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Summary

Your home is your haven and it is important that it reflects you and your family's personal tastes. This is where interior design steps in! You may feel that interior design isn't for you or that you don't have a creative bone in your body, but don't let that negative thought drag you down. The simple tips in the article below can help even the most daunted person feel like an interior design pro!

Start your interior design project with a mood board. A mood board is a large cardboard display with different ideas for a room pasted on to it and written on it. You can get ideas from magazines, online and from television shows. The board will give you a visual of your own style, and help you to design a room that fits your taste.

When you are furnishing a small space, use furniture that can be used in different ways. For instance, use ottomans instead of chairs or sofa. The ottoman will double as both seating and a table maximizing your small space. Finding items with two functions can help maximize tiny spaces.

If you decide to use an interior designer, communicate your goals and budget to them. Professional designers often have ambitious plans. Sometimes those plans clash with the homeowner's taste or their pocketbook. Don't be timid. If what the interior designer suggests doesn't fit your goals, tell them. You are the one who has to live with the designer's choices.

Start with a fresh coat of paint. Paint is inexpensive and can make a big change to a room in just a few hours. Go to your local home store and get swatches. Then, come home and imagine what each swatch would look like, and how it would blend with the furniture and other rooms in your home. Choose one and see how different your room looks!

Be a design copycat. If you are having trouble coming up with a design idea, look through magazines, catalogs, and on the internet for inspriation. When you find a design you love, just copy everything they've done. Find paint colors, furniture, and accessories that correspond to the picture. This will take the stress out of coming up with a new design and it guarantees that you'll end up with a designer look.

Make sure that there is ample lighting in every room of your house. This may require you to do some planning as to where you should situate your lights or chandeliers. If you have a big room, you will need to strategically position the lights to filter throughout the whole area.

Instead of replacing your bedroom and kitchen drawers and cabinets, get new knobs and handles. Just a hint of silver on a handle, or a bright new knob, can bring old pieces back to life. Think about the atmosphere you want, and choose little pieces accordingly. You won't have to spend a lot of money, and you will still see improvement.

A good interior-design tip is not to get too carried away with color. There have been many studies made on color and how they can affect you. Even if you love strong colors, and they fit with your personality, the next family or couple that moves in might be put off by them.

If you have a husband who likes to sit and watch sports with his friends, invest in an ottoman. These devices are great to reduce the tension on the legs during a long session of watching television. Try to match the ottoman with the couch in your entertainment room for a wonderful look.

One thing that you will need to think about with every room of your home is the focal point. The focal point is where you want your guests and visitors to look when they walk in. This can be in the form of artwork, a piece of furniture or a television.

If you tend to redecorate your rooms often, it would be wise to have furniture and walls that are neutral and then accent them with colorful, eye catching accessories. This way, when you next redecorate your room, you would only need to change out the accessories instead of totally redesigning your room.

Neutral colors are great to use in any room of your house as they can match almost any design or color. These colors include beige, taupe, black and white and are a very good type of shade if you are decorating with a contemporary style. Incorporate these colors if you want to be on the safe side with your color scheme.

Interior design can work for anyone, including you! Don't feel overwhelmed by the amount of resources available on the subject. Go step by step and follow the advice from the article above and you will be well on your way to the home of your dreams. One step at a time, you can be an interior designer too!

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