Unlocking the Secrets of Interior Design

Books, the internet, television, radio... with all of the interior design advice that's out there, you would be forgiven for thinking that you need a degree in design in order to create a pleasing interior for your home. But nothing could be further from the truth. interior design is more about inspiration, creativity and fun. In fact, interior design is one of the only aspects of home-building where you can really let your wildest fantasies take shape.

Your home is a reflection of yourself: we all change as we age, so it's natural that your idea of interior design will change, too. One of the beauties of interior design is that it's a moveable feast: a bold, striking interior with radical design features might appeal to you when you are in your twenties, but you may feel differently about design when you're in your thirties or forties. Your life circumstances may have changed - you may have married, for example, or you may have children - and this will certainly have an impact on the way in which you choose to design your home's interior.

The first step is understanding your interior. Whether you want to re-design a room, a floor or even a whole house, it's important to know what the space will be used for, and who will be using it. A lounge or bedroom can be ruined by the wrong design style, so make your design project easier by deciding up-front how you intend to use your interior.

The next step is to consider who will be using the space. What sort of person are they? Your interior design should take their age, character and occupation into consideration. A bright, vibrant design may not be suitable for a studious or serious person, for example. And a muted interior will suppress a creative spirit or free thinker. Make it a rule to design your interior around the inhabitants.

With your design foundation in place, it's time to start choosing your colour palette. Aim to include 2 - 4 colours or shades: it will be far flattering to your interior than a single colour. And don't be afraid to contrast: bright reds and blues look stunning against a modern white interior, for example, whereas tranquil greens and turquoises will add warmth to an old-fashioned, beamed interior. Be bold: try painting a 'feature wall' in a single colour, and contrast that with interesting accessories... it's an interior design trick that will really bring a room to life.

As any interior design expert knows, it's the finishing touches that can make all the difference. An oversized cushion with an ethnic design; a long table made from a reclaimed railway sleeper; a fireplace full of candles... little touches of design brilliance that will bring your interior to life.

Interior Design Trends for Every Room in 2012

If you've recently bought your first home, you've moved into your first apartment, you've moved into a new space or you simply just want to update a room in your home, you're probably wondering what the current different interior design trends are. Here's a basic guide to the trendiest decor styles of 2012 for every room in your home, from the bedroom to the bathroom, the kitchen to the living room and everything in between.

Bedroom designs

Bed room designs in 2012 will be returning to clean, crisp lines and details. The style will be purely contemporary, as people are looking to de-stress from the recent economy issues and thus, they'll want to create bedroom designs that are spa-like. Spaces that you can retreat into after a long, hard day.

Be on the look out for clean, soft hues including cool blues, soft grays and creamy ivory whites, giving a soft and comfortable look with clean lines that compliment a comfortable, restful space.

Bathroom designs

There are actually a number of different bath room designs that are growing in popularity in 2012. This includes Moroccan inspired tile, natural or reclaimed materials, clean colors and unusual but organic looking fixtures. Of course, it doesn't end there. With bathroom designs, the opportunities are endless as more and more people are breaking away from the "what if I sell the house" mentality and looking more toward the "I want to enjoy my home" mentality.

For 2012, the best thing you can do for your bath room space is to create a space that you love, rather than what might sell the best.

Living room designs

The living room is all about comfort and style blended together for a unique look. People are learning that they don't have to settle on a single interior design style, but that they can mix and match a number of styles and accept that no space is ever "perfect," despite what they may have been told previously.

For living room designs, don't be surprised to see a large surge of Moroccan inspired looks, global inspired looks, mid century modern, eclectic looks, vintage pieces, Americana and more.

Kitchen designs

The kitchen is now the hub of the home, so it's no surprise that most people will be putting the majority of their focus into this space. When looking to create an updated kitchen design, you'll notice that much like with the bathroom and other spaces in the home, people are starting to become more comfortable with the "here and now" and less focused on the "what happens when I sell my home?"

Kitchen designs will include rustic and industrial touches, as well as clean, contemporary touches for a blend of updated and vintage styling. For materials, look for a lot of clean, contemporary materials over traditional and natural finishes. For example, stainless steel countertops are being preferred over natural stone countertops.

