Cool Interior Design

Painted Furniture

2009-03-13T14:08:00.000-07:00

PAINTED furniture is, at present, the vogue, so if you own a piece made by the Adam brothers of England, decorated by the hand of Angelica Kauffman, or Pergolesi, from Greek designs, now is the moment to "star" it.

Different in decoration, but equal in charm, is the seventeenth and eighteenth century painted lacquers of Italy, France, China and Japan. In those days great masters labored at cabinet making and decorating, while distinguished artists carved the woodwork of rooms, and painted the ceilings and walls of even private dwellings.

To day we have reproductions (good and bad) of the veteran types, and some commendable inventions, more or less classic in line, and original in coloring and style of decoration. At times, one wishes there was less evident effort to be original. We long for the repose of classic color schemes and classic line. In art, the line and the combination of colors, which have continued most popular throughout the ages, are very apt to be those with which one cans livelongest and not tire. For this reason, a frank copy of an antique piece of painted furniture is generally more satisfactory than a modern original.If you are using dull colored carpets and hangings, have your modern reproductions antiqued. If you prefer gay, cheering tones, let the painted furniture be bright. These schemes are equally interesting in different ways. It is stupid to decry new things, since every grey antique had its frivolous, vivid youth.

One American decorator has succeeded in making the stolid, uncompromising square ness of mission furniture take on a certain lightness and charm by painting it black and discreetly lining it with yellow and red. Yellow velour is used for the seat pads and heavy hangings, thin yellow silk curtains are hung at the windows, and the black woodwork is set off by Japanese gold paper.

In a large house, or in a summer home where there are young people coming and going, a room decorated in this fashion is both gay and charming and makes a pleasant contrast to darker rooms. Then, too, yellow is a lovely setting for all flowers, the effect being to intensify their beauty, as when flooded by sunshine.

Another clever treatment of the mission type, which we include under the heading Painted Furniture, is to have it stained a rich dark brown, instead of the usual dark green. Give your dealer time to order your furniture unfinished from the factory, and have stained to your own liking; or, should you by any chance be planning to use mission in one of those cottages so often built in Maine, for summer occupancy, where the walls are of unplastered, unstained, dove-tailed boards, and the floors are unstained and covered with matting rugs, try using this furniture in its natural color unfinished. The effect is delightfully harmonious and artistic and quite Japanese in feeling.

In such a cottage, the living room has a raftered ceiling, the sidewalls, woodwork, settles the fireplaces, open bookcases and floor, stain all dark walnut. The floor color is very dark, the sidewalls, woodwork and bookshelves are a trifle lighter, and the ceiling boards still lighter between the almost black, heavy rafters.

The mission furniture is dark brown, the hangings and cushions are of mahogany-colored corduroy, and the floor is strewn with skins of animals. There are no pictures, the idea being to avoid jarring notes in another key. Instead, copper and brass bowls contribute a note of variety, as well as large jars filled with great branches of flowers, gathered in the nearby woods. The chimney is exposed. It and the large open fireplace are of rough, dark mottled brick.

A room of this character would be utterly spoiled by introducing white as ornaments, table covers, window curtains or picture-mats; it is a color scheme of dull wood-browns, old reds and greens in various tones. If you want your friends photographs about you in such a room, congregate them on one or two shelves above your books.

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2008-11-17T00:52:00.000-08:00

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Different Types of Interior Designers

2008-09-19T20:31:00.000-07:00

By Winawita

Interior Designers rarely work in every field. It is common for them to pick areas to specialize in. By choosing a specialty, you can further enhance your skills and abilities in that mode of design. It will certainly make for a better portfolio, and will allow you the time to become an expert designer in that field. Here are some of the specialty fields that you can go into.

Sometimes designers choose to specialize in residential areas, and sometimes they choose to specialize in commercial properties. Some even narrow their field that they specialize in by only doing work for certain types of homes and businesses.

It is also quite common for designers to refuse to specialize at all. Some will work wherever the work is. This leaves the field a little bit wider for them, but specializing is a more professional route to take. It is also better for your portfolio in the long run.

Residential Interior Designer
These designers do most of their work in people’s homes. They design various rooms inside and around the home. There is a lot of freedom in this type of field because clients generally let their designers have free reign to let their creativity create a beautiful space for them. You can do inside work, patios, guest houses, and even garages.

