All Things Interior Blog

Expressing yourself through Color

2008-01-06T16:48:00.000-08:00

So you have decided to makeover your room. You have a general idea of how you want the room to feel, maybe traditional, maybe modern, and maybe even French! Anyway you know what it instinctively should feel like.
Once you have this starting point one of the toughest decisions can be, what colors do I use?
There are a few parameters you should consider first before you decide on what colors:

The size of your room, is it large small.
The height of the room
The amounts of natural light that the room receives
The floor finish
The purpose of the room or use

Now we can start to select a color. The importance of these parameters are very crucial to determined your color because if you have a very large room with very high ceilings and good lighting you can use darker colors to make it more intimate and cozy. In smaller rooms you may want to use lighter colors to give the appearance of a larger space.
There are no printed formulas for selecting the type of color, tones or textures. However here are a few suggestions
- Use historical colors, if you are creating a period room. These are well documented and are readily available
- The use of dark woods and lighter walls for a South Asian or Spa like feel.
- Neutral colors for a more contemporary feel

However the color should be one that you can live with and feel good about. Because what you are doing is creating a “living stage at home where the color is one of the actors that interact with all your decorative fixtures to create harmony[1].
[1] Alvaro Castro of Alvaro Design

Our Dreams and desires can be expressed through Interior Design

2007-11-03T05:15:00.000-07:00

Why did I choose this title? The answer is very simple: Every person has a desire to express themselves. One way to express ones self is through the environments which we create around us. This can be your home, office or even a garden.

To create a harmonious environment may not be such an easy feat. There are many things to consider when planning a space. There is the style, the colors, the textures and of coarse the budget.

This can be a daunting task in our multi tasking lives. Between work, family and social obligations there is not much time to devote to creating a beautiful environment. So sometimes we need help. We need to bring in a professional.

An interior designer can help to create a beautiful and functional place for you and your family. In most cases using a designer can actually save you money. A good designer can interpret your personality and translate this into the correct style, colors and functionality that you and your family want and need. They know where to shop and how to buy so that you get exactly what is right for your life style.

In your search for the correct designer you should interview several candidates. Here are some things you should consider in choosing the right designer for you.

Experience – Ask to see pictures of the designer’s recent work. They should have a current portfolio. Ask to visit one of the finished projects if possible.Personality - Do you feel comfortable with this person?

Remember you will be spending time and money with this person so you should have a good rapport. Creativity – Is he/she able to use what you already have and make it better? Is he/she able to interpret your vision and improve it?

Once you have chosen your designer then you are on a journey to making a beautiful environment that that enhance your life and bring you much joy.

Alvarodesign
Telephone: 609 – 771 0060
Fax No : 609 – 771 0062
http://www.alvarodesign.com

Using Harmony to Design Your Home

2007-10-17T08:25:00.000-07:00

Designing your house can be quite stressful. All the tasks can make a long to-do list that can give you a headache before you even start! As a designer, I have figured out a harmonious way of designing that can make everything seem a lot easier. I hope to share with you some quick and easy steps about where and how to start designing your house.

Before you actually start your project here are some suggestions. Look in magazines for inspirational ideas and pull them out to glance at throughout the process. Take notes on your entire house writing down the areas you want to change and redesign. I would then suggest typing up those notes and splitting everything into separate rooms or activities such as paint, flooring, furniture, etc. The last crucial area before you start is to make a priority list of what needs to be done now, your expected timeline and what your budget is for those areas.

In the beginning don’t think about the walls and boundaries of your home. Just concentrate on putting together your favorite elements and choices together. Once you have your To-Do list ready you can start by concentrating on one activity at a time, for instance, selecting flooring. You can research all the choices and narrow down what you like and what fits into your budget. Once you get a few samples of items you like you can move on to the next activity, for instance, paint and select colors that make you happy or fit your personal style. These colors do not need to be the ones that go on the walls, but they can be helpful when selecting fabrics, window treatments, etc. Once you select the colors you like you can place them into the existing pile of your favorite choices. You are then ready to move onto the next activity while continuing to throw all your favorite ideas into this large pile.

The neat part of this process of designing is that once you have your pile going it will become obvious what items look good together and the “final choices” will naturally unfold! You have ultimately created harmony with all the elements you selected and the best thing about this is that no matter where things are placed, everything will look great together!

Kristin Hannah is the owner of design firm Hannah Interiors and the co-founder of My Dream Home Registry who sponsors this site.