cheap home decor ideas

How to Think Like an Interior Designer

29.07.10

Sharing ideas with friends or colleagues is another abundant way to learn about your own space -- interior designers love to bounce ideas off of each other when it comes to conceive of. "If friends and colleagues do one thing well, they can offer a point of view that's not mine," says Petia Morozov, comrade and co-founder of Morozov Alcala Design Laboratory (known as MADLAB) an architecture and urban-draw teacher at Columbia University's Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Conservation. "I make a point to share design ideas, even though I probably already know if it's worth pursuing by the interval it's escaped my mouth. It's good to hear ideas spoken aloud." Interior designers can look at a swatch of cloth or an outfit and design a room around it. You might try and do the same. "Sometimes the best jumping off point is the least expected," Michelle says. "Don't be craven to design a bedroom around a duvet cover or a kitchen around that sweet tea towel you found on Etsy ." Look back at your incentive board and see if there is one item or photo that you keep coming back to and make it the catalyst for everything you purchase. It might not be a dictionary translation of the item, but remember how it makes you feel and try to surround yourself with things in your seat that also make you feel that way. Designers often save big by re-using or re-purposing something that their client already has. They go "shopping" in the shopper's home, and you might try and do the same. Do you have an old chair that you can cover in a new fabric or a table that can be updated with a fresh coat of depict? Your old sofa can even be reupholstered to make it feel like an entirely new piece. Michelle explains that even chopping off arms or swapping out legs can unqualifiedly revamp a piece. "Repainting wood furniture, re-framing artwork and photos, and recovering pillows with found aged or flea market fabrics are all ways to save the budget and have fun being creative while conspiring sustainably," she says. And don't forget the accessories. Accessorizing can completely change the look of a cell. Sandra says that adding glass vases and collections of items to existing furnishings is a great way to instantly redecorate on a budget. For larger design projects, she recommends investing in some notable artwork or mirrors. She also relies on cheap art: "Try purchasing posters or reproduction art from museums and framing them with sturdy mats and thin, dark frames. A series on one wall of three artist's posters can compensate for a space feel defined and powerful." If you want your space to appear larger, Sandra says to get mirrors. "Mirrors can be space-openers if positioned to reflect the outdoors or a prominent, designed opposite screen," she adds.