Do It Yourself Home Interior Design
Few do-it-yourself projects are as exciting and rewarding as creating and executing a plan for the decor of your home. Clipping and saving images of favorite furnishings and looks from decorating magazines and making an accurately scaled floor plan of the space are giant steps toward completion of a home design project and the realization of the interior of your dreams. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Loose-leaf binder with filler pages
- Measuring tape
- Ruler
- 1/4-inch scale graph paper
Instructions
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Select a loose-leaf binder with pockets inside the cover and sturdy filler leaves. Clip images from decorating magazines of furniture, accessories, lighting fixtures, colors and rooms that you love and paste them into your binder. Fill the pockets with fabric samples, small carpet and flooring samples and paint colors. Take the binder with you when you shop as a handy reference for picking out furniture, selecting fabrics and matching paint colors.
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Use a ruler, measuring tape and 1/4-inch graph paper to draw an accurate floor plan of the space you are decorating. Four feet in the room will equal 1 inch on the graph paper. Note all doors, windows, stairs and landings on the plan. Add notes of window height and width, sill height and wall space between the top of the window and the ceiling to facilitate the purchase of shades, blinds and curtains and aid in the proper design of drapery treatments. Keep the floor plan in your binder and use it to get on-the-spot flooring and carpeting estimates from retailers. Make scale cutouts of your furniture pieces to try different placement ideas on your floor plan.
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Ask your paint and hardware retailer for free seminars about do-it-yourself room painting and faux painting effects.
Save energy, time and money with their innovative decorating ideas and valuable tips on materials and tools required for the job as well as detailed instructions for wall preparation and painting. Ask about self-priming paint for one-coat coverage. It's more expensive, but you save money in the long run because you use half the amount of paint.
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Get library books about refinishing and painting metal or wood furniture and reupholstery. You can save money and create a new look for favorite pieces with a coat of paint or a new fabric. Faux painting effects and stenciled motifs add interest and charm to a freshly painted chest or table. Use you imagination and have fun.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Comstock/Getty Images
