Let me start the article by answering this “simple” question. “What is interior design?”. Interior design is the process of visualising or “designing” the appearance of a room or other interior space. The practice draws up many technical, analytical and creative skills.
During the Interior design process, many things are taken into account from colour, arrangement and theming all coming together to make the final product.
Theming often follows period styles such as; minimalist, gothic, Victorian, Islamic, Feng Sui, country, tropical, western, modern, and is the way of describing the overall look you are trying to achieve in your interior. You will recognise certain themes as you read through magazines or visit show homes and you will naturally gravitate towards those styles which best suit your personality, just as you gravitate towards clothes which take your fancy.
Let’s take a look at some of these themes in a little more detail.
Minimalist
Minimalist interior design, as the name suggests, uses very little clutter to create the final look. Walls are generally painted a uniform colour and are not adorned with pictures and ornaments. Simple lighting is mounted into the ceilings so there are no fancy chandeliers or other light fittings to grab your attention.
Rooms with the minimalist theming, however can sometimes feel very cold, uncomfortable and impersonal.
Tropical
Not a widely discussed theme, Tropical theming uses greens and earthy earthy tones along with lighter colours such as whites and creams. Whites are ideal if you live in warmer climes as you will be able to afford the coolness that white gives off, but for those of you who have to put up with the long London winter should go for creams to bring a bit of warmth to the room. Plants are a must have for a tropical theme, lush green palm trees being the ultimate accessory.
African
When you think of Africa, no doubt earthy tones come into you head browns, beiges, yellows and oranges. If you are looking to create an African feel in your interior you want to bear this in mind. African themes are all about natural colours. Think clean cream walls, dark brown hardwood floor, dark beige couches with big puffy orange cushions, the sunset coming in through thin beige curtains. Remember to think beige!
There are hundreds of different interior design themes out there so go out to some show houses and have a look in some of the many magazines on offer to get an idea of how you would like your room to look and get in there and get your hands wet.