Archive for ◊ December, 2008 ◊

• Sunday, December 28th, 2008

One of the pitfalls of residential interior design is having the homeowners turn the project over completely to the designer. Many will take a hands-on approach to the project and while some designers have the belief that since they are paying the bills they can be involved, others often wonder they hired a designer when they want control.

From the time the first sketch is put on paper through the hiring of contractors, the residential interior design specialist and the homeowner work closely together in determining colors, furniture designs and fabric as well as determining a budget and a timeframe in which the project should be completed. This may include different dates for different phases of the project, depending on its size and complexity. However, for many home interior design experts, once the contractors have been hired, the homeowner should back away and let the designer earn their money.

The during the initial phase of contact, the designer presents their ideas, looking over the physical makeup of the home as well as getting ideas as to what the homeowner hopes to accomplish by changing the design of their home. Major renovations may be needed to improve the residential interior design of the environment and the designer can make those suggestions. Sometimes it is better to start from scratch when putting a room or an area of a home together, but it is not always possible.

Many Interior Renovations Limited By Space

During the initial planning stages, the homeowner needs to understand how the interior design of the home will limit how many items can be arranged. How home interior design is limited by the physical features of the home, such as the placement of windows and doors. The decision may be made to remodel parts of the home to help meet space requirement changes, but for the most part residential interior design will be about color, furniture selection and spacing to make the home more attractive to the homeowner.

Once all decisions have been finalized and the work begins, the homeowner needs to trust the person they are paying to oversee the project. By constantly interjecting new ideas or possibly interfering with the crew doing the work, the homeowner may cause delays in the project, which could be blamed on the designer.

When homeowners interfere with the designer doing their job, it could make the designer walk off the project and is part of the reason some interior designers will not take on residential interior design projects.

• Sunday, December 28th, 2008

There is no lack of understanding that colors can set the mood in any room, as well as indicate the personality of the person using the color, but the psychology of color for interior design has just recently made its presence known in residential design. Colors have been used in commercial application for many years as business owners and the government began to understand how the psychology of color for interior design could change the productivity of their workers.

Bold colors such as red were often limited to little-used space or by people with a bold personality as red are often associated with stimulation and has been shown to increase blood pressure as well as increase appetite. Using the psychology of color for interior design restaurants often use shades of red to stimulate their customers’ easting habits. On the other end of the spectrum, terra cotta, a duller shade of red can evoke muted feelings of desire.

Some of the better colors for bedrooms, according to studies of the psychology of color for interior design are blue, or earth tones such as lighter shades of browns or greens, which offer a feeling of tranquility. Browns encompass a wide spectrum and can bring about a feeling of security while greens, especially sage offers neutrality and also works well in spare rooms.

Colors Suggest Temperament Of Owner

The psychology of color for interior design is also dependent on the person’s knowledge of the color’s historical use. Such as dark green, traditionally attached to banking as deep purple is historically equated to kings and royalty. Lighter purple, traditionally known as lavender, can be appealing to younger females as well as have a calming effect. There are many aromas associated with aromatherapy involving lavender for relaxation.

Grey is considered a neutral color and works well as background for many color combinations, but the psychology of color for interior design indicates it can spur productivity and is used in many offices. Black however hints at being submissive and only works well in residential environments when used as an accent.

While yellow is often used in kitchens and children’s rooms, the color can invoke argument and the psychology of color for interior design has shown it to cause people to anger quickly. It may make some people feel happy and others angry, it has shown that people who like yellows, like them immensely while those who do not like yellow, dislike it completely.