible work set up, and then you should go for self employment. But if you prefer the regularity and predictability of a set up work schedule, then you should go for design firms.

Environment

An interior design career needs opportunities. Needless to say, the opportunities are more in a large design firm. Both in terms of clients as well as equipments, you can hone your skills much better in a large design firm. The work environment is more comfortable. The equipments are more modern.

Specialists and other firms have good contacts with large design firms. This means that the ways for your opportunity are many. So if you are beginning an interior design career, most of the time it is better to go with big design firms than to open own business.

Clients

This is a very important aspect of interior design career. The main stay of the interior design career is to have clients. Now in a big design firm, you might not have the right to choose which clients to take and which to turn down. You can do this if you have your own firm. But the problem there is that unless your firm becomes reputed, you might have problems in getting clients. Getting clients is the main focus of design companies.

Interior Decorating – How to Know If a Sectional Sofa is Right For Your Room Design

To sectional or NOT to sectional… THAT is the question. When I first started in interior design, I was pretty well convinced that sectionals were the devil – bulky, awkward, lumpy… generally unredeemable. Well, a lot has changed in the intervening years, including sectionals. They can now be just as sleek or as elegant as any other frame, but my experience has been that many people choose them for the wrong reasons, in the wrong rooms. The fact is, not every room is right for a sectional. In fact, rooms that SHOULD have a sectional are in the minority.

Fact: Sectionals create a large block of continuous seating.

Fiction: This is a good idea for people who like to entertain.

Nothing could be less true. Let’s say you have a sectional with 5 cushions and a corner. You may think you are buying seating for 6, right? Wrong. You’ve maybe got seating for 3 or 4. People just don’t like to sit that close to each other – especially people who don’t know one another very well. Furthermore, many sectionals tend to be quite deep, so it can be hard to hold grown-up conversation when you are forced into a lounging position. It is also challenging to position tables in such a way that everyone on the sectional has convenient access to one, and that’s a problem when you’re entertaining, since your guests are probably holding drinks, if not also appetizers.

Further, it’s important to realize that by placing a sectional in a space, you are essentially creating a room within a room. It is going to create barriers to entrance (both physically and psychologically). This is not always a bad thing, as when you are trying to create a cozy atmosphere, when you want to section off an overly large space, or when you have a room with awkwardly placed fixtures, but I see them used badly so often, my rule of thumb is to assume it’s a bad idea until you can prove it’s not!

So what are sectionals good for? Sectionals are GREAT for family lounging. If you are looking for a space you can gather with your loved ones and really sprawl out to watch TV or play games, the sectional is your answer. (Although that still doesn’t necessarily make it a good fit for your room!) They can also be the perfect solution for rooms with awkward layouts, where there are multiple focal points, or the focal point is oddly placed.

Bottom line: If you are considering purchasing a sectional, consult a professional. Even low priced sectionals will usually cost you upwards of $1,000, with the majority more likely falling between $4,000 – $6,000, and upper end pieces well over $10,000. At OnlineHomeDecorating.com, we have room designs with, and without sectionals. Our team of professional decorators has carefully crafted each room to be complete, comfortable, and functional, so that no matter what type of seating you decide on, you know you will have everything you need to create your perfect new space!