It can sometimes be difficult to get the right approach to interior design. You may feel that you’re suffering from a lack of inspiration and that you’d like some help when it comes to making the right decisions.
There’s also something of a balance to be struck in many cases. Thinking about your own requirements, there may well be a feeling that you want to create a home that will appeal to visitors. You’ll want people to feel that the house is stylish, since this reflects in a positive manner on your own life.
But this is unlikely to be the only factor that’s involved in the process. The truth is that we’re talking about a place where you’ll be spending a lot of time with family and friends. It’s important to remember that substance should not be completely ignored in favor of style.
What do you need?
It may be best to begin by thinking about practical consideration. Before getting carried away with great ideas about stylish additions, it might be worth giving appropriate consideration to the way in which your home is used.
At first glance, this may appear to be something that’s incredibly easy to understand. Surely, you might feel, all homes should be achieving similar aims?
Although this might seem to hold true, the reality is that there are likely to be significant differences in the approaches that people take. If you have young children, for example, then you may feel that a priority should be to create a home environment where they will be safe. This may mean making some modifications that don’t have much in common with the latest styles.
If you are a part of a professional couple, on the other hand, then you may not have such concerns. Instead, your focus may purely be on creating a space that’s great for entertaining others.
A personal space
One question that many people ask is whether it’s possible to create a stylish home that’s truly personal in nature. There’s often a concentration of effort on creating something resembling a hotel room, even though hotels are often pretty neutral in appearance terms. Is this a look that you wish to achieve?
I think it’s actually perfectly possible to make use of family portraits,
oil paintings and other personal accessories. You obviously need to think about how they interact with the rest of the room, but they shouldn’t need to be consigned to the garage, garden shed, or attic.
When people visit your home, they appreciate that they are getting an insight into your life. That’s something to be admired. To hide such elements away from view would surely be a mistake.
There’s no reason why you can’t create a stylish home that also manages to show that you’re part of a loving family.
About the author: Keith Barrett takes a keen interest in interior design and home improvement issues. He believes in adding the personal touch and thinks that it can be uplifting.
Credits: Photo courtesy of Craig Toron.