Deciding that your home needs a makeover is easy. Making it happen is another matter. As an expression of your personality, you don’t want your home to scream ‘easily confused’ or, at worst, ‘insane’. Take a deep breath and ready yourself for a transformation with these top design tips.
Interior Ecosystem
Interior design is all about continuity and balance. Consider your home as an intricate ecosystem. Facets of its design are all connected – changing one thing will unavoidably affect another, and so on. Use permanent fixtures and fittings as a basis. For example, if you are designing a dining room and have a rustic-style dining table that you can’t bear to lose, there’s little point going for an Art Deco look.
Stay within Budget
Running out of money halfway through a project is disastrous – that Victorian dining room isn’t going to look good if half of it is sourced from Ikea. Cost the entire project before starting anything and allocate some spare cash for when things go wrong. Use an online paint calculator to determine the amount of paint you need to buy. If time is no object, meagre funds can be stretched further by dedicating some serious hours to bargain hunting.

Pick a Period
Choosing a style from a particular period makes a home more coherent. It also limits the sometimes bewildering number of decisions that need to be made. Some of the most popular periods for interior decoration include the glamorous 20s, the rock‘n’roll 50s, or any of the Edwardian, Georgian or Victorian eras. Particular styles that have heavily influenced interior design include those of the Art Deco, Art Nouveau and Arts and Crafts movements.
Killer Colours
Many people underestimate the power of colour to influence the feel of a space. Even the right colours can give the wrong signals when they are combined badly. As a general guide, avoid dark palettes in small areas, as they will exacerbate the feeling of confinement. Soft pastel colours help a space feel light and airy. Colours can be harmonious, toning or complementary – those without the confidence to create their own palette can use a colour wheel to better understand colour theory. Alternatively, go for any of the neutral colours. Black, grey, white, brown and beige all work together in any combination.
Tool Up
The best design in the world will fail if it’s realised using the wrong tools. That doesn’t mean spending thousands on industry-leading paintbrushes, drills and ladders. Shop around and it’s relatively easy to find deals for tools from brands such as Fein or Stanley. Most renovating is done in the evening when people are free from work. Site lighting can help ensure that what looked great under the cloak of night still looks good the next day.
Whatever your final choice of design, take your time over it and remember to have fun. Use others’ ideas as inspiration, but allow your own creativity to influence the outcome.