Interior Design Trends For 2011
A new year has come and new trends are being set fast in all areas of our lives. A good way to start the new year afresh and with a new burst of energy is to change your interior design, but be careful as there are new rules for this year.
In 2011 trends in interior design will pay more attention to family and will show a high interest for preservation and ‘vintage’, as one of the first priorities will be saving money.
The present economic situation will make many of us become nostalgic about the old days. The so called “old colours” to remind us of the past will be among the most wanted design trends of this year. The earthy brown, the lime green or navy blue will find themselves both in it for colour, as well as trends in fabrics. What will fuel trends in 2011 will be the interest in ‘greening up’. Through the reuse of furniture by restoration, not only will you be saving money but you will also have a good feeling that you have contributed to protecting the environment.
This year even in interior design the attention will be headed for the origins. Because of human desire to relive the past, designers think that interest will be devoted to the origins of existence, so everybody will seek forms and colours with a global influence. African tribal grounds, or symbols of early Amerindians people will be used a lot, many geometric figures. For them to go well together vibrant colours should be used, but at the same time modest ones, as golden reflections with musk, tomato or oceanic blue.
As people will turn their attention to origins, they realise that the most important thing in life is not money. The economic crises will only give them the desire to simplify their lives. Various shades of grey and white will be the most neutral colours used this year; the grey will be used in a lots of combinations with other colours, as well as various shades of yellow, to bring a smudge of colour. You can also create sophisticated combinations, using glass, crystal or even gold or steel. These accessories must be illuminated by various sources, so as to create glow in the room.
One detail that you can’t forget are the colours and what they symbolise – as they must denote hope and optimism. Spring in nature symbolises birth and the colours of spring bring hope. Violet, orange mandarin, yellow and green may be used on fabrics. The floral motives with a retro aspect will still be appreciated, as more and more accessories for the interior design combine these colours.
Even if you can’t change your furniture every year, there are a few rules to be followed in the interior design or suggestions that you can take into account in a new round of shopping: vintage, etno, Scandinavian, home office, outdoor – indoor are only some of this year’s design trends. We’re still looking for a comfortable warmth in our homes, privacy but without forgetting the wide open spaces and bright, minimalistics lines.
Vintage : old restored furniture, romantic lines, complicated pieces of massive wood, decorative pieces to remind you of old times. This, a style loved by women, vintage pieces means more than ‘old’, it’s treasuring pieces from past generations, grandparents and great grandparents. Vintage style, both in clothes and furniture, involves pieces whose value and quality has remained untouched in time. But make sure that the vintage pieces you have or that you want to buy fit the style of your entire home.
Etno – heat, fireplace, the smell of spices – this is what this trend inspires. Regarding the interior decoration this trend is guided by the aesthetic “coloured” Orient: from India, Morocco, Central Asia, China, Russia. Explosion of colour, both on a white background and strong different contrasts: red, orange, yellow. However, if you aren’t a supporter of this etno style throughout, pick out a few items: coloured carpets, a lot of wood, natural shades and dim light to get the effect.
Outdoor – Indoor is a new, catchy trend for this year, that you will fall in love with if you are an outdoor person. From the desire of an intimate, warm area, one of trends imposed this year is bringing parts of outside, inside for those who would normally sit on the terrace or garden, bring the ambiance into the living- room. So you bring the ratan deep chairs, low, bamboo coffee tables and bulky, large plants inside. For a special effect allow light to enter by the large windows.
A new trend for this year is the chill Scandinavia. Surely we all love the minimalistic look with white pieces of furniture, romantic lines, that are extremely functional. This is more than a trend, it’s a way of living. Choose white furniture , walls painted white with colorful accessories thrown in; coloured pillows, nude soft carpet, boxes of different sizes, so you have somewhere to keep your magazines and DVDs.
Now that you have all the new trends, choose the one that best suits you, start this year with a new life in your own home!
