Interior design or home decoration is the art of decorating a room so that it looks and feels good, is easy to use and functions well with the existing architecture. The goal of home decoration is to provide a certain “feel” for the room, it encompasses applying paint to walls and other surfaces, choosing furniture and fittings and providing other decorations like artefacts and sculptures. There is a very thin line between designing and decoration. Interior decoration is generally focused more on finishes, such as paint, window covering and furnishings. Interior design needs to be more integrated with the architecture and might also be involved in room layout, cabinet designs, window and door placements and so on. But whatever is the term, one thing in common is the design ideas, without which none of the above is possible.

Spacious rooms

If you love the wide open spaces and want the light and airy atmosphere, here are some tips on achieving that sense of spaciousness in your rooms. To create a feeling of largeness in your room, eliminate the shadows that tend to slice a room up into smaller spaces. Work on lighting the room with a soft, even light. Diffused, ambient lighting will tend to enlarge the room.

Keep the surfaces free of heavy textures. Smoother surfaces tend to reflect more light and make the room feel larger. Avoid heavy textured flooring. Choose tile over patterned vinyl. Reflective and shiny surfaces such as mirror and chrome also can be used effectively. Soft colours and monochromatic colour schemes. Use cream, beige, gray or cool pastels on your walls and floors to make them recede. The ceiling should always be the lightest colour in the room. Limit the use of patterns to create a more airy feeling. A typical application of a pattern might be to reserve it for an accent piece. Selection and placement of furniture is crucial in defining the space. Keep the largest pieces against the walls whenever possible. Choose furniture colours that are the same or similar to those selected for the walls and floors.

Cozy rooms

If you want a cozy and comforted ambience, here are some points to consider a more intimate space. Create spaces through the use of directed light. Lighting from the ceiling will seem to lower it. A reading lamp or down-shaded lamp will cast light only in its relative vicinity. Use incandescent rather than halogen or florescent lamps for a warmer glow. Choose strong colours for your walls and floor. They tend to bring them closer towards one another. A dark floor with walls of brown or deep red, blue or green tones will create the feeling of a smaller, cozier space. Heavy, soft textures add warmth to a space. Use rougher textures for the hard elements in the room; iron instead of chrome. The use of pattern in a room can also lend a sense of coziness to the space. Choose dark finishes and fabrics to create a sense of the piece being larger than it actually is. Heavy textured fabrics and large patterns will add a cozy feeling to a sofa or chair. Place pieces away from the wall and use tall pieces to divide and define smaller spaces within a room for greater intimacy.

Room corners

The corners of our rooms can be decorating assets or just a boring space. With a little imagination you can make the corner space work for you and create a beautiful area in your room. The void corner of the room can be fill with natural or artificial tree or ornament. An uplight addition will give a beautiful look. Pedestals of varied sizes look good in corners. A table top with a beautiful fabric and a couple of chairs to each side with coordinating fabric on the seats can give a very dramatic look. Add a lamp, your favorite pictures and collectibles for a gorgeous tablescape. A corner cabinet or hanging cupboard is a handsome solution and adds needed storage and display areas as well.

Storage

One of the most important basics in decorating a small space is to purchase furniture that does double or triple duty for storage. Purchasing multiple purpose accessories and furniture allow options that give your living space character and flexibility. Sofa v bed: A sofa for your living room area might contain a bed for yourself or unexpected visitors. Tables containing drawers or shelves give you other options further storage. Bookshelves with or without doors, can be appropriate for entertainment centers, home offices, kitchen storage or bedroom storage. Bathroom storage units are great for under sink storage. These units increase your storage capacity in a small area.

Theme room

A well-decorated room can still lack personality. To give your room a personality, choose from among these basic design elements, modify them to suit your tastes and implement them in a way which is just right for you.

A ‘themed’ room says something about you, the person who has done it, your family or the place where you live. A theme will also provide you a place to showcase your collections, prized possessions, arts and crafts. Artifacts - A piece of artistic value will always give your room that special touch you have always wanted. It can add texture and depth to a room.

Collections

It is the most effective way to display your collections in a special arrangement. Whether you collect shells, dolls or trinkets, arrange them tastefully instead of just lining things up in a row. Lining things looks even worse when objects are small in size. Instead, group them together to project variety within your collections.

Colour

Colour does not get limited to painting the walls of your room. Use colours that make you feel good about them in fabrics, pillows, shelves, curtains etc. Blend colours to suit your style.