February 2017
One of the nicest things about buying a new home is that you get a blank canvas, ready to be customised perfectly to your own taste. But deciding on your decor can sometimes be quite daunting.
Not to worry, though. We’ve taken some top tips from interior designers that can help you turn your gorgeous new house into a home that is completely personal to you.
First, stand back and take a careful look at your space. Interior designers consider a room as a whole and take into account size and shape, what it will be used for and what kind of lighting it’s going to need.
Secondly, colour is crucial! Cool hues such as blues and greys can make your room look bigger, while warm shades of red, pink and orange can make it more intimate and cosy.
Draw up a palette of related colours to use throughout a room (or even through the whole house). You could take inspiration from your favourite rug or piece of furniture.
Don’t buy your paints purely from colour cards – before you invest, it’s worth bringing home some sample pots to see how the colours look in your room, because light can make a big difference to the way shades look on the wall.
Many people love a plain colour scheme, especially greys with complimenting feature walls such as mustard, nude or teal. Be sure to also add touches of patterns and texture in your accessories that create extra interest in the room.
Can you get away with mixing and matching patterns? Absolutely, as long as you stick to the same set of colours so nothing clashes. This works especially well with accessories such as cushions and throws – all the little touches that bring a room together.
You can accentuate your use of colour in a room by adding other toning accessories – for instance, coloured glass vases grouped together for an interesting display.
Also, don’t forget flooring, which plays an important part in the colour scheme of your room. A neutral carpet or laminate throughout your house will provide an excellent foundation whatever your choice of wall colour.