Mediterranean Interior Design Spells Warmth
The hardware tends to be heavy and often burnished, and the florals and greenery abundant in Mediterranean interior design. Walls are usually textured and the delightful and colorful mosaic tiles are often used as flooring or as backsplashes. That same mosaic pattern can be stenciled on the flooring, walls or furniture. The furniture influence is a combination of Spanish, Greek, Italian and French Country. Furniture may range in style from an informal simple look, to a very formal effect. Because Mediterranean interior design is a soothing, comfortable style of interior design, it comes as no surprise that it is one of the more popular styles today.
Your Own Decorating Project
Many people who have visited the Mediterranean, have fallen in love with the region. It’s not difficult then to bring a little of the Mediterranean interior design back home with you. With this style being so prominent in the design world today, it is a simple job to find accessories, furniture, paint and fabric to help you achieve this look. While it may prove a challenge to mimic the textured walls of a Mediterranean home, with the paint colors available today, there is no reason why you cannot achieve a Mediterranean interior design feel in your living room.
To succeed with this theme in your own home, begin with the paint choices. Depending on the size of your room, you may want to choose a rich terra-cotta color. If this is too dark, go with a golden yellow or perhaps a French blue. After deciding on wall color, the next step is furniture arrangement. Will the sofa stay or go? Usually, it stays. That means the search is on for the perfect fabric. After furniture and fabric is decided upon, look for accent pieces, such as tables and lamps. Coffee tables with black wrought iron legs will work perfectly and matching table lamps can go well together.
Do not omit functionality when choosing the lighting and placing the furniture. If mosaic tiles are out of your price range, consider stenciling a mosaic design on the fireplace or on the walls around door openings. Having a touch of the mosaic tiles in your room will help to achieve your Mediterranean interior design look. Try using a beautiful flower arrangement to pull together all of the colors in the room and add plenty of greenery to finish your mediterranean interior design look. It really is not a difficult task to complete. If a new upholstery project is not in your budget; let the paint and accessories do the work for you. Mediterranean interior design is a beautiful, relaxing style and fairly easy to accomplish if you have the time and the patience.
The Best Interior Design Schools Are Increasingly Competitive
Interior Design is a popular career choice for many people. Many of these people enroll in a design school or program within a university in order to prepare for these careers in interior design.
FIDER, the Foundation for Interior Design Education Research, is the national accrediting board for interior design programs in colleges and universities in North America. There are more than 130 member schools that have been accredited by FIDER since its inception. For an aspiring interior designer, FIDER accredited listings are a perfect reference for help in your decision about schools to which you are interested in applying. FIDER sets the standards that the design schools held accountable to, and insures instruction at the accredited schools maintain their classes according to these standards.
Interior design, as interior designers will tell you, is not the same as interior decorating. Although there are many creative and decorative elements to the interior designer’s job, most of their work is focused on the actual buildings themselves, from the height of the walls, the materials for floors, position of stairs, location of windows, whatever a room needs to become an inside space, an interior designer may have a hand in it.
Many students do not realize the technical and engineering side to the craft when they enroll, and things are often more difficult than they had foreseen. However, a successful interior designer must master many elements in order to truly create a well-designed beautiful space. Courses in an interior design program will contain many area specific themes, such as color theory, as well as business ethics, in order to make sure a designer that comes out of their program is well rounded and knowledgeable in all areas of business, not only design business. Design schools also require course be taken in a specific order, like four year universities, so that completion of specific levels will enable a student to successfully move up to the next level.
These design programs are becoming increasingly and incredibly popular. Hundreds of design students may find themselves vying for a very small number of open slots at many of the premier programs. Many students also find that their portfolios are more important than particular grades, and creativity is often rewarded more than in many schools
Many believe that the popularity of DIY and home design television shows of all types of themes has created the boom in interior design’s popularity. Many people have been exposed to a whole new world through these shows and are eager to try their hand.
Of course the best method to increase your chances for acceptance is to send out multiple applications. There are many students applying, but there are also many schools to choose from, so if you would like to become a designer, do your research and get to work on those applications!
Want to Be a Home Interior Designer? Follow These Simple
Want to Be a Home Interior Designer? Follow These Simple Tips!
