Interior Design Jobs: Questions to Ask an Interior Designer

Most people have some ideas of how they would like their homes to look beautiful. However, decorating and designing the available space can be a difficult job for you. This is when an interior designer enters the scene. The interior design jobs create functional and appealing architectural designs according to the lifestyle of the owner. The expert also takes into consideration the architectural features of your house.

To hire the right interior designer for your home, you can check out home decor magazines, the web, or ask friends and family. When you have zeroed in on some designers, it is very important ask the right questions that will enable you to build your trust to the specialist.

Here are some helpful questions to ask the designers:

What services would you offer for the said project?

Ask the interior designer if he can give you all the services you required for this project. If he cannot do all, which other experts will you need. In this situation, you are able to plan and have a team ready soon enough.

What is the estimated time period of the project, and is a working timetable needed for  the job?

This is a vital question. As a homeowner, you are definitely interested in the length of time the house will stay in construction. Hire an interior designer who has the resources to finish the job within the specified schedule.

What is going to be your involvement in the plan?

Even if you select a designer who is just suitable for the job, you might still want to get involved in the process. If you really want to be involved, hire a professional who is fine with your participation. Determine your level of involvement too. For instance, establish if all blueprints and plans require your approval before the interior design jobs to proceed.

How would you explain the planning to me so I can decide what to get?

As a homeowner who wants to know what the whole procedure is about, you want to find out how the outcome will be. Part of the interior design jobs is to present you with accurate details.

If you think that a certain interior designer is right for the project, you still need to examine the contract provided by the said professional. The document guarantees that every service stated for the particular costs will be done in full.You can find a lawyer and have the paper checked before you sign it. Do not get over excited by the project to get started. Ask the appropriate questions to make the right choice for your home.

Home and Garden: Beautifying Your Garden

There are so many ways to beautify your garden. Of course, the home and garden ideas and styles should be chosen according to your needs. To begin with, consider the reason for decorating your garden. Are you planning to use it for relaxation or for outdoor entertainment? Do you want to sit there for hours, just want to embellish it so that it complements your property? Regardless of your intention, you can add all the essential elements. Keep in mind that as you are adding the necessary decorations, they should also work as a beautifying element.

Adding the Privacy Factor

Before putting all the other elements, focus on making it the ideal garden for your home. Fence it in such a way that it will be a well-defined place with restrictions. You can pick a fence design that could increase the privacy level. Determining its height appropriately is also necessary.

Opting for Classy Home and Garden Furniture

You can decide on several types and designs that are available in the market. The commonly used furniture is that in cast iron or wicker. Cast iron furniture is among the best ideas on a budget. Generally, these have stylish rods, open frame, and design structures, which will make them appropriate for a small garden. These do not use up a lot of space and can be very easily transferred any time needed. A set of 2 to 4 chairs and a trendy table, depending on the available space, is a great idea. You can add a fireplace too. This set up is able to take up one corner of the garden. Even when you will not be spending many hours there relaxing, you need to at least have a couple of relaxing chairs.

Beautifying Your Garden 

While remodeling it, consider having several garden ornaments and attractive garden art. Do not add too many accessories that will occupy much space that will make the area look even smaller. Put some big and eye-catching pieces, rather than putting in unnecessary small items. You may also consider having a small garden pond. Another great idea is to have a fountain at the middle and style it with a wonderful base structure.

In addition to these, remember to add various sculptures to spice up the area. Besides the green grass covering the area, tend not to put too many plants. Lastly, consider several outdoor lighting fixtures to illuminate your garden to make it look bigger and provide it a grand appeal.

Home Decor: Drapery Ideas

When talking about home decor, proper care needs to be applied to make it look pleasant and comfortable. You also want to it be stylish and striking. Along with the furniture and the other things that consist of a living room, window treatment is an important factor that you should give special attention. Before deciding the type of drapery that you will use on your windows, you may want to first examine the functions that the window treatment has.

The basic purposes of draperies include controlling the light, providing privacy and warmth, and of course, contributing to the attractiveness of the room. After you establish the purposes and framework of the drapery, proceed to the style and material which can be used according to the kind of window in your home. You can select any of the home decor ideas pointed out below.

For Arched Windows

Arched windows are high-class window patterns. Lots of people choose drapery with elaborate patterns and details, with the desire of improving their splendor. Well, you must not do that!  Instead of adding beauty, it will diminish the interior decoration of the place. Just use simple drapery with minimal patterns. If you want to hide the arched part of the window, simply install the drapery on top of the arch. Use a long valance to enhance the appearance of the drapery.

