DIY Interior Design

Our Interior Design Tips and Hints

Basic elements and Rules of Interior Design

Why is it that some people can make their home look stylish, cozy or just plain brilliant when others, no matter how hard they try, simply make a mess? The answer is simple: they're not interior designers or they hav'nt read this article and learned the rules!

The elements and rules of interior design are not complicated or hard to learn, so let's get started. First we explain the basic elements of interior design and then we follow up by a listing useful tips and hints on a room-by-room basis.

Here are the 4 basic "ingredients" of interior design:

• Color: Basic color selection rules must be learned.
• Light: You need a basic understanding of the effects of natural and artificial light on interior spaces.
• Scale & balance: If the proportions are wrong, an interior space will look strange or uncomfortable. In general try to center and line elements up where possible.
• Texture & pattern: These add areas of visual interest in a space.

Color

Color is the quickest and most dramatic way to transform your home and if fact almost anything. However, you need to be informed before you grab that brush. To get prepared, we recommend you read the color articles we have listed below:

• Picking colors for your home
• Color selection rules for your home
• The use of neutral colors

To put your color selection knowledge to the test try our color wheel tool. The tool aids you in selecting a color scheme.

Light - Natural and Artificial

Light defines a space. Brightly lit spaces can feel larger than they actually are and if a space is too dark, it will feel gloomy or depressing. However if a space is dark but contains pools of warm light, it can feel very cozy

There are two types of light, natural and artificial of which both can be controlled and manipulated to benefit a space. Windows,skylights, shutters , curtains, blinds, overhangs, tinted glass and colored glass can all be used to manipulate the quality and intensity of natural light entering an interior space. Artificial lighting is typically manipulated by two factors:

• The design and physical position of the bulb's enclosing light fixture
• The type and power rating of the light bulb

All this, and more, is explained in detail in our light
and lighting articles:

• Light and lighting in and around the home
• Energy efficient lighting and quality of light
• Lighting terms

Scale & balance

In the context of interior design, scale refers to the size of an item in a room with respect to the overall size of the room itself.

Balance refers to the collective and contrasting weights, heights and colors of each item in the room. If there are too many "heavy items" the room can appear oppressive. If there are too many tall items the room may feel too formal.

As a rule, professional interior designers recommend that you scale items in a room "up" rather than "down". In a small room smaller items can look boring or bland. Adding a larger item will trick the mind into believing a room is spacious.

Texture & pattern

Adding textures and patterns to a room is often an accidental byproduct of furniture selection and the selection of other items such as carpets, curtains, ornaments and paintings. But although textures and patterns do not evoke anywhere near the same intensity of emotions as color and light, they should still be considered when designing and filling a space. Here are some basic rules of thumb to keep in mind:

• Don't use more than one large scale pattern in a room.
• Rough goes with smooth (e.g. rough brick walls offset with linen curtains).
• Matt goes with gloss (gloss windows frames set against a matt finished wall).
• The same (smaller scale) pattern in two different colors can look good.
• The texture of the floor often dominates a room (e.g. think of carpet versus floorboards).
• Many companies now produce coordinated collections of patterns on paper and fabric.
• Large patterns need to be displayed on a big surface (e.g. carpet or wall hanging).

Planning your interior

When it comes to Interior Design, those who fail to plan, plan to fail. Here's what you have to do avoid as many problems and pitfalls as possible:

1. Draw a rough floor plan of the space you are designing. The plan must be drawn to scale. Scaled graph paper can be purchased from your newsagency. See our article on how to read plans for an example.
2. Create some cut-outs to-scale; see our downloadable cut-outs e.g. kitchen cutouts, bathroom cutouts, & furniture cutouts.
3. Move the cut-outs of the furniture and fixtures around the room until they are arranged in a manner that you believe will work well without being crowded, hazardous or in conflict with windows and doors. You may have to sacrifice some items.
4. Decide on a color scheme as described in our article on color selection rules and then shop for paint. Remember that you can purchase sample pots before you buy, this is a lot cheaper than buying 20 litres of the wrong paint that you selected from a color brochure. The paints you sample will need to be applied onto differently oriented walls and assessed at different times of the day, it is only then that you should commit to a final color.
5. Wall furnishings, the latest name for wall paper is back with soooo much style. Take a look at some samples at www.porterspaints.com
6. Shop (initially online, its easier) for the following items to fit-out the room (as applicable):
   • Lights: ambient general purpose lighting, task lighting for work areas and feature lighting.
   • Window coverings such as curtains and blinds
   • Furniture (don't forget about scale and balance)
   • Floor finishes including carpets, rugs and mats.

