Everyone looks through magazines and books for home furnishing and decorating inspiration. We wonder how they have been created and how and if such effects can be achieved in our own homes. Of course our rooms don't have the same architecture, room size or budget to afford those items in the books. And the photographers of the rooms have a lot to do with the ultimate appearance in the books. They use specialized lighting equipment and placement for the best look possible. And, have you ever noticed anything out of place or even fresh flowers or fruit? You never see a stray book, out-of-place pillow, worn down candle or pet. That is usually due to a photo stylist or the decorator who wants the room to look like no one lives there...ever!  Interior home design should reflect your personality not someone else's.

We all know our homes are special and lived in; so we want the best and as-professional-as-possible look in the rooms. How do we achieve that? Hire a professional. Of course, today's high cost of everything may prohibit most of us from hiring one. You could go out and buy all these books for inspiration. There are even books with tips. But are they really tips or do they just give a hint of how the room was designed and have lots of nice pictures?

So, how does inspiration add up to a professionally decorated room? Actually it doesn't. Sure you just found a nice way to place some accessories or hang pictures. But what about furniture placement, material matching, color coordinating (see our page on color), window treatments, area rug size, lighting and more?  Does this inspiration really add up to your personality?  Or, just something you see that looks nice? 

We have compiled years of learning, knowledge and experience in interior design and have written it into subject sections to make it easy and quick to find what you need. We hope you will find what you are looking for, but if not, be sure to go to our chat room and see if we or our readers can help.

Make decorating fun and not stressful!

• Have a clear idea of what you want to do before prchasing items. What is your decorative scheme? Do you want themed rooms? Think about the kind of activities your home experiences on a daily basis. Do you entertain? Large or small groups? All this information is critical for knowing how you will eventually decorate your home.

• Allocate a design budget and s tick to it as much as possible. Budgets are a great way to avoid overspending, but they can go over if you don't plan ahead.

• Remodeling budgets can run over due to electrical or structural problems which are not revealed until demolition. So keep a reserve budget for such situations. How many times have you heard from someone who is having remodeling done on their home and say, "Boy, this is costing more than expected!" Sure, it does happen because homeowners budget only the amount the contractor has indicated. Well, the contractor can't see behind walls or floors. Expect the unexpected and you will be prepared.

•Trace or sketch your floor plans for a better understanding of the room. Designer's always plan a room with sketches and drawings. A floor plan will also help avoid constantly moving furniture around the room to find the best position. Graph paper can be purchased at any art/craft store.

• Create a color board with the furniture your contemplating and fabric samples and color swatches and place them onto a piece of oak tag. Now you have a complete view of your design plan. This is where you eliminate or add items. You will also be better able to see how everything matches and which items work better than others.

• Shop salvage yards or flea markets Antique and older pieces are made better and have lasted all these years. You can have a piece re-upholstered in your favorite fabric with the money you saved buying used.

• Purchase items during sales if possible; make deals to finalize the sale. Salespeople like to sell. They also like to make deals to close the sale. See if the store you are in has more than one piece or accessory that you want and make a deal with the salesperson. Often they will work with you. Sometimes they will forego the delivery charge or give a volume discount. Remember, all they can say is no. There are a lot of furniture stores; so if someone won't make a deal; someone else will. Also, buy when there are sales to get a better than retail price or buy display pieces for an even bigger discount.

• Mix different materials Consider the touch of leather and the feel of satin. It also gives the eye visual variety and is widely used by designers.

• Take a chance with decorating t Sure, there are lots of magazines with nicely decorated rooms, but is it really your taste and personality?

• Stay away from trends with d ecorating after the trend has passed can be costly. If you like trendy pieces you can intermix them with most design styles.

• Get ideas and inspiration from websites and magazines and k eep them in a binder. You can also place fabric and color samples in it. When you go shopping take it with you to make it easier to match colors and materials or find pieces of furniture or accessories.

• Good design is in the details when planning a room. Moldings, cabinet handles, light and outlet switches, etc; can bring elements together and form a more cohesive appearance.

• Explore all the decorating possibilities decisions. You don't want to walk into a store and find something you really like because you never went into that particular store. Explore everywhere before purchasing anything.

• Large-open plan rooms are hard to separate into smaller section.   Area rugs can do a great job of delineating areas in the same room. But, since they are in the same room they need a common color to link them together.

• Take your time when making decorating decisions   The results will be better than if you rushed to get it finished. Rome wasn't built in a day. And those TV shows take a lot longer than an hour to complete those 'fast' rooms.