What I have Learned so far........

                                     Function, Mood and Harmony!!

Develop a floor plan

A floor plan is your roadmap to success. Don’t be scared and think architects-only. You can do this. A floor plan is simply a measured drawing of the space in 1/4 scale that allows you to play with furniture size and placement. It is so worth spending some time with a measuring tape and graph paper before investing in furniture.Photo Via Sheffield.edu

Furnishings are only part of the puzzle. You need to consider floor type and color, the texture of the walls and ceilings, and architectural details such as moldings, cornices, and casings. Sometimes just gutsier baseboards, door casings, and window trims are exactly what is needed to give a room the desired gravitas. Photo Via Layla Grace

With so many possibilities think,function,durability,comfort,cost and mood and harmony.Your decision will set the tone for the entire room.

Paint is one of the least expensive decorating tools. If you paint a room and you  don’t like it simply repaint! Do sample boards before you paint  your wall with the color. Most paint stores will sell you small amounts just for this purpose. Once your samples are prepared, leave them out and look at them. How do they look at different times of the day? If you have a palette for a suite of rooms or an entire house, do the colors work together?:Take the time  to prep the walls. Sand, caulk, and prime the walls and the trim. Make sure that your rooms next to each other  relate. Pull the background color out of a fabric print from a pillow or chair in one room and use it as the wall color in the next room.

 Pick a color palette. Find one special thing that inspires you. It could be anything from art to a pattern of fabric to the view just outside the windows. Choose three to five colors. Some of the colors may only show up in a pillow or a trim as accents so don't worry that your picking five colors!! Photo Via Design Seed

      Scale is a key element of design.  Focus on ceiling heights. If the ceilings are high, use  large scale upholstery to help bridge the gap between the floor and ceiling. If the ceilings are low, regardless of the room size, use longer, lower upholstered pieces accentuated with taller, thinner objects such as floor lamps, bookcases and open arm chairs.  “listen” to what the room is telling you .When developing a furniture plan, consider the use of the room. Create more than one space within the room .. In a living room, avoid the standard sofa and two chairs as your only arrangement, for example. Consider a love seat at another end of the room or another pair of chairs or even some stools for extra seating. In a bedroom, consider a chair and ottoman for reading and relaxing.    Design By Gary McBournie

Minimize sun damage, double line your drapery panels. This will also help darken the room to help you sleep. Install shades behind the draperies to enrich the design,like matchstick or bamboo blinds or a custom roman shade. If the budget allows: Off-the-shelf adjustable drapery hardware can be difficult to slide your draperies. A custom-cut drapery rod is a good investment . Photo Via DecorPad.com

Photo via Lamp Plus

                                       

Make sure all task areas are well lit and avoid excessive use of overhead cans. I also think lampshades are a great way to bring a  decorative element. Always install high/low switches on the lamp cords so you can vary the light around a room to create that special mood lighting!!!  photo via interiorarchi.com