Having good ability in creating pretty rooms is not the only key to become an interior designer. This profession needs well education with architecture knowledge and safety. You should also have an eye for good design. He should also be able to manage custom orders, craftspersons, as well as customer service.
Furthermore, This career opportunity should be talented and creative individuals. If you are interested in this career, there are some ways you can do. Here are some guidelines on how to be a home interior designer.
Since this career needs well education, you have to attend the school which is recommended by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation. To become a professional of home design, you should have an associate’s degree, bachelor’s degree is highly preferred. It is one of the important factors in addition to experience.
The second thing you have to is to learn additional software program which can support this career opportunity. The programs which you will highly need include AutoDesk and AutoCAD. Both of them are very essential in illustration purposes, plotting, and enhancing the salary prospects.
Join an internship program at reputable interior design firm, architecture firm, and furniture shop. This internship is very essential for your future career. If you want to join the National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ) test, you should have at least two years of schooling, six years of work experience, and four years of work experience or four years in a [CIDA] accredited colleges or university along with to years work experience.
Then, you have to secure licensing. If you have passed a qualifying exam, you will be granted the title of Registered, Licensed Interior Designer, or Certified, depending on the state. If you have got this title, you can practice home design and pass licensing fee. In some states, you have to continue education to keep the licensing. Then, register with job portals and react to classified ads for employment leads.
Tuscan Interior Design – Reasons for Decorating Within This Style
Tuscan Interior Design – Reasons for Decorating Within This Style
If you ever feel like redecorating with specific Italian interior design elements, then go for Tuscan interior design, as it genuinely describes the Italian atmosphere. Writer Irving Stone described Tuscany, the originating province of this decorating style, as “the most beautiful garden of Italy”, whose scents, colors, fields and hills had inspired so many artists.
Nature’s amenities were used as valuable inspiratory sources and elements like stone, wood and iron became trade marks for this decorating palette. One of the many reasons for choosing this style over others is that the interior spaces are extremely welcoming and cozy, being bathed in natural sunlight and heat throughout the entire day. A rustic simplicity draws a familiar touch, combining comfortable pieces of furniture with natural colors and design elements.
Nothing sophisticated should be done within your home redecoration process. Remember that this style had been conceived for the purpose of retreating from the urban tiring life and thus the interior redesign should help you shape your own relaxation oasis.
Another reason that is worth mentioning is that you can enjoy the nature’s beauty by making use of natural materials. Stone walls, marble floors, wrought iron accessories, stucco wall decorations are elements that will define your Tuscan interior. If you care for intimacy, use drapes made of transparent fabrics, in order to enable natural light to invade your room.
The color palette is nature inspired, having tones such as ginger, ochre, green, blue and yellow. A Tuscan interior should embed elements like wide wooden boards for the flooring, stone slabs, colored bricks or ceramic tiles. The furnishing is straight and simple, having accent elements like terracotta slabs, wrought iron and marble accessories.
Remodeling kitchens should take account of the fact that a genuine Tuscan cooking area is all about food, wine and natural elements and this is yet another argument in favor of this style. Therefore, place a long wooden family table, cabinets and shelves for wine bottles, glass jars filled with pasta and olives and don’t forget flower vases. Emphasize the rustic atmosphere with fruit hampers, garlic and pepper ropes, hanging grapes and add color with majolica dishes.
Redecorating your home with Tuscan specific elements is an experience that is both challenging and entertaining. If you remember the basic rule of bringing nature into your home by using stone, wood, water and specific colors, the outcome will be an authentic warm and peaceful Tuscan interior design for your home.
Modern Interior Design
As an interior designer, you must stay on top of all the modern trends. Once you leave school, you will need to do this on your own. Modern interior design can be fun and quite expensive. Interior Designers know the tips and tricks to keep expenses down without compromising the quality and creativity of the design.
