Interior Design Simply Means Personalizing Your Interior Environment

Interior Design today is all about customizing your built environment with conceptual planning, aesthetic sense and technical solutions applied to achieve the desired result. It goes beyond just the visual or ambient enhancement of an interior space, it seeks to optimize and harmonize the uses to which the built environment will be put. Between you and me, this jargon simply means dressing up your closed spaces to make them look their best. And just as you would dress for the occasion, your interiors need to be "dressed up" for a specific intended purpose or use. And that is where technical expertise really helps.

Interior Designs should reflect your needs.

Each space is unique with its own dimensions, construction, design potential and, of course, - limitations. Are you going to use that space for work or leisure, entertainment or learning, worship or healing? Can you create the ambience that you wish to convey - be it power, authority, wisdom, and achievement, a sense of security, playfulness or serenity, as required by that space?
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Consider the practical aspects. Is access easy, lighting adequate, acoustics soothing, and seating comfortable? And have you worked out strategies for wise storage space without forgetting special needs - especially health and safety? Sounds a wee-bit difficult, isn't it? Despair not! You as user are the only one who can come up with all the right answers. Look for interior design ideas - they are available aplenty. It's just this small matter of putting things together judiciously. Who knows? There could well be a Le Corbusier hiding somewhere in your persona!
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About The Author

Mike Yeager, Publisher

http://www.a1-interior-design-4u.com/

mjy610@hotmail.com

Bathroom Interior Design

Any advice or guide on the interior design of a bathroom should be based around one simple concept: keep it simple. Rooms inside of a home should have functional aspects, and if one room is designed for very specific functions, it is the bathroom. There have always been many jokes about the "throne" of a home, but the honest fact is that creating a visibly appealing and comfortable bathroom will inspire positive feelings to its users.

Hardware choices should be the primary concern when designing a bathroom. Faucets and spigots, as well as tubs and toilets, produced in a variety of shapes and materials can centerpiece a design. Open showers are currently popular with the younger upwardly- mobile crowd, and claw-foot bathtubs are almost always considered to be classic and attractive. Evaluate privacy issues first; don't put the toilet and tub too close together.
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Is it a possibility to center your bathroom around a favorite theme? The answer is most certainly "yes." Keeping in mind that "less is more" while choosing a decoration pattern that will coordinate with the rest of the home will open many design possibilities. Finding a color or pattern inspiration from simple or small artwork may be the first step toward creating a bathroom masterpiece.
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When designing a bathroom's tiling, take the time to shop around through different hardware, decoration and craft stores. The more expensive of the different types of tiles should have durability, aesthetic value, and a non-porous surface. It should be easily cleaned and sanitized, and it needs to install easily without any expensive or caustic glues or cements. Get creative also; all tile in bathrooms need not be made of porcelain.
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After the design and production of a space-conscious and attractive bathroom have been completed, focus on decoration accessories to bring out personality and individualism. The bathroom is the most sacred room of any interior, and placing prized possessions on the walls or shelves is an interesting way to bless this special room. Use courageous ideas and do not be afraid to take chances, but above all: keep it simple.

There is nothing more rewarding then improving the look and value of your own home. For lots of articles about home improvement visit: Poking Around The Home

Interior Design For Your Dolls House - Choosing The Right Period

Different periods in history reflect very different interior designs. This article looks at the key characteristics of the most popular dolls house periods from 1714 to the early 1900's and will help to ensure your house looks its period best!

Georgian Era (1714-1837) This style focused on harmony and symmetry using pale colour schemes and delicate furniture to produce a room that was airy and light.

Floors were often bare with oriental style rugs although grander houses may have had stone or marble flooring. Walls were panelled but often only reaching dado height with the top being papered or painted. Wallpaper were made using simple repeat patterns although towards the later half of this period they were also block printed often in stripes or simple shapes. Furniture was delicate and sofas with a hoop back were typical. Fireplaces were the focal point of the room and should be elegant with basket grates. Pictures were hung in formal groups to flank the fireplace and other ornaments would have included porcelain, fans and lacquer work.
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Victorian Era (1837-1901) The Victorians used theirs homes as a reflection of their status. It was an age of imitation and reproduction with many styles influencing interior design from Gothic to Rococo. For the dolls house enthusiast this means lots of ornaments, overstuffed chairs and sofas, and patterned wallpapers and carpets.
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Fireplaces would have been ornate and made mostly of cast iron with mantles stuffed to bursting with ornaments and often fabric draped across. Stairs would have been covered with a central runner, stained either side. Room moulding would have been plentiful with ceiling roses a must! Fabrics for curtains etc would have been highly patterned and very rich.
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If your passion is for miniatures rather than dolls houses then the Victorian period provides you with the perfect excuse to cram your house from the floor to the rafters!

