Interior Design Ideas
...design? Yes and No!
I have interior design ideas...but I get confused (a lot) when I attempt to sit down and plan out the interior decorating of my walls.
I almost talk myself out of it before I start. It seems that I get really bogged down with the thought of “design”.
•What elements of design do I have to consider before I can move on?
•Do I have to learn something that I don’t know before I can complete this project?
•Is it “safe” to just do it?
TIP: You already have the ability and gift to choose and layout wall art for your home, trust your instincts! In other words, it’s OK to decorate with the firm conviction of saying, “I don’t know what I don’t know”!
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So why talk about design? …because there are elements of design that we do naturally, and it’s good to understand them. I’m talking about our “taste”. Taste is something familiar to us – we like or dislike based on this. Our tastes change and improve with time and experience. We learn best by doing and reviewing and then re-doing…think about learning to walk! Let’s discover what our “taste” is all about. Some people call this our “flair”, something that comes out of us, something we do that just works! |
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Need help making wall art décor plans for your home or office?
We are working through a five step process to help you with Choosing Wall Art!
This is Step four, we’ve already been to:
Step One…Plans! ; Step Two…Ideas! or Step Three…Rooms!
Coming up: Step Five…Options!
ALSO: Affordable Wall Art and Inexpensive Wall Art
Step four…Design! (Interior design ideas) ...essential design elements that we can grow with.
This is interesting.....
“The basic rules of proportion and scale are unchanging. They are reinterpreted according to the needs of the time. I like simplicity and I believe in restraint. Above all, there should be harmony-of proportion, line, color, and feeling.
The most important element in decorating is the relationship between objects- in size, form, texture, color, and meaning.
None of these is in good taste in itself but only in relationship to where it has been placed and what purpose it is to serve.” Eleanor McMillen Brown
To work off of the above quote, essential wall interior design is:...the relationship between wall décor objects and their relationship to where they are placed and the purpose they serve.
Here’s another way of saying it…
“For a house to be successful, the objects in it must communicate with one another, respond and balance one another.” – Andre Putman
It almost hurts to look….(don't try this at home!)
At the risk of someone liking this example (which is quite possible!) let me ask,
- “Would you make this choice in your home or office?"
- "Does this work for you?"
- "Does your “taste” tell you otherwise?”
....I think at the very least you would like to straighten up the art work!
Just by looking at this picture, your “taste” was able to bring you to a conclusion about the décor and design of this room.
There was nothing additional you learned that brought you to your final conclusion about this example…your taste-flair-instinct is right on track and is there for you to use.
TIP: It’s OK (and best!) to pay attention to your taste more than anything else!
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When we take a knife and run it over a sharpening stone, we call this honing our knife. TIP: We can hone our taste by looking at designs that others have come up with. Taking note of how one object conforms with or showcases another object will increase our “flair” to have great interior decorating skills. |
Interior design ideas focus on these relationships between objects!
Relationship #1....SIZE!
When choosing wall art, size is very important. Consider the size of the room, the wall, items that will be near the art, windows, doorways, and other objects.
For a quick and simple way to visualize what you may want, take some paper and after fashioning it to the size that you have a “taste” for, tape it to the wall. You will be able to immediately see what size wall art will be best at this location. Do this throughout your home or office and take notes as you go.
For the best interior design ideas, you’ll come back to this as you consider using the art you have, or obtaining new wall décor.
Relationship #2....FORM!
Form has to do with the outer shape of your wall art décor and also the thickness and quantity such as is a grouping. Many people are now incorporating groupings of photos or art on their walls that take on various shapes and “forms”.
A popular expression of this is using numerous art panels in place of one large piece of art. This brings dimension or architecture into the room – and I think is very appealing!
You can also use the paper test (see above) to experiment with this idea. One very moving and sentimental option for this is to have one of your own digital photos prepared and printed for this purpose.
Relationship #3....TEXTURE!
Paintings, photos, Metal art, Fabric art, Wall Baskets, Children’s art, all of these and more bring texture into our rooms and into our lives.
I can’t think of anything that stands out more than the relationship between the texture of our walls and the texture of our art.
This is a fun part of our “taste” that gives us much freedom in our interior design ideas! We can be very creative using texture as a criteria for choosing wall art.
Relationship #4....COLOR!
One of the most powerful statements in décor can be made with the simple use of color.
Here’s a short teaching on color…using a color wheel. The colors directly across from each other provide contrast. This is very useful when you want to bring attention to something, or to balance a room’s environment. For example, to balance a green-themed room, use a splash of something in the red category, it “tastes” good!
The colors near each other on the color wheel bring harmony into the design. We can find an unlimited color spectrum hiding between each of the three primary colors, Red, Yellow, and Blue.
If you are after harmony in your room atmosphere, consider wall décor that stays with the in-between colors of your walls, furniture and other objects.
Remember, color relationships are very subjective to your individual taste!
Relationship #5....MEANING!
Ahh, my favorite essential element to choosing wall décor! You may find that I get on a soap box when discussing the meaning or message that can be associated with wall art. I have been profoundly influenced by art, photos, images, and other types of interior design ideas, which makes me want to be intentional about what I put on my walls.
“We shape our homes and then our homes shape us.” Winston Churchill
I can get very emotional when I encounter an amazing image of creation coupled with words from scripture. The influence that it has on my day and on others as they pass through the room never ends. I can choose the influence I want to encourage and motivate me! Other meaningful elements include family photos, children’s art, memorabilia, symbols, icons, and so many more. Your personal flair for this will guide you to making the best choice!
One more thought on design….
“When you work for yourself, the design process is never questioned.”
Robert Kime, Architectural Digest
To summarize, we when ask “what is correct design and incorrect design”, we can learn from the tastes and flairs of others as well as from ourselves.
We can also find ourselves becoming too serious about the whole subject and then realize that the adventure and fun of making wall art choices disappear!
From Facebook post, HIYL.com; Doe Zantamata
More...choosing wall art - with simple strategies!
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