Interior Designers know the best places to buy furniture, window treatments, blinds and artwork to compliment modern interior design. They also know the where to get the best accessories, nicest plants plus flooring and anything else needed. Many of these resources are obtained online. Interior Designers have access to the latest design software so that they can plan virtual designs and layouts of your living spaces. If you are planning to do your own modern interior design then there are plenty of resources available to you on the internet. There are many articles on the subject, which can easily be found using your favorite search engine. Your local library may carry the latest books on do it yourself interior design.
If you are planning to do your own modern interior design then you have to have a plan just like the professionals. You need to know what you have to purchase, how much it will cost and where you can actually find it. There is a lot of planning involved and you do not want to get started only to realize there is no way you can finish because you have run out of money.
Professional Interior Designers use the latest interior design software to plan a virtual design. This software can be very expensive for the average do-it-yourselfer. However, some relatively inexpensive programs will the same thing just not without all the bells and whistles.
Some tips offered by Professional Interior Designers for modern interior design include having from three to five sources of light in a room. Besides your general lighting, a room needs decorative and accent lighting. Lighting adds mood and atmosphere to a room.
In the past, most modern interior design was found in offices; now more and more homes are employing the styles of modern interior design. Some concepts are considered to clinical or sterile for homes, which is something you do not want and is a common mistake of someone who does not have the experience of a professional interior designer. Keep this in mind if you plan to do the work yourself.
Artwork can add personality to a room. If Art is too expensive for you then there are other ways to decorate your walls. If you have any photos or know of someone who takes many photos then they can make a great addition to your walls without costing anything.
You do not have to be a professional interior designer to decorate your home with modern interior design. However, if you are willing to spend the money on a professional, you can bet that it will be worth it.
Interior Decorating DIY
Interior decorating? You can do it yourself. This is not rocket science. With some thought and planning you can achieve professional-looking results. The number one and most important thing to understand is that you can create a magnificent and well-designed interior no matter what your budget. You can improve the ambience of any room in your home without spending a fortune. Interior decorating DIY is easily accomplished even when you have little or no money to spend. Sometimes, it involves simply rearranging the items and objects in your home.
With that in mind, you MUST set a budget when decorating, or you WILL spend too much money. Interior decorating is fun! In order to set an appropriate budget, review both your finances and your vision, room-by-room, in order to arrive at your best guesstimate. If you need assistance with establishing a budget for your interior decorating ideas, there are many resources available on the Internet. Or, you may want to refer to the resource listed at the end of this article. After you create your budget, stick to it and you will create the home of your dreams.
You do not need any experience as an interior decorator to improve the look and feel of your home. Most people know instinctively how to improve the looks of their homes. And the great thing is you can generally achieve your vision while working within your budget. Like most people who have tried interior decorating DIY, you will probably be able to achieve the look you want without going broke.
In addition to the sheer fun and excitement of changing the look of some rooms, you will inexpensively increase the value of your home. Simply find an interior decorating guide on the Internet or in your library. Then use the simple tools and techniques suggested in the interior decorating guide to create a happier more prosperous living environment. You do not have to spend a lot of money to create a superior interior for your home. Some of the most beautiful homes are designed and decorated with simple, practical, and beautiful objects. If you already have an interior decorating idea, a simple online search should produce a variety of suggestions for implementing your idea.
Most of the tips, strategies and tools provided in interior decorating guides are for people interested in decorating rooms without spending a fortune. Some decorating tips cost nothing to implement and some require several hundred dollars. Pick out the tips that align with your budget and you will find it easier than you ever imagined to design the interior of your home easily and completely.
Everyone has a different interior decorating idea. The steps outlined in an interior decorating guide apply whether you live in an apartment or duplex, small home or large home, office, or anywhere with a room that requires a make-over. Read your guide thoroughly so you can create a realistic blueprint for success when planning to decorate your interior on your budget. Interior decorating DIY (do it yourself) is not as difficult as it may seem. Take action. Obtain an interior decorating guide. Implement a simple decorating project to enhance one room. You CAN do it yourself!
A Career in Interior Decoration
A certain school of thought claims that interior decorators are born, not made. However, as long as you have a basic artistic streak and a yearning to be creative, you can be groomed to any level of expertise in interior decoration. Giving a property buyer the benefit of one’s creative streak in this way is one of the most lucrative and creative careers today.