Many Interior Designers prefer this type of work because it is less stressful, and the deadlines are usually a little bit more relaxed. Homeowners rarely harass you to keep them posted on every aspect of what you are doing, so it can be a rewarding specialty. When you are allowed to create something that makes both you and the client happy, the feeling is much better.

The money that can be made doing residential design can be a little bit less lucrative at times, but there are always wealthy people that can use a great interior designer as well. Sometimes, the work for residential areas can be quite small also. This type of work is generally for the designer that is in love with the aspect of being creative, rather than the need to be rich. If you are thinking of Interior Design as a means of expressing your creativity, this could be the right place for you.

Commercial Interior Designer
Designers that specialize in commercial property and work do projects for businesses. The type of business varies greatly. You can do work for banks, hotels, restaurants, law firms; you name it. Any business that you can dream of is open to this specialty.

Good people skills and negotiation techniques are a vital aspect of this specialty as well. After all, you are dealing with business people. They respond well to a good business person. You could be required to design an office space, a hallway, lobby, and possibly and entire interior building. The possibilities are endless here.

This is a specialty where your ability to estimate the value of your own work will come in handy because many businesses accept bids from the designers that they are interested in working with. Also, you will often have to work under specific instructions as to what the client is looking for, so listening skills will be important here.

This type of specialty can be very lucrative if you can establish a good rapport with your client. Doing a good job will lead to a steady, return client, and your ability to satisfy this client will often guarantee you more work as the client’s word of mouth can lead to other businesses desiring your services.

You may also have to work a little more closely with your client in this field as well because business people like to be on top of things to ensure that they are done right. It may be a little bit annoying at times, but it is worth it in the end.

These are not the only branches of specialty. Some designers can choose any sub branch to specialize in as well. There are quite a few and all of them are intended for the designer that has a particular forte in the field. They also offer great employment opportunities for the designer that would like to make extra money on the side. They are as listed below.
• Kitchen and Bath
This is a branch that you may wish to specialize in if you are quite adept at it, or if you have a general knack for it already. There are a great many possibilities in this branch because these are areas of the house that are often in need of dramatic change, and they are high traffic areas. You should have knowledge in cabinetry and plumbing for this particular branch.
• Windows and Draperies
This seems like a small area to specialize in, but the windows of a house or building play a big role in the overall structure. They are a source of energy efficiency in every home, and they are often changed on a yearly basis. Basic heating and cooling knowledge helps, as well as dry walling, and space management.
• Lighting
The lighting of any area is often a bit more complicated than plugging a lamp into a socket. Often, it is the addition of special lighting that can completely change a room’s environment. Some small additions or subtle lighting can change the way a room feels. Lighting is an often overlooked sub branch of Interior Design.

Education for Interior Design

2008-09-18T16:02:00.000-07:00

By Winawita

Online Design Programs
Not everyone is comfortable with the idea of going to a school for Interior Design. Some may prefer to learn how to do it from the comfort of their own home. This method is not recommended if you are trying to become certified, but if you just want to get the basic knowledge that you are required to know, this method is fine.

There are literally thousands upon thousands of courses for interior design that are offered online. Finding one that has the right information you will want to learn will require some research on your part, but it’s not that difficult. Course prices for internet schools of design can start as low as $19.00 and go as high as $500.00.

Some online courses that are offered through legitimate Colleges and Universities are much cheaper than campus courses and offer the correct certification that you will need. Generally, these courses require that you take your exams on campus or in a monitored way of some sort. Again, research is needed to ensure that you are not being scammed.

There are some alternatives to taking any formal courses at all. This called “self teaching”. This is where you will study the necessary information that you will need to do Interior Design as a profession, but you will not be certified.

Self Teaching
Teaching yourself to learn any field takes a lot of discipline and a great deal of interest. You have to be a motivated person and have the ability to focus solely on your task, but it can be done. There are many Interior Designers that are working without any formal education. They are simply going on intuition and talent. It is rare to learn all of the things that you need to know by teaching yourself, but it a possibility. These are some of the things that you will need in order to teach yourself interior design.

• Learn the proper terms from various books on interior design.
• Observe the many techniques and trends from circulating magazines and catalogs.
• Teach yourself to calculate the amounts of paint and wallpaper need to per wall by talking to your local professionals.
• Get as much practice as you can in your own home or at others’
• Use your local library or bookstore to help you brush up on the proper ways of incorporating space and a balance of space.

