DECORATE YOUR HOME 101

By Matte Laurel-Zalko

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Our home interiors are an insight into our brains and our hearts. It is our own collaboration of design, love, passion, dreams, humour, art, and functionalities. It is far vital to understand the person or people living in a home rather than to rely purely on aesthetics. Our homes are designed around our emotional needs.

Our homes should tell our narratives of who we are, our experiences in life, our personal tastes and preferences. It is a must that we stay true and faithful to our tastes, simply because nothing we like ever goes out of style. Home decorating is a form of personal expression. There are rules and guiding principles to be followed, but guess what? Once rules and guiding principles are understood — they are judiciously broken!

Here are some foolproof interior design ideas for having a fantabulous dream home:

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1. Let in the natural light! Before decorating your room, always determine where the light in your room is coming from. South-facing rooms are naturally brighter whereas north-facing rooms tend to be darker — these ultimately affect the paint colours of our room. Always allow for natural light to seep into your room. There is no substitute for natural lighting. It reduces the production of harmful bacteria and organisms that can grow in any house. If you have dark areas in your home, it is a good idea to illuminate these areas with lamps. 

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2. Entrance hallways and foyers must be clear of clutter. The entrance to your home must be free of clutter. Do not leave shoes, coats and slippers at your entry doorway — put these away so that positive energy can flow.

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3. Do paint swatches. Before you do any painting, it is highly recommended to do paint swatches. Go through every room of your home and observe how the shade will look under varying light conditions. It is important to buy non-toxic paints.

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4. Plan your colour pairings. In interior design, the colour wheel is an essential tool. Using a colour wheel can help you to come up with colours next to each other on the wheel (analogous schemes); allows you to use three colours (bolder schemes or triadic); and using colours from opposite sides of the wheel (complementary schemes). You can also alter a room’s sense of space and give your scheme a fun style by block painting walls with contrasting colour schemes!

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5. Stick with the 60%-30%-10% rule.

 This is totally the foolproof way to balance your colour scheme. 60% for your dominant colour; 30% for your secondary colour; and 10% for your accent colour.

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6. Proper lighting is essential. Before you decorate your home, you must do some careful planning on where every switch, socket, and single light will go to create the desired effect. This ensures that you have a beautiful mix of task lighting, mood lighting, overhead lighting, and accent lighting.

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7. Create statement floors and ceilings. Let your floorings and ceilings do the talking! These important statements can add the wow factor in your home! However, it is a must to keep a balanced look — if your ceiling and flooring are ornate or busy — the rest of the room must be pared back and neutral. To get that bigger space feeling, you can have the same flooring throughout your home or condo — use rugs to break up the continuity to create the impression of distinct dining and living room areas.

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8. Dress up your windows! Choose your blinds and curtains with care. These can either make or break a room. Hang the curtains high to make the room feel more spacious and to create that elegant look. Don’t be afraid to bring in colourful blinds, but don’t overdo it — just gently lift your scheme a little by introducing a single solid accent colour.

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9. Do some wall panels. This design isn’t confined to traditional or classic homes. Wood panels can add texture and character to modern and contemporary homes. You can even paint your panels in muted and bold tones to create a modern appeal.

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10. Get the airflow going in every room! To have that positive energy flowing in every room of your home or condo, open your windows and have air purifiers to keep your home smelling fresh.

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11. Begin with your sofa. Allow your sofa to take the lead. It’s easy to plan your decorating when you start with your biggest furniture in your living room. When choosing your sofa, try it first before you buy it. Do the age-old bottom test. Invest in a good frame; check the cushions and colour of the sofa. Measure your sofa if it will be a good fit for your living room.

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12. Mix-up your furniture shapes. When you have an L-shape sofa, go for a circular table. A mix of furniture shapes in your living room help balance out the room. It’s a positive chi!

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13. Invest in great quality designer furniture. Don’t go cheap on your furniture. By choosing premium quality, you are investing in longevity and style. Designer furniture eventually becomes a lucrative investment. So go ahead with that Le Corbusier chair you’ve taken a fancy to. Go for that Natuzzi leather sofa. Invest in a David Linley bespoke wooden coffee table. It’s worth every penny!