Kitchens

In todays world the kitchen is usually the hub of the home and in many new houses this area is open to the dining and family spaces. Older unrenovated homes still display kitchens cut off from family spaces. This is a tradition stemming back more than a century, when wealthy and middle class homes typically had servants because the vast majority of people lived in abject poverty, and cooking and cleaning was relegated to "the staff".

Many people would assume if a kitchen is totally cut off from the dining and family spaces removing as many walls as possible to provide a large open plan feel is what is required, this is often not the case. Take a look at Seven deadly sins of home design and study the plans below to see how better planning can give you more than just one big open plan living space.

               

The plan on the right offers a warm and intimate window seat that faces the kitchen area.  The arrangement allows users in both spaces to easily interact with one another.  The kitchen faces the glass doors to both the lounge room and the family rooms, allowing verbal and visual interaction with theses spaces.  The glass doors allow these areas to be acoustically and thermally disconnected if required.

Next, given that kitchens and bathrooms are the most expensive rooms to build and fit out, you need to decide on a budget and then create a plan. Our article on DIY kitchen design can help you with this.

Kitchen design tips

Keep the following points in mind when designing your kitchen:

• If possible have an adjoining outdoor area such as a deck or sun porch where the boundaries between indoors and outdoors are blurred. This type of arrangement can provide great ventilation if required.
• Consider designing your kitchens with activity zones, especially if you have a large family. Activity zones can be for food preparation, cooking, washing-up, and fetching a drink like a coffee.
• Always allow a nook for a broom and mop, it may be part of your pantry.
• Due to their calming effects, soft muted colors are ideal in a kitchen/family-area. Using softer colors has the ancillary benefit of making the kitchen and family areas seem larger.
• If using white or cream as your primary color add tonal depth by having a darker floor or cabinets.
• In a family kitchen you will need at least two entries to main family area otherwise your kitchen will seem cramped and congested, gallery kitchens are notorious for this.



Kitchen plan with activity zones

• If you have the space and the budget, put in an island bench, with storage space underneath and above.
  
• Don't forget to have plenty of open storage space in your kitchen. Built-in or freestanding cabinets are not enough. Open shelving is the most commonly used type of open storage.  Another nifty idea is bi-folding doors behind your benchtop opening to shelving, this is great for storage and allows kitchen items used daily to be close to their storage location.
• If you enjoy entertaining consider a theater style layout for your kitchen. Theater style kitchen have an inward looking seating or bar area where guest sit and watch the chef in action (and eat yummy appetizers).
• Two sinks, side-by-side are always better than one, even if you have a small kitchen.

Bathrooms

After kitchens, bathrooms are the most expensive areas in the home to build or renovate. How to design your bathroom depends on how much the bathroom is used and for whom it is intended. An entire family using one bathroom warrants more facilities (like double showers, basins) than a one person bathroom. If your bathroom is to incorporate laundry facilities, it may require additional power and plumbing outlets.

Bathroom design tips

• Marble looks great but is cold and slippery.
• Relate the color scheme of an en-suite bathroom to that of the master bedroom or any other space it may open onto.
• Use neutral colors in a bathroom. They will stand the test of time. 
  
• Renovating that includes replacing tiles, re-waterproof and installing new fittings is labour intensive and expensive.
• Consider a skylight if the bathroom is dark or positioned away from northern or eastern sun.
• Even the smallest touch of color can have a big impact, use it sparingly on items such as bath mats, towels and vases that can be easily changed as your tastes change.
• Terrazzo floors can look great and are less slippery than marble and both are very expensive
• Vinyl and linoleum floors are easy to clean, not expensive and soft to walk on.  These products are making a come back in domestic and vary greatly in price and quality.
• Try using a toilet cistern that is hidden in a timber stud wall or vanity unit to save valuable floor space.
• Remember to allow a minimum of 900mm in front of each fixture (e.g. sink) otherwise it will be difficult and uncomfortable to use.
• Rubber is more expensive than linoleum, but warm and soft underfoot
• Don't forget to leave wall space for a washing basket and towel rails.
• Don't forget to plan for plenty of storage space for personal-care items, towels, extra soap, toilet paper
• In smaller bathrooms consider not having a shower cubicle and tray, turn the whole room into a wet area. Alternatively just have a simple glass divider or a shower door that opens inwards.
• Free standing baths need a minimum of 200mm between walls and other bathroom items for ease of cleaning and for comfortable visual seperation.
• Use a large mirror to make a small bathroom seem larger. this mirror could be a bank of mirror cabinets offering loads of storage space while being functional.