Edwardian Era (1901-1910) Following on from the Victorian era the Edwardians were a breath of fresh air. They favoured a fresh and light interior with lots of feminine influences with wicker, bamboo and pastel colours being the order of the day.

The Wing chair is a typical Edwardian piece. Edwardians used reproduction furniture (to them!) so many styles can be appropriate. Rooms were designed to be bright and breezy so light fabrics with delicate patterns were a must. Electric lighting was on its way in during this period and the Edwardians often chose fabric shades with frills and tassels. Fireplaces were smaller than their Victorian counterparts with tiled sides. Floors would have been highly polished woodblock or red quarry tiles for areas of heavy traffic. Some of the biggest names from this period are Art Nouveau, the Arts and Crafts movement and Queen Anne style furniture.

I will be looking at later periods post 1900 in a future article.

Produced by Scaledtofit for informational purposes. Scaledtofit supplies quality dolls house furniture and accessories to suit many periods and styles of dolls house. http://www.scaledotfit.co.uk

Interior Design Secrets for Selling Houses

New concepts in Interior Design Psychology are helping home sellers net more money in today's competitive real estate market. Therefore, it's worthwhile to spend time planning the changes that will help your home sell for the highest price.

Develop a general design plan, keeping your target market and budget in mind. Your overall design plan really depends on supply and demand. How many houses are for sale in your area? How many houses sell each week? Is the selling season cold, warm, or hot? Is it a seller's or buyer's market?

If the market is moving fast and buyers are lining up to make offers for homes in your neighborhood, you can do less. But whatever your answers to the above questions, you'll still need to do a few things to make your home stand out from the competition.
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Know Your Target Buyers

Think about your neighborhood and the buyers purchasing homes near yours. Are they purchasing their first home or moving up? This will be important to your marketing and design plan, since the psychological needs of the two types of buyers differ considerably.

First-time homebuyers seek to control their own environment by owning, rather than renting. Their psychological needs include:
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Safety and security Sense of place or connection Comfort Self-control

Move-up buyers often enjoy those benefits, too, but they're generally more interested in finding a larger home with more amenities for their comfort, self-esteem, and feelings of prestige.
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Once you've determine your potential buyers, you can begin making improvements to your home that will attract them.

Budget Concerns

Spend money only on items that will make a difference in your sales price. Of all repairs, fresh paint is the best investment you can make. New kitchen appliances, upgraded bathroom features, and updated lighting fixtures will usually give a good return for your money, as well.

Sometimes, hiring professional help is worth the extra expense. Professional painters work faster and will often cost less than day laborers. Tile installers, carpet layers, and electricians also know their trades and will do a better job than most day laborers.

Contractors should have their own disability and liability insurance -- ask for a copy with your contract. Get everything in writing -- including work to be completed, costs, lists of specific materials to be used, time for completion, and payment schedule.

Exterior Design Psychology

Choosing the right colors to paint your home will make a huge difference in your paycheck at closing. Look at the other homes near yours and choose complementary colors.

Did you know that the exterior color of houses selling the most quickly is yellow, but the wrong tone or shade of yellow can kill a potential home sale? Avoid yellows with green undertones and bright yellows, and choose pale yellows with creamy or beige shades instead. Warning: colors look darker on huge exterior expanses than they do on the little paint chips you see in the store.

Color Combinations

Paint stores offer many brochures, showing various combinations of exterior paint colors, but most of them also feature combinations include three colors. Limiting your paint selection to only two colors will limit your income potential.

Think fun colors for a fast sale. Think "Disneyland Main Street," where every shop is painted in glorious multi-color. Using a third or fourth color on the exterior can add definition to your home's details. Use gloss or semi-gloss paint on wood trim.

