Lessons in Interior Decorating

by Sonja Albrecht
sonja.albrecht@CareerSchoolGuide.com
Career School Guide Columnist

Interior decorating from the heart can create a unique, whimsical style—or it can make everything go hopelessly awry. Nostalgia, artistically-inclined friends, and exotic travels all have the potential to make or break the look of a home. Does that heirloom/artwork/souvenir say style or sentimentality? These interior decorating tips can help you make the call.

Class or Crass

Like most creative pursuits, interior decorating style sense is part inspiration, part training. Aunt Eloise’s ornate roll top desk may occupy a special place in your heart, but that doesn’t mean it should occupy a place in your modern minimalist home office. Or should it? That’s where your interior decorating education comes in.

Interior Decorating 101

Your interior decorating class will help you develop the trained eye of a professional. Until then, these basic interior decorating tips should keep you from trading style for sentimentality.

• Don’t forget about function. “You can get so caught up in the cosmetic you forget the practical aspect. You have to live here,” observes one homeowner, who wallpapered her dining room with a gorgeous damask fabric but forgot to leave room for light switches.
• If the Sofa Fits… Does the TV fit in that handsome entertainment center? Will the sofa make it through the door and hallway? Measure before you impulse buy!
• Gift Pressure. Interior decorating is about style, not guilt. If a gift or inheritance doesn’t belong in your home, it’s perfectly reasonable not to put it there.
• Souvenir Shopping. It’s tempting to buy decorative items abroad, but proceed carefully. The African face masks look right in place now… but will they work in your colonial-style brick home?

Above all, make sure any new additions don’t clash with the architecture and interior decorating style of your home. If you’re not sure, consult a professional interior decorator… or develop your expert eye with an interior decorating class.

Source

“Regrets Only: Bad Decorating Can Happen to Good People,” The New York Times (Nov. 9, 2006)

About the Author

Sonja Albrecht works as a writer and editor for an online media company. She has also taught college writing and completed a Ph.D. in English.