Living areas

The best designed living areas are comfortable, informal and stylish. They are often part of an open-plan arrangement that includes the kitchen and dining area, thus the color schemes for all three areas must work well together.  Over the years the design arrangement of open-plan has been over-done and now there is a growing trend that is pulling living areas back to the cosiness that older homes provided.  Study the plans below to see what arrangement best works for you.

This floor plan is common to many modern homes having a large unstructured open-plan arrangement.  The problem with this design is that it is not cosy and intimate, it will be more costly to heat and has the potential of being very noisy, depending on final finishes and furniture.

           

This plan shows the lounge area close to the kitchen with the ability of being cut-off from the main living space as required, great for thermal control and acoustics.  Sound travels louder from one wall to another if they are only adjacent and perpendicular.  The walls on this plan are at different angles offering acousticrelief.

Large open plan living areas should be subdivided into activity zones. This is done through the use of different floor coverings for each area and furniture arrangement. A cozy area surrounding a fireplace is always a hit in cooler climates, especially in winter.

Living area design tips

• Use a feature wall.
• Each area within the room needs a focal point; e.g. a fireplace, window with a view, a television or an attractive coffee table.
• Create a cozy space for people to read, and if you have the space create other activity spaces or multi-purpose activity spaces.
• Make sure there's always somewhere close to place a glass or cup of coffee.
• There must be an easy and natural way for people to walk through a room, without having to doge furniture.
• Stereo speakers should be placed against a hard wall or other surface. This will improve acoustics.

Dining areas

Your design decisions for a dining area will depend on the level of formality you wish to achieve. There are many variables to consider. Here are a few:

• The table you choose does not need to be expensive, but it should be the right size for the area.  Allow at least 1000mm between the table edge outwards, to allow for flow of traffic around the table when people are seated.
  
  
• If the dining area is part of a larger open plan family area the best way to distinguish it is to use colors in that area that contrast well with those in other areas.

• Adding a console table to the space works well for space balance, storage and they are just the right height for a vase with flowers.
  
  
• Consider painting one wall in the dining area a vibrant color that looks especially good in candlelight and artificial light.  The dining space is the perfect location to have a featured pendent light, proportion and scale to the table are very important as is the centering of the light over the table.
  

• Use an area rug or some different flooring in the a dining area to help define the space.

• Dining area lighting needs to be both functional and atmospheric. Candles and subdues lights work well at dinner parties. Consider using wall washers, these lights are lovely but you will need to let your plasterer know that you need a 'Level one' finish otherwise you will see every little imperfection in the wall.  A 'level one' finish is more labour intensive so it will cost more and the work needs to be flawless.
  

• Sturdy dining chairs are worth the investment and you should choose a chair that will cater to most people large and small.  Think about your friends and family, their size and mobility.
  

• Consider storing the formal china and other dinnerware in the dining area, rather than in the kitchen. Adding a large piece such a china cabinet may help in achieving the right visual balance.

Master bedrooms

If you can afford it, and you have the space, make the master bedroom at least 16 square metres in size, not including the en-suite bathroom and walk-in closet. If you can spare a little more space for a single-seater lounge chair do it, sometimes this is the only quiet space you will be able to retreat to if you are part of a growing family.

In addition keep in mind the following:

• The bed is the dominant feature of the room, allow a minimum of 900mm on each side for traffic flow. The style of bed you select, and the textiles you cover it with, will set the tone of the room.
• Upholstered headboards provide something comfortable to lean against as well as warmth in winter.  These ends are easy to recover if you change your style a few years down the track.
• Don't locate a verandah off a main bedroom unless you have a kitchen near by, these verandahs generally don't get used unless you can easily get out there with a cup of tea.
  