Psychology of Exterior Paint Colors

Take the ultimate sales price of your remodeled home into account. Certain colors, especially muted, complex shades, will attract wealthy or highly-educated buyers, whereas buyers with less income or less education will generally prefer simple colors.

A complex color contains tints of gray or brown, and usually requires more than one word to describe, such as sage green or forest brown, while simple colors are straightforward and pure. Generally, houses in the lower price range will sell faster and for more money when painted in simple tones like yellow and tan with white, blue, or green trim.

Interior Design Plans and Secrets

Create a list of work and materials you'll need for each room and then estimate the time you think it will take for each task. The more planning you do before you begin, the more time and money you'll save.

Psychology of Interior Paint Colors

Daring to use color instead of bland white walls will increase your profit potential. Did you know that Lynette Jennings tested people's perception of room size and color? A room that was painted white appeared larger to only a few people in the survey, compared to an identical room painted with a color, and the perceived difference was only about six inches! Because most people look better surrounded by color, a colored wall also makes them feel happier, and buyers will choose to buy the house that makes them feel happiest.

Entryways should bring the exterior colors of the home inside. Repeat variations of the exterior shades all the way through your home, which will make the entire home seem to be in harmony. As an added bonus, if buyers love the exterior colors, they're going to like the interior colors, as well.

Spending time planning your home's sale, rather than just listing it and then taking your chances, will net you more money, and faster!

Best wishes for a profitable, quick sale.

(c) Copyright 2004, Jeanette J. Fisher. All rights reserved

Professor Jeanette Fisher, author of Doghouse to Dollhouse for Dollars, Joy to the Home, and other books teaches Real Estate Investing and Design Psychology. For more articles, tips, reports, newsletters, and sales flyer template, see http://www.doghousetodollhousefordollars.com/pages/5/index.htm

Selling Houses: Design Psychology and Interior Colors

Interior colors are vitally important to selling your home quickly, and for more money. But you must always take your target market and selling season into account, using Design Psychology techniques, when choosing the colors for the inside of your home.

One of the biggest mistakes sellers make is to paint everything white, which will make the interior of the home look clean, but does nothing to make buyers feel and look good. Your goal is for your home to must make potential buyers feel and look great in your home. When you accomplish that, you'll have a sale.
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Consider Your Buyers

When choosing colors, always keep your target buyers in mind. If they'll be wealthy and highly educated, you'll want to use complex muted colors in your interior paint scheme. If your buyers will be less educated and in lower income brackets, concentrate on primary or pastel colors.
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Your interior colors should also echo, in slightly lighter shades, the colors you've used on the outside of the house. That will give your home a greater feeling of harmony in the buyer's mind, and since people look better in colored rooms, your buyers will also feel better in your home. As an added bonus, buyers who liked your exterior scheme are also going to appreciate your choice of colors for the interior, which will make them more inclined to buy your home.
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Consider Your Selling Season

Your color choices will also depend upon the time of year your home will be on the market. Use warm-color accents, such as reds, yellows, maroons, if you'll be selling during the fall and winter months, and cooler colors like grays, blues, and greens, if your home is going to be shown in spring and summer. Your ultimate goal is to create either the feeling of a cool desert oasis or a warm, inviting haven, depending upon the selling season.

Choosing Individual Room Colors

Consider how each room is used when choosing colors. For instance, kitchens look great and feel natural when painted with "food colors," such as celery greens and scrambled-egg yellows.

Main bedrooms are places for intimacy and serenity, so medium shades of green or blue work well during warm selling seasons, and rouge red makes a dynamic impact in cooler weather. Other bedrooms show well and feel great when painted in soft creamy tones of green, yellow, blue, or pale shell pink.

Your choice of colors will affect potential buyers in subtle, but powerful, ways, and by using the principles of Design Psychology, you can make your home much more appealing, even though your buyers won't even notice. All they'll know is that your home makes them feel good, which will make them want to buy it, and that's the most important thing.

(c) Copyright 2004, Jeanette J. Fisher. All rights reserved.

Professor Jeanette Fisher, author of Doghouse to Dollhouse for Dollars, Joy to the Home, and other books teaches Real Estate Investing and Design Psychology. For more articles, tips, reports, newsletters, and sales flyer template, see http://www.doghousetodollhousefordollars.com/pages/5/index.htm