Other kitchen interior design trends include open shelving, stylish and colorful tile backsplashes such as mosaic tiles or Moroccan inspired tiles, dark warm cabinetry and of course, plenty of proper lighting.

What Is Interior Design and How Is It Different From Interior Decorating?

To begin this journey, first an attempt must be made to answer the question, 'What is interior design'; The National Council for interior design Qualification offers up the following definition: 'is a multi-faceted profession in which creative and technical solutions are applied within a structure to achieve a built interior environment. These solutions are functional, enhance the quality of life and culture of the occupants and are aesthetically attractive'. Comparing this to the definitions provided by The Free Dictionary for an interior decorator: 'also called interior designer a person whose profession is the planning of the decoration and furnishings of the interior of houses, shops, etc.' and 'a person whose profession is the painting and wallpapering of houses'

Well it is understandable, based on the two definitions above, why there are two camps. One camp holds that the interior designer is held to a higher standard and has significantly more training and design responsibilities than the interior decorator, and then there are those that bunch them all together as one and the same. There are those that look at the designer as a version of an architect and those that look at them as being a house painter. No wonder there is confusion amongst the ranks.

In an attempt to answer the question, 'Is there a difference or not?', a Google search was performed for ' interior decorator Degree' and the response overwhelmingly returned results for 'interior designer'; and not the keyword as searched. One can reasonably conclude that since one can get a degree in interior design, but not as an interior decorator, that there is a difference.

So where would one draw the line between a designer and a decorator? Reverting back to the two definitions above one can discern the key difference. The definition for the designer refers to 'built interior environment' whereas the decorator suggests ' decorating and furnishing' as the key activities. The higher standard is the designer's ability and responsibilities to call for tearing out walls, flooring, windows, lighting, electrical, as well as recommending furniture and miscellaneous design pieces. In short, the scope their role includes the responsibilities of a decorator, but goes much further.

Often it is critical for the designer to understand the wants and needs of the individual or company leadership that is hiring them to make a space comfortable and esthetically pleasing to 'the eye of the beholder'; meaning whoever is paying the freight. This will require the designer to ask the question, 'What is interior design through the eyes of my employer?'

Determining just how to customize a small dwelling area up to major corporate businesses like a national restaurant chain that must be attractive to the eye in many different regions of the country with a common design can be very challenging. Requiring a grasp of many different fields including developing and reading floor plans, a knowledge of building codes, and access to a long list of contractors that are capable of doing the work to specification are just a few of the extra requirement that separate interior design from decoration.

Often specializing in unique areas like hotels, casinos, restaurants, or other businesses that may regularly freshen up their designs to keep their businesses looking comfortable yet enticing, designers generally develop skill sets that may not play all that well outside of their special areas of expertise. What they probably are looking for in the interior design of a hospital is most likely a far cry from what they are looking for at a casino. Perhaps a better example would be determining just how to continue on with a southwestern theme for a Mexican restaurant chain in places like Seattle, St. Louis, Charlotte, Pittsburg, and Boston. What is interior design widely accepted in one region may not be well accepted in another.

In asking, 'What is interior design?' in today's environment, one must also begin to start thinking green and to look for ways to minimize the consumption of non-renewable energy sources. How does one create areas with a lot of natural lighting but not subject the individual to the blazing rays of the sun? How does one incorporate solar panels into the design or solar powered floor heaters in colder climates without losing the esthetic charm and ambiance of marble floors? These are the challenges of today's designers. It's a good thing that they love their jobs.

Choosing the Ideal Restaurant Interior Design

Restaurant interior design is very important, and can influence the way customers feel about the restaurant before they have even eaten there. More and more people are dining out, and the choice of different restaurants available is huge. First impressions really do count with any business, and where people are going to spend time such as a restaurant, it needs to be perfect.

There are several factors that will influence the decision on whether you like a restaurant or not, however, interior design is as important as the food or staff. When deciding on the overall theme for the restaurant you should ensure that you employ someone who knows what they are doing. Although designers are great you need to ensure that you employ a qualified restaurant interior designer.