For Bay Windows

Bay windows are among the most stylish windows, and draping them can be very tough because of their architecture style. These are described as the set of windows that stick out from the main wall. Generally, there are many ways that you can decorate them. It is possible to put a rod at the front of the window and then cover it with a full curtain, or divide the curtain at the center. Putting a valance is going to make it more classy.

For Sliding Glass Doors / French Doors

Sliding doors have fixed frame or panel. You can use full drapes to provide a trendy and pleasing look to the room. You can roll them away when not being used, allowing the sunlight to penetrate inside the room. Whenever you need some privacy, just close the drapes. French doors are very similar to the sliding glass doors, however, they do not slide and open outside. Therefore, drapery ideas for French doors are similar to that for sliding doors.

These are helpful window treatments as part of your home decor. Ultimately, you will want to choose the fabric for the drapery that will provide all your requirements.

Home Decor: Loft Design Ideas

Loft is a huge, spacious area without partitions to separate different rooms. It has a few unique attributes including high ceilings, visible bricks and pipes, and concrete floors. For these factors, decorating a loft is a fun and also a demanding task. You need to put in your very own strategies in order to make the place look trendy, cozy, and eye-catching. It will require artistic home decor skills to make use of every inch of the space that is available.

Below are a few wonderful tips, which you can combine with your very own style to get a nice-looking loft space:

Making Rooms

First of all, you need to make the right division of the loft space for sleeping area, dining area, the living area, and any other sections that you want to include. When this is done, make use of the furniture pieces such as tables or drawers to indicate the edges for the different areas. Drapes or curtains hanged from the ceiling can also help you to achieve the feeling of separate areas inside the apartment.

Suggestions for Storage

Storage is a vital aspect for all kinds of apartments. Considering that the space inside the loft is limited, you have to meticulously plan its storage so as to make your home look organized and clean. Select every item for your loft, while keeping its space and usage benefits in mind.

Loft Furnishing

Your decision to design the loft using a particular theme is based on some factors. If your loft space has exposed piping and concrete walls, you may use materials that are made of chrome, wood, glass and steel. If your loft has a retro look with some beautiful moldings, then modern decorations is probably not an ideal choice. It is much better if you choose some antique items such as hand-carved chests, furniture pieces with rich upholstery for adornment, or glass chandeliers. These home furnishings would certainly blend with the appearance of the loft.

Ideas for Loft Lighting

Finding the right lighting for your loft can be quite challenging. The ceiling of the loft is usually high, hence you have the chance to experiment with something different. Gorgeous chandeliers or pendant lights will give a fantastic visual look to your place. In addition to that, there has to be a few lower lighting fixtures such as wall sconces and  lamps.

Ultimately, you get to decide the home decor ideas that you think will work perfect for your loft.  Make sure that the overall appearance of the place will reveal your personality and make you feel relaxed at home.

Home Decor Designs for Areas with High Ceilings

Owning a big house is a dream come true for many people.  It is an advantage if the house has high ceilings. With regards to big homes, you do not need to be concerned about cluttering the area, given that there is a lot of space available. The challenge is to create a cozy and warm ambiance to your spacious home.

Poor home decor style can make your place look like a bare hotel lobby. A home with high ceilings should maintain its classiness and stylishness. It needs creative choices of decorations and wall colors, along with clever arrangement of the furniture pieces.  Learn how you can turn your big house with high ceilings from looking boring to extremely mesmerizing.

Wall Art and Wall Hangings

A room with high ceiling has huge wall spaces. If you leave the walls empty, this will only increase the cavernous feeling of the area. What you can do is install wall art or wall hangings based on the design of the room. Whether old-fashioned homes or contemporary ones, they should have wall decorations that match with the chosen style. You may opt for decorative frames, enormous wall carpets, or fabric wall hangings. You only need to position these wall pieces at eye level to create the illusion of lower ceiling.

Draperies

In rooms with high ceilings, windows often go right up to the ceiling. However, if your windows do not reach the ceiling, hanging draperies is a much better option. This will make the room look more lavish and tasteful. There are draperies with high insulating material that keep a high-ceilinged room from bringing the heat in. Draperies like these make it less difficult to regulate the cooling for the whole place.

