Kates Home Staging Interior Design Blog for Rockland County NY & Bergen County NJ

As you enter a new home for another interior design or interior redesign, how does a designer find inspiration to transform the room?  What is the room does not have a redeeming arhitectural features to work with? What if the room has to be used as a walk through to get to the other side?

Well, this is what differentiates the experienced interior designers from those with less experience. Great interior design can be created in almost any room by manipulating the variables of design and using them to lead the eye to specific objects or areas of the room.

A room that is devoid of architectural details can be transformed with the purposeful placement of furnishings and color to help style emerge from the room. A timeless, mahogany wood floor could be installed on a 45 degree angle to create further visual interest and to draw your eye into the room.  Using several textures and fabrics on the furniture in the room can create an sensual look and invite you to investigate the room further.  Furniture must always be in proportion to the size of the overall room or else the room will appear overcrowded.  Window treatments can be prominent and become your focal point.

The addition of wood paneling, wainscoting, crown molding, chair rail molding, ornate corbels, or even shadow boxes can completely dress up a room and create a look and a feel that was not there before. This woodwork can establish a pattern and provide rhythm to a plain surface. The molding can be stained a dark wood stain to allow the grain to show through or painted a high gloss white to reflect the light in the room.

A room that has doors on opposite sides of the room can be setup as two distinct areas but similar colors and styles should be used to help unit the space. In a small living room with a low ceiling, tall thin bookcases can be used to emphasize vertical proportions and be placed at the ends of the wall.  Smaller rooms would be painted in lighter paint colors to reflect light and to make the room size less obvious. Mirrors should be used to provide focus and reflect light, especially in a darker room.  Art and accessory placement can really transform a room. Symmetry and asymmetry needs to be applied when appropriate when implementing art and accessories.

Three types of lighting (ambient, task, accent) must always be used to complete the interior design of any room.  Having lights installed on dimmer switches will allow better control of ambiance in the room.  Three way bulbs are another great option to control the amount of light entering a room. Candle lights screams romance and intimacy and should be implemented when appropriate.

If your home does not inspire you, maybe it is time to call in an interior designer or interior redesigner. A great design will incorporate the home owner's unique tastes to ensure you as satisfied with the transformation.  By using wall paint colors, different textures and fabrics on your furniture, selecting optimal lighting schemes, deciding on the room layout, selecting wall moldings, your home will be transformed from ordinary to extraordinary.

Kate, Kate's Home Staging and Redesign, serves Rockland County, NY and Orange County, NY and Passaic County, NJ.  We specializes in home staging, interior design, color consultations, custom wood signs, semi-custom window coverings, home decor discounts, and more.  Contact Kate to schedule your design consultation at 845-538-3623 or visit www.kateshomestaging.com .

By spending $100 or less, a home owner could improve their home and make their surroundings more enjoyable.  Since it is winter and colder outside, this is the time of year when more people focus on staying home more and inside home updates.

Here are a few ideas to get you started:

1. One thing my family always enjoys is new bedding.  Now is the time to pickup a new "bed in a bag" for your master bedroom and change your look.  With places like Walmart carrying brands like Better Homes and Gardens bedding and pillows, you can pick up a complete bedding set plus some extra decorative pillows for under $100.

  Picture is Walmart.com,  Better Homes & Garden Bedding Set Spice

2.  Update your bathroom faucet to a more modern one.  It may take you a little time looking online to find a style you like that is under $100, but is can change the entire look of your sink.  Most home owners are able to change out a faucet on their own since all the existing piping is already there. 

Picture is from HomeDepot.com, Pegasus 9000 Series Faucet - $99

3.   Update all the towels and bathmat in one of your bathrooms.  This is another great way to completely transform the room with an entirely new color scheme for a relatively small amount of money.

Picture is from Kohls.com, Greenbriar 3 Piece Towel - $36

4.  Paint your walls a different color.  This is the easiest way to have a huge impact in a room. A gallon of Benjamin Moore interior paint runs between $30-$40 in my area and is a fantastic paint.  Color can influence mood and make a small room look larger (by selecting a light, reflective color).

5.  Hire an interior decorator or home stager for 1 hour to come to your home and help you decide on what needs to be done.  Most decorators and home stagers charge under $100 per hour and can give you invaluable information such as what paint color to use on your walls or where to position your extra large sofa.  Believe me, this will be the best money you spent because the results will have a lasting effect in your home.

Kate

Kate's Home Staging and Redesign, specializes in home staging, interior design, home decorating, home decor discounts, semi-custom window coverings, and color consultation.  Call Kate for your design consultation at 845-538-3623 or visit www.kateshomestaging.com