This type of designer will specialize in restaurants, and know how to create the perfect ambience for your customers. They will understand the importance of creating the correct feeling for the type of food and drink that you are serving. Interior design for restaurant is about many different elements, and not simply what color to paint the walls.

Employing the correct designer for your restaurant will ensure that they have considered every part of the kitchen and restaurant. They will need to fully appreciate how a restaurant works, and how the movement flows throughout them. All restaurants flow in a particular way and how the food reaches the table will need to be considered.

Both the employees and customers need to be considered when looking at the ideal restaurant interior design. It is surprising how many great ideas the employees will have, and they will also know what works well when trying to do their jobs. Not only is the decor very important when looking at restaurant interior design, but also durability of the furnishings.

Restaurant furniture needs to be considered carefully, and should be bought with industrial use in mind. Although there is some great domestic furniture available it will not last, and will end up costing you more in the long run. If you spend more on the fixtures and furniture when looking at the restaurant interior design you will ensure that they are ideal, and very durable.

Although you want the best design you also have to ensure that you do not spend too much money. If you go over budget when designing the interior other areas of the restaurant may suffer. If the correct design is put into place the employees will enjoy working in the restaurant, and be more efficient. This will ensure that the food is brought to service far quicker, and that the profit margin is higher.

Understanding your target market is very important, and you need to decide who you want to attract into the restaurant. Although you will never turn anyone away if the restaurant interior design is aimed at specific people you will attract them. Younger clientele may want chic, stylish, and trendy where as older clientele may prefer classic, calming, sophisticated interior designs.

If you are having a revamp of an existing restaurant you may want to consider asking your customers what they would like. Although this will give you a huge choice there may be similarities with what some of them say. If you want your customers to feel at home, and that their opinion matters you should consider what they say. They may have some great restaurant interior design ideas that you may think are a success.

You will need to think about the ambience that you want to create and the type of food that you are serving. If your restaurant has a particular type of food the restaurant interior design will need to fit with this. Although you may not want to turn it into themed restaurant elements can reflect the type of food that you are serving. Small subtle touches may be better than huge dominating factors that are too imposing for the restaurant interior design.

You want your regular customers to return time, and time again, however, you also want to attract new ones. Often people will stop, and look at new restaurants, and in those first few moments they will make a decision whether to enter. When deciding on your restaurant interior design you will need to consider every bit of space. This includes from the entrance to the bathrooms, and every corner in between.

Contemporary Interior Design Ideas For A Small Apartment

If you have recently moved into a small apartment, and would like to create a living space that is attractive, original, and interesting, it can be worth researching contemporary interior design ideas. Often described as being clean-lined, this modern style places an emphasis on function at the detriment of excessive ornamentation.

Though detractors claim that contemporary interior design approaches are too clinical or cold, this does not always have to be the case. A well thought out plan can create a home that offers a feeling of comfort and peace. If you hate the thought of clutter, the contemporary style may be right up your alley.

Most interior designers who specialize in contemporary styles have a tendency to use a lot of black and white in their work, but it is also possible to leverage neutral tones and accentuate features to create an attractive and welcoming ambiance. For instance, large and bold color blocks set against a neutral background can be used.

In some ways, contemporary interior decor emphasizes the architectural structure of a property, focusing attention on to the shapes of windows, walls, and doors. Many interior designers who specialize in this style suggest that windows should not be adorned at all, but this can create an issue relating to privacy, especially if you have a ground floor apartment. If you are concerned about people gazing in through your windows, you should consider installing bamboo blinds, these can work well against the minimalist decor.

Texture is an important element in this type of design style, if texture was not used in the right way, your apartment may feel boring and two dimensional. If there is an excessive amount of flat surfaces, well placed accessories, such as a jute rug or a smile vase, can offer visual relief. Wood, glass, and metal accessories work best in this type of setting.

Sleek and obvious lines are an essential component of this type of decor. When choosing furnishings, it is worth seeking out those products that are clean lined, do not go for designs that are curved as this is indicative of a more classical or traditional style.

Contemporary interior decor works best in modern homes such as apartments and lofts. In older buildings you should think long and hard about whether this style will work. The context is important, try and opt for a design that suits the architecture of your property.