Every memorable work of art begins with a seed of inspiration.
In order to begin turning your home into your very own work of art, you’re going to need some kind of inspiration. As with any artistic endeavour, interior decoration ideas can arise from almost anywhere. A compelling concept may present itself in the form of an inexplicably attractive scene – possibly recalled from a movie, a still image, a visit to another person’s home, or even a place of business.
The interior of this home demonstrates some inspiring courage with its assembly of raw materials, neutral shades, and a sprinkling of classical accents. Designed by freestockcenter / Freepik
Get Inspired
To get inspired, be on the lookout for any appealing collection of elements (materials, light, and colour) – especially if it catches your eye and tugs at your soul. Once you’ve found that seed of inspiration, create a reference of it with a photograph, a sketch, or a simple list of the elements involved in its composition.
Be ready to take a photo or sketch an image of any inspirational scene you come across – so that you can break it down to its basic elements and remake it according to your liking. Designed by Freepik
Assemble a Mood Board
Professional and amateur interior decorators alike endorse the use of a “mood board” – a collage of preferred elements representing your palette of selected materials and colours. With samples of different colours and materials arranged on a board, you have an opportunity to simulate the effects of your selected samples without committing to any significant (and possibly irreversible) purchases.
Putting sample swatches next to each other enables you to identify and create combinations of colours and textures that appeal to you. Designed by aopsan / Freepik
Testing the Effects
In addition to ensuring that your selected elements produce some magic when placed next to each other, you may want to test the effects of your materials and colours under artificial light and daylight at different times of the day – just to ensure that any variation in colour or brightness is acceptable to you.
Light does some unpredictable things to certain materials, but the effects can be tweaked by varying the quality of light or material – finding the right blend may require a series of trial-and-error tests.
Designed by rawpixel.com / Freepik
Read on: How to decorate a home (Part 2: Costs), or take a look at why you should decorate your house with plants.