Beyond any doubt, interior decoration is a satisfying profession for those who ‘have it’ these days. There is an unprecedented amount of up-market residential and commercial property being sold on the real estate market today. Moreover, the present generation buyers of properties can afford to have their new acquisitions packaged attractively. Engaging the services of an interior decorator was once considered a lavish luxury, but not anymore. With the increased spending power of the IT generation, a home is defined by its aesthetic appeal — and a growing number of people are ready to pay for that.
The trend for professionally decorated interiors has percolated down from film stars to almost every upper stratum of society. Nor is the demand for interior decoration any longer confined to residences — witness the offices of most successful doctors, lawyers and advertising agencies, as well as bookstores, music shops, shopping malls, restaurants, hotel lobbies… yes, the scope for interior decoration is virtually endless.
HITTING THE HIGH NOTES
Apart from being an inherently glamorous profession, interior decoration has a career has a number of other appeals to offer:
PEOPLE — You meet a lot of them, and from a fascinating cross-section – from movie icons to business magnates; from well-known restaurant owners to fast-track lawyers; from neurosurgeons to the idle rich.
MONEY — You earn a lot of it. Everyone has respect for artistic flair, and your efforts are supposed to reflect the property owner’s own taste. This makes it an ego issue, and people pay a lot to support their ego.
CONTACTS — A career in interior decoration is self-propagating. One successfully completed contract almost immediately leads to another, till you can actually pick and choose. Also, the people you come across can come in useful in many other respects later on.
NO SPECIAL TRAINING REQUIRED — of course, a basic degree in the Arts can’t hurt, but a period of internship under an established interior decorator will serve just as well.
EXTENSIVE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR OTHERS — You will not be operating on your own. A large enough contract will require the services of a carpenter, electrician, painter and a graphic computer designer. A lot of people will benefit from your profession – and that is significant.
LIMITLESS JOB SATISFACTION — Expressing oneself artistically is one of the most satisfying experiences that a human being can have; being paid to do it is nothing but a bonus. It is no secret that one works best at what one enjoys doing – it is equally true that one of the biggest problems in today’s professional world is lack of creative outlets.
Most people have an ‘inbuilt’ creative streak in some form or the other. Professional interior decorators who were polled recently firmly denied that theirs is a ‘born’ breed — almost anyone can develop a flair, liking and proficiency in this field.
WHAT IT TAKES
As already pointed out, you don’t require any special qualifications to become a successful interior decorator (as opposed to interior designing, which has far more demanding parameters). Basically, you should have an ability to judge spaces (including the potential for hidden storage space), lighting requirements, color schemes and contrasts, furniture styles, etc. and a ‘feel’ for upholstery and curtain fabrics. Finally, you will need to bring these out to maximum advantage within the framework of a given budget.
There are a number of books and journals available to the subject of interior decoration, though not so many on the Indian market. For the seriously interested, however, this will not present a problem. Any specialty bookstore can offer you a selection of imported publications. A subscription to Indian magazines like ‘Inside Outside’ would be helpful by offering information on styles and combinations currently favored in the country.
One of the most helpful things you can do is to visit properties that have been professionally designed, study the work done there, and even ask the owners in what respects they are or aren’t satisfied with the end results. The places to zero in on are newly bought flats and offices that have engaged the services of an interior decorator. The point is not to judge the quality of the job done, but to get a feel of what kind of interior designing is popular on the real estate market, and therefore sells.
This costs you nothing, and people are always ready to talk on such subjects (after all, what is the point in splurging on interior decoration if you can’t gloat about the results later on?) In this manner, you can build up a useful mental catalog of successful and unsuccessful approaches.
Getting an eventual interior decoration team together is another important factor. You should also try to establish a personal network of carpenters and painters who will be able to spend time on unscheduled projects. This way, you will be able to obtain their services as and when you need them. Sharing your design discoveries with them occasionally is a good idea, too. In that way, you will have some concrete prototypes to refer to when you actually get to work on a project.