Lighting

Lighting calls for special attention as it provides the high-ceilinged room a striking appearance. Big chandeliers are ideal for this kind of spacious room. There are a myriad of chandeliers out there. Simply choose the one that will accommodate the size of your room. A large room needs a big and beautiful chandelier, since a smaller sized chandelier will just make the area seem even larger. Add tall lamps to the room as they take up a bit more vertical space. Big wall scones can also give the area a stunning effect.

Designing a house with high ceilings could be quite a challenging task. Nevertheless, address the challenge by working on the furniture, texture, wall colors, and other home decor accessories. Create an amazing ambiance in your high-ceilinged rooms to make the place more interesting and welcoming.

Home Decor: Decorating Ideas for Large Walls

Have you been staring at empty walls in your home for quite some time now? Or maybe you have recently moved to a new place, and you just want to decorate the spacious, bare walls. Regardless of the reason, you want to spice up your home to make it a comfortable place for you and your family. Following are some home decor suggestions that might help you in designing your walls.

Mirrors

A mirror is a reminder that there is an artifact in the house that is constantly watching you. If you want something that reminds you of your presence, then install a mirror. Choose the right position when you mount mirrors in a room. They light they reflect should not disturb anyone especially during daytime.

Stickers

Wall stickers are very easy to work with, so you do not need to spend a lot of time on them. Opting for stickers as your home decor designs will also save some money since they are quite affordable. Anytime you wish to change them with another design, you can do so without draining your wallet. Pick the colors and designs of your stickers well. Give some thought to the overall effect that the wall stickers will make in your interior.

Wall Hangings

Since we are dealing with a spacious wall, big wall hangings are appropriate decorations for this. Metal wall hangings are becoming a favorite trend, when it comes to home accessories. The options are never-ending. These hangings could be in the form of portraits, landscapes, seascapes, tapestries or framed photos. You may also put a nice lighting to radiate them for added effect.

Shelves

Decorative wall shelves excellent way to adorn open spaces. These are also useful in displaying other ornamental items. If you are not capable of making your own shelves, purchase something trendy and functional. Make the most of the space where you plan to set up the shelves. Display trophies, books, picture frames, figurines, clocks, candles and candle holders. Decorate it in such a way that you will be happy every time you look at it.

The appearance of the walls plays a significant role in the interior decoration of your home. In fact, the general look of a room strongly depends on how you decorate your walls. Even if you put lavish furniture and furnishings, the walls are also the main highlight of a home decor. Apply the ideas above to give your walls some unique touch.

Home Decor: Wall Sticker Ideas for Bedrooms

If you have become bored looking at your bedroom walls, consider changing their designs. Wall stickers are attractive home decor designs that you can use. Aside from that, they are also quite affordable. Of course, you try other methods such as changing the curtains, buying new bedroom furniture, new paint, and so on. Why not include wall stickers in this redecoration. Another great thing about them is that they are replaceable.

What are Wall Stickers?

They are just like wallpapers that you stick on the walls. Their main role is to give the bedroom a makeover. Wall stickers are becoming more and more popular among homeowners, because they require lesser effort and minimal cost. These home decor designs are easier to apply or strip away than paint. Within minutes of sticking them on the walls, you can see the room transform into something you wish it to be.

The transformation will depend on the style, design or theme you have chosen. If some point you want to change the look of the room, you can do so any time you wish. That is the beauty of wall stickers: easy application and removal. Simply peel them and stick them on. It is also possible to put them on the walls of the bathroom, nursery, kitchen, office and many other places.

How to Apply?

The process of applying wall stickers takes no longer than 15 minutes. You do not need to be an expert on interior designing since they are ready to use. Definitely, it is a perfect way to decorate a room. There is a variety of wall stickers to select from. There are even some companies that allow you to design your own stickers to give your room that personalized look.

The personal touch you do to the room will give you some sort of power. Even if the stickers are predesigned, you have various choices of colors, shapes and themes. Some wall stickers can also be used on pieces of furniture, glass, doors, ceilings or floors. For children’s room you can have balloons, butterflies, swings, birds on a tree or animal growth chart. For your room, try cherry blossoms, Eiffel tower or a quote.

Wall stickers are not exclusive to one concept. You can mix and match a variety of designs to your bedroom. Release your creativity and pour whatever natural talent you got with regards to home decor. After all, wall stickers give you the license to decorate your bedroom the way you what it to look.