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Design Articles

First feature printed in the Victor Valley Daily Press.

Design Solutions For REAL People

I am often asked where to start when decorating a room or whole house. The answer, unfortunately for most of us, is: What’s the budget for this project? Few are fortunate enough to have an open checkbook with money no object. But, rejoice! There ARE solutions!

The first step to good design costs nothing, except time and serious thought about each area of the home. For example, how will this room be used? By how many family members? Will there be pets? Who will be doing the cleaning? How often? The list can be quite long as we explore the best use of space for a particular home.

The second step is to consider the answers from step one. If we decide the home will be high traffic with several family members with multi uses, then surfaces and fabrics that take wear and easily clean will work best. If we decide the home will be a quiet place for a hard working couple to retreat, then surfaces and fabrics can be in soothing colors with soft textures. It’s wise to stick with the step one answers to determine the direction of the interior design. It can also save hundreds, if not thousands, in ‘mistakes’ down the road.

The third step is finding our ‘theme’. Often, one home can (and will!) look beautiful with more than one complementary theme. One home that I found particularly beautiful and interesting is owned by one of our local real estate agents. She had picked a wonderful exotic theme for the open areas of her home, and then in more private areas had vignettes. She had gone from exotic to Old West with a comfortable transition. She also kept her color grouping similar, which eased the transition and allowed the eye of the viewer to adjust without jarring the senses with, “Oh! New theme!”

Themes may come from a comfortable memory during childhood, may come from a design magazine, may come from a great hotel in Paris. Having a theme, or a decorating plan, is the closest to foolproof we can get. To assist with “theme-ing,” many retail outlets offer groupings, by theme, for shoppers. There, you will find items themed and color grouped, which takes a lot of the guesswork out of decorating.

In my next article, I’ll discuss the importance of walls, flooring, and window coverings. These are the largest areas to consider, yet with the help of what we’ve already discussed, we will find the simple solutions to….you got it….good design.

See you next time!

Linda Clabough is owner of Direct Drapes & Interiors, a Division of Sav-Mor Blinds & Shutters, located in Hesperia. She invites your decorating questions by e-mail at DirectDrapes@verizon.net.