Pros and Cons of Self Teaching
Pros Cons
Learn at your own speed You don’t get the benefit of a teacher’s guidance and help
You don’t get final exams You don’t get certification
Cheaper than paying tuition costs Tuition is expensive
Learn in the comfort of your own home Must learn with others watching and judging you
Have online assistance when needed Have to wait to use computers
Practice projects can be a lot less stressful Still have to take drafting and other technical classes
Extra classes needed are often free at adult schools You don’t get help finding client prospects
You can earn while you learn You can earn while you learn (may be overworked)
You can take breaks whenever you want You can take breaks whenever you want. (may lose incentive)

• Never underestimate the power of Feng Shui. Purchase books on it if you can because it is a great resource for this type of work.
• Get a job at a department or furniture store so that you can get a feel for the job, and the newest and most interesting design techniques. This method lets you earn while you learn.

The best way to teach yourself is to keep up on current trends through magazines and furniture catalogues. It may sound strange, but it is a good start. You will however have no choice but to take a drafting and blueprinting class. You cannot avoid this. Fortunately there are many adult classes available for free.

You will also need to create a portfolio. A portfolio is like a scrapbook that has all of the listings and photographs of your work to date. Do not worry if you do not have a portfolio right away because I will give you some tips on how to build a portfolio, with little or no professional expertise.

Your portfolio will help your future clients see what work you’ve done, which will give them an idea of what you are capable of doing for them. This is your best marketing tool, so make it look as professional as possible. You will also want to add letters of recommendation to your portfolio when possible, or you can request from clients that they allow you to list them in your portfolio as satisfied customers.

What Do I Need To Be Interior Design?

2008-09-18T00:20:00.000-07:00

By Winawita

The first thing that you are going to need if you want to be an interior designer is the passion for it. You must ask yourself is whether or not designing homes and/or properties is something that you could feel passionate about. To find out ask, yourself these questions.

• Do you constantly rearrange the furniture in your own home?
• Do you often have ideas about friends and families homes, and what would make them look better?
• Are you finding that people often ask your opinion about their own homes, and what you think may make it look better?
• Do you like planning the rearrangement of your home before you do it?
• When decorating your own home, do you find yourself wondering how best to incorporate colors into your space?

If you answered yes to any or all of these questions, than you already have the passion to become an interior designer. These questions merely touched on the very thing that drew you to this book in the first place. It just helped you realize that you were right in doing so.

The second thing that may need to become an interior designer is the interest. This basically explores whether or not your actual interest is genuine. Many people consider a great many careers before they develop a genuine interest in choosing one. We know that you have the passion, but does that passion mean that you have enough interest to follow through? I have some more questions for you to answer if you really want to know if the interest is really there for you.

• Do you feel the need to learn how best to coordinate the colors in your room before you seek to change them?
• Do you seek outside advice from professionals on how best to accent a particular object or color?
• Do you seek to know the history behind a particular style of décor when you notice one?
• Do you find yourself wondering what sort of planning went in to the creation of a glorious room you’ve been in?
• Would you prefer to read a design magazine above any other? (Modern Living, or Country Style Home)
• Do you think that Martha Stewart is nothing compared to you?

Again, a yes answer to any of these questions means a yes to your interest. But there is another aspect of interior design that must be covered. You may wish to be a certified interior designer. If that is the case, you will need to get a formal education in this field.

What to expect when Getting Started Interior Designing

2008-09-16T19:13:00.000-07:00

By Winawita

When you are just getting started in any business, you can expect to have to do a lot of leg work to get a clientele base. This is not easy, and requires a great deal of people skills from you. You will have to go out there and meet every person that you can think of.

You should expect to encounter a lot of rejection from consumers, as well as competition from other designers. Many times, a potential client will want to place your work and estimates against others. If you can, offer to outbid everyone that you can, but be careful because a client may not tell you the truth about the bids. It is good to try and check with the designers about their bids. Some will tell you.

As a new Interior Designer, you can expect to get a lot of resistance from potential clients. You can expect to spend a great deal of time and money on building up your name. You may have to lower your estimates at first. You may have to spend some money by advertising your services in your local newspaper or penny saver.

Here are a few good ideas on how you can get some attention for you and your business.

Set up a booth at your local mall. Have business cards and your portfolio on hand. Try and set up some of your best work around you and prop them up for all to see. Offer free estimates to any takers.
Do the same at any other community gatherings.
Offer to do small jobs for free with the addition of a paid space.
Insert flyers into you local newspaper.
Build your portfolio.