Making Your House A Home

Working with an interior designer is an excellent way to create a home atmosphere that speaks to your personality and impresses your guests. While your designer will undoubtedly be able to get the job done on their own, there are a few things you can do to support their efforts and ensure that you are satisfied with the design outcome when all is said and done. Consider implementing one or more of the following methods:

Choose a Color Scheme Beforehand

Choosing a color scheme to provide your interior designer before they start making design plans for your home will ensure that they stay on track with the look and feel that you are specifically going for. It will also provide your designer with some insight into your personality so they can expand on the colors in a way that suits you. Keep in mind that colors can affect your mood, so choose carefully. Some of the following color options may be right for you:

• Blue lowers blood pressure and creates a calm atmosphere.

• Green helps to bring the outdoors in and offers some peace of mind.

• Yellow encourages happiness and joy.

• Red invokes excitement and enthusiasm.

Choose one or two colors for your scheme so your designer has some freedom to customize your design with various accent shades.

Gather Swatches of Materials

Although your interior designer will likely provide you with material swatches to choose from so they know what types of furnishings to implement, it's a good idea to gather swatches as you are out shopping if you see any that are particularly attractive to you. Your designer may not have thought of the options you gather, or have the material in stock. So this process may expand your options when it comes to choosing things such as couches, throw rugs, and accent pillows.

Make a Must-Keep List

It's also helpful to create a must-keep list of all the artwork, furnishings, and nick-knacks that you aren't willing to part with during the design process. This will not only ensure that the things you really want to keep stay put within your home, but it will help guide your designer in terms of the types and sizes of decor that should be incorporated into your overall design. Spend a couple of days creating your list so you can go back to it a few times and read it over to ensure that nothing important is overlooked.