Tap Into Your Inner Interior Designer

If you're considering enrolling in an interior design program, you probably already have an interest in interior design and a knack for decorating. Even before you receive training, you can tap into your inner interior designer to further develop these skills and interests. First, learn to identify decorating styles. There are many books, magazines and websites that can teach you to identify the basic decorating styles, including traditional, contemporary, and country. Gather pictures of rooms that appeal to you from magazines and websites. Remember that while you prefer a particular style and may choose to specialize in that area as an interior designer, it's imperative that you are
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If you're considering enrolling in an interior design program, you probably already have an interest in interior design and a knack for decorating. Even before you receive training, you can tap into your inner interior designer to further develop these skills and interests.

First, learn to identify decorating styles. There are many books, magazines and websites that can teach you to identify the basic decorating styles, including traditional, contemporary, and country. Gather pictures of rooms that appeal to you from magazines and websites. Remember that while you prefer a particular style and may choose to specialize in that area as an interior designer, it's imperative that you are familiar with others to give future clients an array of choices.

Start looking at the spaces around you with a fresh eye. Your inner interior designer can help you decorate your space and create a room that is functional and comfortable as well as attractive. Practicing in your own home is a great way to learn more about interior design and find out how others react to your design. Don't be afraid to give friendly interior design advice and assistance to friends and relatives, too. It can help you to build your confidence and learn to work with others.

One of the basic goals of interior design is to create a space that flows and appeals to the eye. Most people can look at an object and know immediately if it's appealing. An interior designer is able to apply this vision to spaces and rooms. When you look around a room, there should be a flow, so that things look like they belong together. If something doesn't belong, it will stand out and ruin the look.

Some aspects of a well designed room are scale, color, and texture. Look at rooms and note the scale of items to each other. You'll be able to tell if some items are too big for the room, since they will overpower it. Items that are too small will get lost in the room and will look out of place. In your space, play with different sizes and heights of furniture and decor. Make sure there is some empty space in the room for an uncluttered look.

Color and texture play an important role in interior design. Textured materials on furniture and splashes of color add special touches to a room. Accent colors and tones bring out other colors in the room. They can be used to focus interesting objects. They can also be used to take away the focus from items. For example, it you have a piece of furniture that's made of poor quality wood, don't include other materials that will make it stand out.

Another important interior design element to include in your space is an attractive focal point. This is usually a large, visually appealing piece, like a fireplace or television armoire, that dominates the room and draws the eye.

In your interior design training, you'll learn about floor planning, including computer aided design that is used to create three dimensional, detailed floor plans. Before you get there, it's helpful to be able to draw a floor plan. It should contain accurate measurements and include windows, doors, and other architectural features. The ability to sketch a finished room is another skill that you can begin to develop as you work on your own interior design projects.

Interior designers use many tools, and your inner interior designer should, too. Create a tool kit that includes your floor plan, along with swatches and paint chips. Keep the items in a portfolio or bag and take them with you when you shop for furniture and accessories. You can also create a sample board or idea board similar to those that interior designers use in client presentations. Include paint samples, swatches and pictures of items that you own or want to purchase. Arrange the items similar to a room, with windows near the top of the board and flooring at the bottom.

While training in interior design will make you an expert, it's never too early to tap into your inner interior designer to create attractive, well-designed spaces.

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