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Considerations for your interior design process

Writer's picture: Natalia AllendeNatalia Allende

Updated: Nov 14, 2024

When we decorate our homes, it is easy to make mistakes by getting carried away because we like too many very different things. Who here has ever gone ahead and purchased pieces of furniture, art and décor without really giving cohesion and an end goal any careful thought? “Eclectic” or “well-travelled” are not synonymous with “mish-mash”. If you are thinking about designing your home or a space within your home, here are some considerations for your interior design process that will allow you to make wise decisions. As you would guess, I always suggest working with a professional, but these ideas will definitely allow you to start your journey.

 

1.     Concept. Decide on an overall concept for a space that you will feel comfortable in and which you will identify with. Each room in the house may be creatively different, but they shouldn’t clash. Spaces in a home flow into each other and the entire place should express a certain design sensibility, be it contemporary, colorful, bold, transitional, traditional or whichever style the house dictates and/or you want to impress into it.

 Built-in maple library and home office
Somewhere between transitional and mid-century modern, this space is a man cave, home office and family den. Easy to navigate and comfortable to be in. The built-in bookcases include storage and a dropdown desk.

2.     Form & Function. Make it such that the aesthetic serves your life, rather than you becoming a slave to the aesthetic. You may love a certain design style, and you may be dying to design your space in that style, but if it is going to make you and your family miserable, please ditch it! Maybe veer away from the style you love just enough to make your life easier. An obvious example is a vanilla home. If you live in the country, have dogs and a bunch of children, what can I say, vanilla will not make your home happy, even though it may be magazine worthy (for a week). Another example is if you want to use furniture that isn’t child-friendly. I personally believe that one should be able to design the home with pieces one loves and that children can learn to live around pieces that require care or that might not be the most child-friendly. If that is your case, then you need to make sure to provide children with spaces where they will be able to exist at ease and, hopefully, not be alienated from the rest of the family while they’re at it.

Built-in library and game space
The continuation of the previous space allows the couple to have a place dedicated to playing chess, making a puzzle or sharing breakfast or a mid-day coffee. Their beautiful decor items are on display and the space is easy.

3.     Art. Make sure you include art you love. If you’ve been getting my blog since the beginning, and if you know me at all, you know that I believe art is central to good design. It's a game changer, as a piece of art you love will make for a pleasant space forever. It really will! Fine art and collectible design are as important as your favorite piece of furniture, and I believe they should be present throughout the home. Not all art has to be the best of the best, but put interest into it and you will see how the feel of the home changes.

Reading corner with art
This quiet corner used for reading is completed with an art piece by artist, Eric Bohr. Serenity was the goal here, and with this art piece, we hinted at the clients' interest in classicism while putting a foot into the modern world.

4.     Be Bold. Make sure there are at least a few interesting design decisions, either in the furniture you use, light fixtures or décor. Playing it safe seems like a great way to avoid mistakes. But beware, might playing it safe itself be a mistake? You don't need to design your home with showing off as the main goal, but it should express some of your creativity, personal interests, and joy of living. So please be sure to include some adventurous elements. The paths for this are many, many: use of color, texture on walls, fabric, furniture, etc. It can be via incorporating a design item that’s unique, be it new or vintage or antique. Lamps, décor, rugs, screens, your fireplace, the walls, and furniture are all opportunities to make a statement. Take some risks. Playing it safe will make the space “ok” but not beloved.

Home office and library
The two spaces we designed for our client were connected but have different uses. We found that an extremely simple yet bold design decision--the tomato-colored archway--made the transition between each space fun and full of character.

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Natalia Allende Studio, Interior Design, serving the broader DMV area.

202.841.7416 ı natalia@nataliaallendestudio.com

24501 Peach Tree Rd, Clarksburg, MD 20871

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