How to learn interior design and decoration

When it comes to design, one thing is for sure: there are limitless possibilities to create the perfect space. Think first about your lifestyle and how you and your family use the space you live in. Are you big on entertaining family and friends? Do you like to surround yourself with all the things you love or do you prefer to keep your space sleek, uncluttered and non-nonsense? Are there small children living in the home? Do you live alone or are there other family members with varied lifestyles and needs to consider? All of these points to ponder will help you make a decision about the final look of your home.

Trying to narrow down the options and perfect your personal style can seem like a daunting task, one that sends many people running and screaming. Personal space is a reflection of personality, lifestyle and interests. Trying to see the big picture can be difficult when you don’t even recognize the individual elements. There are two good news when deciding the interior design of a house. First of all, it is a personal choice and you do not necessarily have to adhere strictly to the guidelines. Second, nothing is forever. Your current taste and style may change slightly or even drastically in the next 10 years and that’s okay. But for now, let’s work on establishing your basic “style prescription,” a handful of preferences one can be sure of when it comes to interior design style. Once a pattern is recognized in the general style preferences, it will be much easier to put all the pieces together. A great exercise is to collect 3 photos of rooms you like and 3 you don’t like. This helps you quickly determine an address.

While basic style categories such as traditional, contemporary, classic, and rustic still exist, it’s not uncommon for today’s interior designers to use a combination of more than one category or create a more eclectic design product based on likes and dislikes. And while some designers stick firmly and quickly to strict boundaries around style, others see boundaries more as readily available guidelines they simply turn to when they need help putting together a look.