• Subdued colors combined with occasional strong accents work best in bedrooms. Bedrooms need to feel restful and the use of soft gentle colors will help achieve this.
• Never have a en-suite opening directly onto the bed space, there is no reason for a person sleeping to be privy to all the bathroom services.  Three examples of good design are shown below:

• The solar orientation and location of any bedroom must be given great consideration.  You need to think about the family members, do they do shift work, are they early risers to they need absolute silence to sleep well.
• Ensure your bedroom is well ventilated with good cross ventilation.

Children's bedrooms

When designing, furnishing and decorating a child's room the age of the child is the most important consideration. Below are some tips for various ages.

Nurseries for babies

A nursery is as much a parents room as the child's. Parents will spend a lot of time there. The key things to remembers are:

• Make absolutely sure the cot meets all US safety standards.
• The babies room needs to warm and cozy, but also well ventilated
• Have a comfortable chair in the room where mum and dad can sit when feeding or nursing the baby.
• Buy and locate a change table that is within easy arm reach of where your nappy changing accoutrement's will be located.
  
• Keep in mind that babies are not babies for long so minimize the use of wallpaper, furniture and other items that can't easily become part of a toddler's room.
• A few well chosen bold colors will look great in a baby's or toddler's room. They help make it a cheerful, happy place.  But remember bright colors can also keep baby up and entertained so keep the walls white and have the color in things your can relocate if required.
• Set aside some space for a secondary baby change area near the main living space if the babies room is not close to this space, this will save constant traveling to the babies room.

Toddler's bedroom

Some easy tips.

• No sharp corners
• Fix all heavy bookshelves that can fall onto the child to the wall
• Plan lots of storage for toys so that its easy to keep the room uncluttered and its easy to tidy quickly.

• Most parents like to adopt a theme for their toddlers room, be it a fairytale castle, train station, or zoo. Whatever theme you select, make sure your child, and not just you, likes the theme; and don't overdo it, that way you can change the themes as the child gets older with minimal expense.  Again do the coloring with covers, curtains and carpets and keep the walls white.

For toddlers a bed is a home base, not just a place to sleep. Put the bed in a corner and put a few select favourite toys on it. This will help make the bed a cozy and welcoming place for the toddler.

Ages 5 to 11

Every child in this age bracket seems to become a collector, so they'll need not just storage space for their toys but also all the other "treasures" they accumulate. They'll need a combination of built-ins and shelf space, and all the storage facilities needs to be at a height they can easily reach. Consider getting a bed that has built in storage space rather than a bed that simply sits on four legs.

Lastly they will need a workspace for homework and arts and crafts at their own height. If you have limited space a raised bed with a study area underneath is a great space saver.

Eleven and up

As children approach their teenage years their bedrooms become private domains and as such it more up to them how the bedroom is decorated, rather than you. If your children do take advice suggest the concept of defining activity zones within their rooms for sleeping, homework, listening to music and hanging out with a friend or two (if there is room).

Other children's areas

Teenager Hang Out Zones

Ideally these spaces should be close to the teenagers room and contain all the stuff that won't fit into their rooms and annoy their parents, like video game consoles, sound equipment, etc. Expect these areas to be unkempt, noisy, musty and messy. This space needs to have the ability to be acoustically cut-off as required.

Indoor play area

For toddlers and kids under 11 these just need to be roomy cheerful spaces, with lots of toys and toy storage space and needs to be located in the hub of the living space and near the kitchen. It should be within eyeshot of parents when they're in the kitchen or family area. It should not be a separate room because as a parent you want to keep an eye on the children's activities and make sure things don't get out-of-hand or too wild. Expect these areas to be messy also so don't forget to consider storage areas such as shelves, stacking boxes and cupboards.

Outdoor play area

Children love playing outdoors but playing safely outdoors with any frequency or regularity only becomes practical if parents can easily keep an eye on things from indoors or if the children are old enough to be somewhat independent.

For toddlers it absolutely necessary that an outdoor play area be fenced off and attached close to the kitchen area via a door. If the outdoor play area is not located closely to the kitchen/family area and does not have good northern sun the space will be usedinfrequently .

For older kids it is important to have space for all the equipment they will play that is protected from the weather.  

Sandpits are always a hit for children under 7 years of age as are flat sunny grassed areas.
Houses on sloping blocks are not desirable for families with younger children they will prefer to stay indoors.

 
 
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