“How do I make my interior design ideas a reality?”

This is a common question that I get asked a lot. Perhaps you’re feeling the same way? There are so many lovely ideas out there for interior design in both online and print media that it can be hard to know where to start! You may also look at lots of different style ideas and find that you like more than one. How do you combine a homely country feel with a modern interior for example? Or how do you inject some personality and ‘age’ into a new build home?

When I’m working with my clients, I often encourage them to look through magazines or Pinterest and create two image boards for me. One board contains all the images that you like and one contains all of the ones that you don’t! (It’s often easier to start with the design ideas that you don’t like). You don’t need to know why you do or don’t like an interior, you just need to collect them together.

Next, we look at the images together and have a discussion about how different looks make you feel, or the mood that they convey to you. This is a really interesting part of the process and one of my favourite bits to be honest!

Often, I can see the ‘red thread’ or common idea that runs through the images that my clients do and don’t like – even if they can’t! We then go from there and look at what they already have in their home that works with the styles that they like. I always start with items that my clients have and work from there. I don’t believe in throwing everything out and starting again when designing an interior. In my humble opinion, that makes an interior boring! Who wants a home that looks like everyone else’s?

Finally, we break the room we are looking down into ‘zones’ and work out how to style each part in order to create the look that my client is looking for. Sometimes just adding floor length curtains, a large area rug and a statement lamp is enough to work wonders.(Read the Google review one of my clients left me to see what I mean)!

If you need some help making your design ideas come to life then I’d love to help. I’ve just started a new service called ‘Style Your Space’, which can be carried out in person or online. It’s a budget friendly option that’s a great way to start the ball rolling in making your dream home a reality!