By: Aaron Walker
Is your house and home feeling a little bit tired and jaded? Does it lack that special edge that it once had? If so you're no doubt sick of living in a home that no longer suits you so why not convert that drab interior to something fantastic? Your home should be a place of rest and relaxation. A place for you to recharge your batteries that have been drained by todays busy lifestyles. The great news is that regardless of what type of look or feel you want your redecorated home to have there are ideas aplenty available to you for use as inspiration.
There are several important tips that you should follow for each interior or home decorating project:
1. Choose A Theme
Have a very clear idea of what you want the finished "product" to look like before you begin. Get your hands on as many home decorating books and magazines as you can. As you read through them you'll find yourself drawn to one theme or style more than others. Exposure to as many decorating styles as possible is the key to success here.
2. Choose A Color Scheme
During your theme research you'll have noticed that most decorating themes rely on specific color schemes to achieve the required results; those colors are standard to that particular decorating theme. What do we mean by this? Well for example Asian decorating styles and themes are dominated by the use of red, black and dark blue. Another example is tropical decorating themes which rely more on green, red and aqua colors. Your chosen theme will, realistically, follow the same basic pattern of using a fixed palette of colors for the entire decorating project.
3. Choose A Use For the Room
What will you actually do in the room you're redecorating? Just because the room was originally built for a specific purpose don't mentally trap yourself by only decorating to that particular type of room. For example if your family eats most of their meals in the kitchen then don't decorate your dining room with a large dining table and accessories - it's a waste of the room. It could be converted to a study, home office or even a play room so don't limit your thinking to using any room for its original purpose - unless it suits you of course.
4. The Shopping List
Of all the items that you could potentially list here paint is the most important. Paint forms the "foundation" of any room and if you rush the paint job then everything that comes afterwards just won't "work" in the room. Another mistake many people make is to buy the cheapest paint possible. You might save a few bucks on the cost of the tin but you'll wind up kicking yourself later on when you realize it's going to take 3 coats to finish each wall instead of just one - it's generally not cost effective to buy cheap paint; it just doesn't cover or finish as well as the more expensive brands.
Also make allowances in your budget for disposable overalls and any cleaning or preparatory materials you might need for your project. Decorating can be a messy business so prepare for the clean up operation before you even begin.
5. What To Paint With?
Another important decision is whether to use brushes, a roller or foam painting pads. Brushes have their uses for "edging out" a room - for those tiny corners. For the large surface areas it makes more sense to use a roller or paint pads. Personally I've found rollers to be just plain old messy and now use paint pads (some stores call them speed painters) for any large surface area that needs to be painted well and quickly. Use a roller if you really have to but bear in mind that they're extremely messy so make sure both you (disposable overalls are ideal) and the flooring is well covered against splashes.
Don't forget to have some fun along the way too! For all the planning, preparation and work that goes into redecorating any room or home it should still be a fun experience for everyone involved. You'll have that added sense of satisfaction knowing that you redecorated or helped to redecorate your home with your own hands. Take some time out to relax in your new room once it's finished - especially before you start redecorating the next room in the house.
