Interior Designing
The use of white and black in decorating can create a stunning
and dramatic decor. Find out how to best take advantage of the
combination of these two simple colors to maximize your
decorating statement. There's a rule in decorating that says
that "every room can use a touch of black." You might think this
is strange if you have a room of pastels or jewel tones. But
think a minute. Using the color black adds a focal point of
color that grounds, anchors, and adds a sophisticated look to a
room. Black in accessories, light fixtures, trims, paint, or in
one bold piece of furniture will help to catch the eye and
sharpen any decorating scheme. It will serve as an outline that
sets off specific areas or objects. Black by itself is striking!
But to get real drama and spark, pair black with white. The use
of black and white in decorating gives a fresh, clean, and
unquestionably sophisticated and elegant look to any room. Black
and white are a perfect color combination for any decorating
style. Everybody is familiar with the dramatic change that can
come about from simply changing the colour on your walls. But
how many people have actually considered changing the shape of
the space itself? Sometimes we're presented with problematic
spaces that demand solutions. A very narrow room with a high
ceiling looks out of proportion - maybe installing a false
ceiling with recessed downlighters is the answer. A bathroom
next to a WC practically instructs you to remove the dividing
wall. Try applying this principle to an ordinary space as well,
one which doesn't have particular problems of size or
proportion, but which might benefit from a re-think of the space
and how it is to be used. The past shows us examples of space
dividing which may or may not be desirable solutions for the way
we live today. The 1960s and 1970s gave us plastic and metal
shelving units, open on both sides and jutting out across our
living rooms. The style has moved on but the principle is still
useable, except today we would use fabric panels, glass bricks,
chrome retail shelving, or folding bamboo screens to achieve the
same result. Straightforward square spaces can be given added
interest and the illusion of greater length by incorporating a
pair of screens that mirror each other across the room. These
needn't be large, they needn't jut out into the room too far.
Their mere presence is enough to create a space-changing
illusion. If the room is high enough, you might consider
building a platform over one end - for sleeping, reading,
watching television. This is an especially effective way of
increasing living space in a small studio or one-bedroom flat.
False ceilings needn't be permanent. Swathes of fabric can
create snug areas in an otherwise large and clinical room. Or,
you might consider altering your space by changing the floor
level. The character of a large dining/living room can be made
intimate and distinct by raising the level of the dining room.
This also offers the opportunity of using the newly created
underfloor space for storage - even as a wine cellar. One clever
architect recently tucked a full-sized bathtub under the bedroom
floor in a tiny flat! All of these changes (except for the
bathtub under the floor) have been made without changing your
structural walls and are usually limited to one room.
Redesigning an entire floor (or whole house) is an altogether
larger project. Cramped and muddled rooms on a single floor can
often be rearranged to create the feeling of more space. The
basic principles of this can be seen in good garden design. A
diagonal line of vision across a square space makes the space
feel bigger. If re-siting a door or incorporating an archway
achieves a diagonal line of sight through two or more rooms, the
effect will be the same. Gardens also use vistas, looking
through and beyond the space you inhabit to an object or space
beyond. Creating an enfilade - a progression of rooms linked
together by a succession of doorways or archways in perfect
alignment - was one of the ways the architects of the
seventeenth and eighteenth centuries achieved this vista effect
in their design of stately homes and palaces. You might consider
borrowing this idea for your own home. Don't forget about
mirrors and glass. The early 19th century architect Sir John
Soane adored mirrors and the space-expanding effect they had on
his interiors. His house in London was been preserved, complete
with all its architectural quirks, mirrored ceilings and walls,
and interior porthole windows. Large Victorian mirrors, bereft
of the huge mantles and sideboards over which they used to hang,
create an elegant illusion of doubled space simply by being
propped up against an empty wall. Sand-blasted glass panels,
glass bricks, and etched glass are all being used in creative
new ways to help increase light and a sense of space and
airiness in today's homes. Today's glass designers can create
everything from glass staircases to glass fireplaces. And this
glass isn't fragile! It's tough, strong and beautiful. If you
have a garden next to your room, try to incorporate that space
both visually and aesthetically. Install French or sliding doors
to bring the garden into your home. Increase that effect by
using the same floorcovering inside and outside - sandstone,
terracotta tiles or slate would work well and look great. Even
if you can't install French doors to make the room flow into the
garden, a simple expedient of sympathetically planted window
boxes will help make the garden flow into the room, especially
if the boxes are planted in colours which co-ordinate with your
room's decor.
Once you have decided the sum you wish to invest in home
improvements, it often helps to check the feasibility of that
budget by allocating portions of it to different areas of
expense. For a simple living room refurbishment you might
allocate the budget into seven areas; for instance,
floorcovering, wallcovering, curtains, furniture, light
fittings, accessories and designer's fee.
A useful tip is to think in terms of percentages rather than
cash. We all think money is still worth what it used to be worth
in the "good old days", and even millionaires complain about the
price of butter. However, by allocating percentages to your
project, you are better able to see what you can afford, and are
willing, to spend on each area of the redecoration. If you want
to have an elaborate curtain treatment, you may have to reduce
your budget for the floorcovering, or vice versa. This method
also helps you to prioritise your decoration requirements. By
being honest with your interior designer about your design
priorities and your budget, you are more likely to receive a
design and service that will surprise and delight you.
Check that the designer you choose has a defined fee structure
and make sure you get this in writing. Ensure that the designer
knows your decoration budget and be clear about whether the
design fees are included in this budget, or are paid on top.
Give the designer the budget breakdown and as much specific
information as possible about your expectations within that
budget - if you're expecting to get that antique reclaimed
parquet floor above all else, then make this clear. If it your
desired object isn't within the scope of your defined budget,
the designer can get back to you early on in the project to
juggle the budget allocations.
The designer will welcome clear information on your budget
because it is a real time saver for both of you. If the budget
extends only to slipcovers for existing furniture, let the
designer know this before they set off to pound the pavement in
a search for brand new furniture. (Remember, you're probably
paying for their sourcing time!)
If poker really is your game there is nothing wrong with keeping
a percentage of your budget in reserve without telling anyone
(in fact, this is quite a good idea). If the budget runs over
(and if the project requires building, plumbing or electrical
work, this can happen when surprises like dry rot, rising damp
or structural problems are uncovered), you then have a cash
reserve. But if the project has run smoothly, and the designer
has completed it on budget, then why not use the extra money to
visit the travel agent to celebrate!
For more information on Home Security please visit the Interior Design Resource Center