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14. Beautify your fireplace. If you have a fireplace at home, make it your living room’s focal point. You can either paint it brightly or stick to classics; add a matching mirror on top of the mantle and place decorative candles, framed photos, and plants.

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15. Make sure you measure your dining table! This is a must to avoid bumping elbows. Remember that 74cm is the ideal dining table height. Ideal legroom should be around 45cm. The space between the wall and the dining table must be around 75cm to be able to sit and get up comfortably. Place each table setting at least 65 cm apart.  

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16. Keep your dining table clutter-free. To attract a positive energy, always place fresh flowers or fresh fruits on your dining table. Choose peaches for good health, apples for developing friendship, and oranges for prosperity and wealth.

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17. Crystal chandeliers give good vibes. Crystals are an important part of Feng Shui design. Crystal chandeliers give the whole dining space a calming effect.

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18. Place a large mirror across the dining table. This feature optimizes energy and brings good fortune and abundance. Aesthetically speaking, it also makes the dining area look roomier.

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19. Identify the kitchen layout that would work best for your home or condo. The one wall layout works best for smaller kitchens. The galley kitchen is the layout that has the most economical use of cabinets. The L-shaped kitchen layout works for both small and large kitchens — it offers great flexibility in the placement of appliances and work zones. The U-shaped kitchen layout works better for bigger kitchens and provides ample storage. My own preference would either be the more open Island Kitchen layout or Peninsula kitchen layout — both layouts provide a work and social area where family and friends can interact while meals are being prepared.

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20. Pick vibrant standout appliances or cookware. Don’t be afraid to add colourful cookware or appliances to your kitchen. Besides, who can resist a set of Le Creuset cookware on top of your oven?

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21. Place your bed against a solid wall. Your bed and your bedroom are vital to your health and wellness. When you sleep under a window, your personal energy weakens over time, as it has neither proper support nor protection. A good and solid headboard is highly recommended in Feng Shui design.   

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22. Avoid placing mirrors across your bed. According to Feng Shui design, when you argue as a couple, the mirror intensifies your arguments. It is also believed that a mirror opposite your bed attracts third parties. You can choose to put mirrors either on both sides of your bed or above your bed.

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23. Do not have clutter under your bed. This attracts negative energy and you absorb all these while you sleep.

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24. Dress your bed with your love! Your bedroom reflects your passion and your bed will certainly need all the attention and tender loving care from you. Invest on a great quality bed linen and layer like a pro with colourful throw pillows, plush duvets, and decorative blankets. 

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25. Get your bathroom lighting right! Bathroom sconces above the mirror will make you look washed out. Instead, place the sconces on either side of the mirror, as they’ll light your face evenly and frame you in your most flattering light.

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26. Choose light colours for your bathroom paint and tiles. In Feng Shui design, white and light colours help cut through confusion, slowness and delays, which helps, purify and cleanse your mental wellness.

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27. Go green! Decorate your home with lots of indoor plants — it injects a natural vibe and boosts mood, productivity, concentration and creativity. Plants reduce stress, fatigue, sore throats, and colds. It naturally cleans indoor air by absorbing toxins, increasing humidity and producing oxygen.

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28. Expand your living and dining areas into your patio. Spruce up your patio area for an extended living and/or dining area. Invest in high quality patio furniture. Be bold and creative — instead of grass, put black and white marble tiles on your patio flooring. Add lots of greenery. Make it intimate and cozy with lanterns, and an outdoor fireplace for cold nights. 

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29. Don’t be afraid to go for the minimalist look. The minimalist decorating style is an exercise in restraint — where space, lighting, and objects play equally important roles. This style demands you to pare down your furnishings to the bare essentials so that you’re left with a set of curated objects that deliver maximum impact.

Have fun when you decorate your home! It’s meant to be a fulfilling journey — everything starts from your home. Don’t wait until you have money to decorate your home because if you do, that will never happen. Decorating your home doesn’t always mean new things; it could mean old things waiting to be repurposed. Above all, always remember this when decorating: live with what you love.