PROGRESSING TO INTERIOR DESIGNING
This is a far more demanding — and rewarding — career field, and you will need a lot of experience in interior decoration before you can think of entering it. There are certified institutions that offer courses in interior designing, and you may want to consider such a move at a later stage.
Till then, there is absolutely no reason why you shouldn’t make lucrative waves as an interior decorator. As a famous philosopher once stated, the only limitations we face are those we make for ourselves.
No Limits for Interior Decorating
Thinking about home interior decorating is simply put, turning a plain and/or drab-looking house into that nice and comfortable home you’ve always wanted. Lots of options are available to get that look that you’re looking for through the use of various shades of color, the type of theme to be used, the right furniture selection, and even other accessories as necessary in order to give that unique look and personality.
Essentially, decorating a home is putting a personal stamp of character onto the home. It should define who you are and why you live as you do. Current trends on home interiors are should help to determine which style or setup will suit you best. Here are some suggestions on what’s currently in style.
First things first, there’s nothing indeed like a cozy room. Just go through a magazine and you’re bound to see nothing but photos of rooms showing coziness and being very comfortable. The same photos show that the rooms are also very elegant and stylish without the cold feel that old homes used to have back in the earlier days. No more of those old aristocratic looks that you’ll only see in the movies these days. The word these days is the personal touch of making your very own space whatever the room. One way to achieve this is through proper lighting. Setting the mood with lamps that give off the right warmth and hue is very important. Another way to enhance the overall coziness is through the use of properly textured drapes and furniture covers to help accentuate the room.
For smaller rooms, you’d want to ensure that it doesn’t feel too crowded. One thing to remember is that distance and lighting can make the room seem bigger than it really is. It is actually possible to compact the room in such a way that it doesn’t have to look unseemly from being divided even further into smaller sections. Furniture and fixtures should be spaced with gaps in between to give the illusion of spaciousness. It will also avoid the feeling of being too cramped inside.
Home interiors are already starting to lean towards a modern or even futuristic theme. For this, the best fit would be using stainless steel pieces as the choice of setup. Doing so will make for a very futuristic look, especially if used in the kitchen. Many people these days are really starting to love this type of theme a lot.
One more thing to remember is that no matter what the general color scheme, everything from the curtains, the walls, the furniture, the pillows, the flooring, or even the carpeting should all complement and coordinate nicely. Ambiance would have been achieved if the whole setup is matched correctly. There really isn’t a “right” or absolute way of decorating a home. It all boils down to how exactly you want to make it. With the range of selections available, it will be very easy to get that interior decorating look that will satisfy accordingly.
Art of Interior Designing Solutions
Interior design is the art of applying the knowledge of interior space, with the manipulation of spatial volume and surface treatment application. Interior space design draws on aspects of environmental psychology, interior architecture design, product design and furniture design in addition to traditional decoration. An interior designer is a person who is an experienced professional in the area of interior design or one who designs interiors as part of their job requirements.
Modern Interior design is a creative practice that analyzes programmatic information, establishes a conceptual direction, refines the design direction, and produces graphic communication and construction documents.
After a design layout has been finalized, the interior designer will start specifying the materials, finishes, and furnishings required, such as furniture, lighting, flooring, wall covering, and artwork. Depending on the complexity of the design project, the designer will need to prepare drawings and submit them for architectural review which later requires approval by a construction inspector to ensure that the design is equivalent with all applicable building codes. If a design needed any structural work, the designer will need to work with an architect or engineer for that part of the project. Most designs also requires hiring of contractors to complete technical task such as lighting, electrical wiring or plumbing,. If required, the designer will select qualified contractors and write up work contracts.
Interior decoration is the art of decorating a rooms of house so that it looks attractive, easy to use, and functional well with the existing design architecture. The aim of interior decoration is to provide a unique “feel” in the room; basically it encompasses applying wallpaper, painting walls and other surfaces, choosing furniture and fittings, such as light fixtures, floorings and providing other decorations such as paintings, sculptures and carpets.