Home Interior Design

Elvira Entertainment Unit, courtesy of Spacify.com

Many people feel overwhelmed trying to learn about home interior design. There seems to be so much to do and no place to even begin! On top of that, add the pressure of creating a pleasant atmosphere you can live with for some time. What's a designer to do?

What Is Your Lifestyle?

While you are figuring out your home interior design, ask yourself who you are and what you do in your home.

Do you do a lot of cooking? If so, you may want to focus on having a bright, kitchen with easy to clean features, lots of counter space and functionability.
Do you do a lot of formal entertaining? If so, you will want a formal space to do this in. You may want to use mix elegant colors or have expensive, elegant furniture. You may want art and candles as focal points.
Are you a casual entertainer? Do you have a casual game night once a week? If so, design a space around this. Buy or build a large table with space for snacks and drinks. Create a room with lots of chairs so people can sit and chat with each other.
Do you have children? If your children are young, you may want to stay away from the elegant, expensive furnishings. You will also want floor coverings and walls that are easy to clean. It's also important that you consider safety in your home, at least until your children get older. Tell yourself it's not forever, and soon you can have an elegant and clean house again.
Do you prefer a peaceful look or a cozy look? If you like a peaceful look, colors like blues and greens might be for you. Conversely, if you like coziness, you should consider warmer colors.

Your Favorite Room

Consider these ideas to add some "wow" factor to every room in your home:

Kitchen

In your kitchen, look for ways to combine function with your favorite design styles. If you love country style interior design, a large butcher block table provides a place for family and friends to linger over home cooked meals while creating a focal point for your design. If a modern style kitchen is more your speed, consider a stainless steel island with stainless steel swivel bar stools; the island gives you a place to work while the steel design keeps your decor inspirations in tact.

Here are a few things to keep in mind about kitchen decorating:

Changing your backsplash is a cost effective way of giving your kitchen a facelift without blowing the bank.
Lighting is important in the kitchen, so choose light fixtures carefully.
Even though the kitchen is a "hot" room, don't shy away from color.
If you're considering a major kitchen remodel, kitchen design software can help you play around with ideas.

Bathroom

Like the kitchen, bathroom design involves marrying functionality with personal style. For en suite bathrooms, it makes sense to carry color themes from the adjoining bedroom through, but in general, this is one room in your house in which you can take a departure from your overall design style and have a little fun. Get funky, go whimsical or simply experiment with colors in your bathroom. Nautical and beach themes are naturals in the bathroom, but you can draw inspiration from anything from your favorite spa to retro styles. Here are some ideas to get you started:

Change your bathroom tile to give your bathroom a new lease on life.
Use clever storage options to make a small bathroom feel larger.
Pay attention to safety when decorating a children's bathroom.

This bathroom photo gallery will also help get your creative juices flowing.

Bedroom

Bedroom decor should always reflect the occupant. From kids' rooms featuring their favorite cartoon characters to bohemian chic bedrooms for globe trotting grown-ups, personality reigns supreme when designing this room. Of course, the perfect bedroom is also a haven from the outside world. Here's how to create your perfect escape:

Color is especially important in bedroom design. Decide if you want a peaceful or vibrant bedroom and choose the colors accordingly.
Your bed will almost certainly be the focal point of your room, so choose the best shape for your space.
When decorating a teen's bedroom, get them involved.

At a loss for what kind of bedroom you want? Browse these photos for inspiration.

Living Room

There are two important decisions you will make about your living room: how formal it should be and what style you want to embrace. From there, design a room that meets your needs. If you plan to use your living room for formal entertaining only, a traditional style with upscale furniture and Oriental rugs may be in order. If your living room is where your family congregates, opt for comfort. Keep these ideas in mind:

Create separate conversation and TV viewing areas in casual living rooms.
Choose a theme to keep your design consistent.
Arrange your furniture around a focal piece.

This photo gallery is chock full of inspiration.

Dining Room

Much like the living room, your dining room design comes down to just how formal you want the space to be. The table will always be the centerpiece of any dining room, but you can dress it up or down according to how the room will be used. The table also helps establish your design direction. A table with a white legs and a light finish wood top is casual, while a dark wood table and chairs is more formal. These dining room basics will help you pull your look together:

An elegant table setting will add color to your dining room - keep your table decorated even when not in use to keep the color alive.
The size of your dining room will direct your furniture and color choices.

Beautiful Basics

Design doesn't have to be complicated. No matter which room you're tackling, start with the basics. Settle on your colors, choose your furniture and let those basics be your guide. You'll have the home of your dreams in no time.