A well-designed and well-decorated room can feel like a reflection of your soul, your style and your innermost thoughts. A poorly designed one, meanwhile, can leave you banging your head against the wall – sometimes even literally.
Room decorating and design ideas
If you think your room doesn’t say what it should about you, it may be time for a redesign and some redecorating. For those considering giving their room a makeover, this article is for you…
How to decorate and design a room?
The first step you need to take to design and decorate a room is to decide if it needs a full redesign, or rather could do with redecorating. If you can, it tends to be better and cheaper to build on the room’s existing features rather than renovating and starting from scratch.
If you do need a full redesign, remember that there are no hard and fast rules for what you can do. There are a number of steps that you can take, however, to help guide you through the process…
1 – Consider your purpose
What do you want the room to say? Is it a cosy space or more modern and functional? Is it welcoming or private? Bright and airy or warm and comfortable? Once you know the general purpose and tone you are going for, it can really help you settle on a style of design.
2 – Seek inspiration
Now you know the general mood and purpose of your room, get out there and get inspired. Try looking on sites and in magazines that you enjoy, look for general themes or even specific bits of furniture that you may wish to build your design around. Create a mood board or just immerse yourself in what is out there and find your inspiration.
3 – Make a plan
Getting inspiration and the right mood is key, but it will all come to nothing if you aren’t realistic. You need to consider the space you have available, what your budget is (with allowances) and the kind of life that you lead. If you have pets or are likely to have a lot of people in and out, you may want to leave out the delicate furnishings and cream-coloured carpets. Think about what you need as well as what you want.
4 – Map it out
One of the many joys of the modern world is that even someone without loads of experience can plan out a room. You can take advantage of some of the wonderful mapping tools out there to get a real look at how your design is going and make any changes that you need.
5 – Pick your colours
Now is the time to start getting serious about your colour palette and any fixtures and furnishings that you might want. You don’t want to order your dream sofa only to find you have just painted the walls a clashing colour.
6 – Think about the lighting
There are a great many ways to light a room, and this can be a hugely important step in any decorating or design. Do you want recessed lighting? Dimmer switches? Are you going to get your windows tinted to let light in all day or will you need to keep windows covered for privacy? Think about how to maximise natural light whenever it is available while also keeping the room lit after dark.
7 – Put the finishing touches on
The finishing touches can be what really highlights a room or leaves it still looking half-done. Your cushions, rugs, knick-knacks or lack thereof can make a huge difference, and should each be carefully considered.
If you are looking for more tips on how to decorate your newly designed or revamped room properly, read on to learn about the best ways to decorate your walls at home…
How to decorate your walls at home?
There are plenty of ways you can decorate your walls from simple gorgeous repainting by a high-quality company like Painting All Sorts through to personalised décor that you can do yourself. If you are looking for some inspiration for your walls, here are some of our top ideas to get you started:
- Go for an accent wall – accent walls focus the eye and add a real touch of pizzazz to any room in the house. You can opt for different colours, textures or patterns, whichever you prefer. Some even use materials like saucers in the kitchen to really make a splash.
- Make your own photo gallery – many of us only really have photos on our devices now, but dusting off old pictures and printing out more can be a wonderful way to decorate any wall.
- Paint a mural – you can hire a specialist or, if you have any talented artists in the family, you may wish to have a go yourself and create something truly unique.
- Use mirrors – mirrors have been used for centuries to bring light and space into a room, and today is no different. Mirrors are an excellent use of wall space and can reflect back your other decorations as well.
- Create your own art gallery – instead of one big art piece, why not try hanging several pieces altogether as if to create your own art gallery?
- Go green – the colour green is showing itself to be a popular paint choice this year, but you can also add actual plants to your décor. You can hang baskets inside as well as out, and add a touch of true greenery to your room.
- Use attractive lights – there are plenty of lighting choices and fixtures that can look amazing on your walls in an instant.
- Mount your TV – as well as making good use of your wall space and reducing the clutter, your TV can actually also be a good decoration. Especially if you bring up the video of the log burning that is so popular during the cold months.
- Use different fabrics – instead of the usual art, try hanging a rug or throw instead.
- Display your tools or accessories – in the kitchen, you may wish to mount your utensils or spices in an interesting and decorative way. You may decide to showcase your hats in the hall or your favourite tops in the bedroom, it’s up to you!
Final thoughts
While all these and more are indeed excellent and interesting ways to decorate your walls at home, the best and most impactful move most people can make is to repaint. A beautiful new paint job done by professionals can enhance your room, set the mood and even increase the value of your home.
If you are thinking about redesigning or decorating a room, the main way to do so can often be with a gorgeous new coat of paint.