Designing your home

Very often you look at a well dressed woman and just exclaim Wow!'' The right make-up and clothing makes an ordinary looking woman very at...

Very often you look at a well dressed woman and just exclaim 8220;Wow!8221; The right make-up and clothing makes an ordinary looking woman very attractive; on the other hand the wrong kind of make-up and clothing, though expensive, can cheapen an otherwise attractive woman. The same simile can be used for a home. The effect created in the interior should be harmonious and well proportioned.

A small room having bulky furniture, though beautifully carved, will look very crowded or with beautifully printed curtains will look smaller than it actually is. Excessive accessories also make the room look busy.

Furniture should be designed with its function or purpose in mind. The design should also co-ordinate with the material used to make the furniture.

The walls, floor and draperies should create a background for the furniture, pictures and other accessories. It is this background that pre-dominates the colour note. With a proper background one can accentuate the furniture and other accessories and create a sense of space. Clever planning can transform a small, large, or awkwardly shaped room into a home.

The decor should create a mood that accords with the purpose of each room. The accessories used should harmonise with the room and enhance the basic decor.

Each part of the decor should receive its share of attention in proportion to its importance. The entire room should appear as a unit.

The floor covering is the foundation of the decor. It creates a background against which everything is placed and featured. It usually sets the dominant colour note. It should not seem to rise, but rather it should appear to move down, creating a feeling of spaciousness. The colour of the carpeting should not be so dark that it will show lint or so light that it will easily soil and wear. In small rooms, sharply contrasting tiles set in pattern should be avoided.

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Wall treatment is equally important. Textured walls look quite attractive. In small rooms, pictures consisting of landscapes and sea scapes create a feeling of spaciousness. Too much empty, bare wall space should be avoided. Two wall mirrors placed on opposite walls create a dynamic effect, with the result that there seems to be no limit to the size of the room.

Sometimes areas of walls are covered with draperies where there is just a small window or even where there is no window at all. Draperies for walls and floors should serve as a background against which the furniture is featured. If they are chosen and hung with thought and care, they can, in effect, help to widen rooms and lift ceilings. They can make small or awkwardly shaped windows appear wider or higher in proportion to the room.

Having a well designed home is no longer the prerogative of the very rich. It can fit in any budget. It does wonders to one8217;s sense of well being.