Interior Decoration Laying The Groundwork

Many people have heard that don’t go grocery shopping if you are hungry. This leads to poor decisions. This is also true for furniture stores: don’t panic if you don’t have a home. You do need a sofa. You can’t just buy a pink-striped sectional because it looks good in the store without measuring it or considering the space. You will need to build around the sofa. If it is too big, it will make the room look awkward.

Begin by measuring the space you want to furnish.

Know your measurements

It is important to match the furniture’s scale with the room. A large sectional sofa with a lot of leg can overwhelm a small space, while slender chairs can look lost in a spacious loft. Before you begin designing, measure the room’s length and width. Also, consider the height of the ceiling and any obstructions such as columns, stairs, radiators, or other obstacles. To make window coverings, it’s a good idea also to measure the openings of windows. David Kleinberg, the founder of New York’s interior design firm David Kleinberg Design Associates, stated that the first mistake people make is buying the wrong size furniture. These problems can be avoided by measuring the space carefully.

Make a Floorplan

Now that you know the dimensions of your room, you can put them to work with , a floor plan which gives you an aerial view of the whole house. Alexa Hampton, president of Mark Hampton, a New York interior design company founded by her father, said that every job should begin with a floorplan. You need to understand the space. Another option is to draw the floor plan by hand using paper, a pencil, and a ruler. However, most professional designers use drafting software like AutoCAD. There are apps that make it simple for homeowners to create floor plans. Some even automate measurements with their smartphone’s camera. But double-check those numbers. Once you have a rough idea of the space, begin to experiment with furniture placement. Make sure the footprint of each piece matches the size of your drawing.

Decide how you want to live

This is the most difficult part. There are no right or wrong answers. You can have a traditional or modern room, or a more relaxed space, or a room that is visually cool or warm. “You have to think about how you want to live in the space.” said Ms. Hampton. What will you do? Is there a lot of people living there? Do you have children? How do you envision your life? A home that hosts large dinner parties should look different than one that is used for casual dining. A living space that is designed for hosting lavish fundraisers should be different from one that is used by someone who only dreams of watching TV.