Dare to Dream the "WOW" Factor
Whether it be the Great American Dream or that Corker Aussie Dream, people around the world love to have a beautiful home, be it your own or "borrowed". You get your place, move in, place your furniture around the place, add family and friends and there it is...your home. A few weeks later, you plan a housewarming party and invite everyone you know to come and check you out. People's comments vary from "Nice" or "Great location" to "It's got potential...", but what you really wanted to hear was
"WOW! What a fantastic space! I never knew you had such a flair for Interior Design!"
Imagine the great feeling of pride and admiration for yourself for being able to seemingly "throw together" a designer look without even hiring a designer!
This lens aims to show you how to add this "WOW" factor to your home and create a home that truly relects who you are, what you love and what you are passionate about.
For EXCLUSIVE articles, designer hints and decor tips, visit my official blog: http://snspice-designerinstinct.blogspot.com and for all your decor shopping desires in Australia, please visit www.thehomestore.snspice.com.au
Steps for creating the home you always dreamed of
Step #1
Browse through your favourite home ideas magazines such as Better Homes and Gardens, Vogue Living etc, and rip out or tag pages that have an impact on you in any way. Give that impact a name, such as colour, style, light, where it can be used etc. You could sort these pages into groups and then place them into a display folder with clear pages as your ideas folder. Filter Your Selections and Then Stick to A Decision!
Step#2
Once you are happy with your collection, decide on the overall theme or look you are trying to achieve. This could be contemporary, traditional, cottage, Asian, Scandinavian etc. Of course you can be eclectic in your style, but this look is better achieved by choosing colours/pieces within the same theme, but spanning different eras. This general theme should encompass the WHOLE of your home from the facade to the garden. Keep in mind existing furniture which won't be replaced in the near future and factor the style and colour of this furniture into your decision. Discard any of the choices which will generally not fit into this scheme. For example, pretty English florals would be very difficult to include in an Asian Zen inspired home.This continuity adds to the harmonious flow of the style and feel of the home. When choosing colours for a particular room, it is important that there is no more than 4 colours in that room at any one time. You can have different shades and tones of a colour, but not more than 4 separate colours. I like to have a main colour, a secondary colour and an accent colour. For example in a living room, my walls and lounge suite and rug might be the same colour/shade. My flooring and entertainment unit/buffet would be another colour and then some of my decor would comprise my accent colour (cushions, vases etc).
Make Your Own Sample Board - Just Like a Designer's
Step #3
This isn't hard and all that is needed is a foam board or high gsm card and a collection of things to be used in your "WOW" Factor Makeover. For example, place flooring colour samples at the bottom of the board followed by paint colour chips for each room above that, making sure that the tone and tint are complimentary to each other and in-keeping with your theme. Place window treatment colour and fabric samples to the right or left side of the board.Add all other elements including tiles, artwork, carpet swatches, cabinet/laminex swatches, ceiling colour, architrave colour and style etc. If the colours vary too much for different rooms, a separate board can be used for these which is usually bathrooms, kitchens and kids' rooms.
Implement Your Design
Step #4
This is the biggest step if you are planning to renovate flooring or having to remove wallpaper. Ensure that a good standard of living is still achievable whilst undergoing the project, or if not, move out temporarily. Tackle one room at a time and work out which order will be the best for your family. Whilst flooring has been removed, painting can begin, but don't forget to prep the walls by removing any dirt and oil with Sugar Soap or similar product and patching any holes with an appropriate filler.Once flooring, painting, wallpaper, tiling etc has been completed, place furniture where desired, buying and installing new furniture if required. If choosing new furniture, ensure that it fits with your chosen theme and I like the large pieces of furniture to blend in with the wall colour rather than be the feature of the room. You can always purchase artworks or an ottoman in your accent colour to be the feature pieces.
Now For The Fun Part - Accessorising!
Step #5
This is the part of the process where we can add the "WOW" factor! When buying the decor for your newly madeover home, resist the temptation to buy what you like. Just because it looks nice (read looks nice in the shop's colour scheme/lighting etc), or just because you like polka dots, does not mean that it will create the effect you are after in your home. To get the "WOW" factor, the whole house has to come together seamlessly with a few feature pieces added for drama and designer look.Lighting is an important backdrop for accessories as it can create a dramatic feel, highlight certain pieces and be a feature on its own. For example, a feature chandelier in a contemporary home may be a designer piece such as the Icarus light by Toord Boontje providing a dramatic display of feathers hanging over a dining table or living area. Having this one piece in a room is enough "WOW" factor for the room, and no other feature pieces need to be included.
Choose accessories with purpose. Examine closely the empty walls, the empty tables, buffet's, side tables, sofa tables, kitchen benches, bathroom benches...these spaces need to be filled with carefully chosen pieces to promote the flow of the home. Choose pieces which add a variety of elements such as texture, ambiance, luxury and history. For instance, choose picture frames which compliment the wall colour and make them all the same, so there is some coherency within the display.
Never underestimate the effect of decor within a home. Apart from design, this is often the element that makes or breaks a look and can give or take away that elusive "WOW" factor.
My website www.thehomestore.snspice.com.au presents a stunning range of decor and accessories to help you get that "WOW" factor into your home.
Inspiring Ideas and places to shop
- thehomestore
- A beautiful Australian range of housewares and soft-furnishings adding textural elements and those from nature. Definitely "WOW" factoring!
- My Official Blog
- Daily blog featuring EXCLUSIVE designer hints and tips on how to use my products in any home.
- Better Homes and Gardens
- A comprehensive site covering all aspects of home decorating.
- HGTV Decorating
- Learn more about decorating and interior design ideas; design projects and inspirational how-to videos on home and garden.
- Decorating advice
- A website dedicated to decorating and interior design advice, services, products and articles for the home. Comprehensive and useful.
- Alessi
- Great lens on Alessi products and online shopping
More How To Interior Design on YouTube
Awesome Resources
Overstock Suggestions
Home Decorating for Dummies
Price: $19.99
Description not available. Copyright (C) Muze Inc. 2005. For personal use only. All rights reserved.
Home Magazine
Price: $70.00
Home Magazine,The benchmark for reliable, practical, up-to-the-minute home improvement information for the sensible consumer. Offering new ideas and i... more »
Martha Stewart Living
Price: $24.95
Like Martha herself, the magazine is impeccably organized--recipes and decorating instructions appear with full-color photos, each filed in their own... more »
Natural Home & Garden
Price: $29.94
Natural Home & Garden is an inspirational resource to help people create nurturing homes that stir the soul without unduly stirring up the land. Each... more »
Better Homes and Gardens
Price: $35.88
BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS is a monthly home and family service magazine is designed for husbands and wives who have a focal interest in the home and fa... more »
Please let me kow what you think!
Nice page. Great tips on implementing the design. Basement design tips offers some tips if you are designing for a basement or basement flooring.
Posted July 03, 2008
|
steffi
another great way to give your home the "wow factor" Posted March 28, 2008 |
|
|
fortunecookie
Slip covers can often make the home go from bland to BAM! http://www.allaboutslipcovers.com Posted March 19, 2008 |
