How to create an individual space that fits me?
Nowadays, we all are influenced by advertising and marketing that usually tell us how we should feel, what we should like and of course, what we must have.
It is well known that your interior influences your mood, even as far as your life itself. That's why it's very important for you to build or create an interior, a home that reflects your inner being.
And here are a few tips that can help you (and some mistakes to avoid!)
Do you really need this beautiful plasma TV if you don't usually watch TV?
Do you really need this spa shower if you prefer bathing?
Do you need this huge, modern, open kitchen if you are messy and barely cook?
It is important to realise what your actual needs are and not follow the neighbours.
So our fist tip would be: you do not have to follow the trend.
To help you to define which kind of interior you need in terms of design, which one will reflect who you really are, there is no need to go to psychotherapy but to think about which places make you feel good. Take pictures of them and try to list why you feel what you feel in these places. If you love a certain piece of furniture, you should try to question why - is it the colour, material, shape, function, the comfort factor or personal effect?
Our second tip is never throw away an object you love.
Even if your friends tell you it's awful, even if you think it won't fit your new interior, even if your family hates it. There is always a way to re-use it and to make a place for it.
Following this idea, do not hesitate in buying objects or furniture you like even if you don't have an idea where you can put it or if it will fit with your general layout. If you love it, really love it and if it's not just about "being trendy", it will find a place in your home.
Now a few words for art lovers...
We all feel frustrated when we can't afford an art piece we love and connect with. If we can't afford it, we usually can afford a picture of it or a nice book on the subject. For example, I use my favourite books as a decorative item and I have pictures of my favourite sculptures on my wall. Being surrounded by images of what I love helps me feel good at home and improve my mood when I feel tired or upset.
So our third tip will be: fill your home with what you love!
Here is our fourth tip: everyone who lives with you should have his own place in the home.
If you have kids, why not use their never-ending drawings in nice frames. Once a month you can sit with them and choose which drawing you will frame. It's a fun thing to do with your children! Another solution is to scan several drawings and put them all in one big frame.
If your other half doesn't love the same things as you do, it shouldn't be a problem - even if it's more difficult to find this balance in designing an interior, but trust yourself: if you manage to live together with all your differences, you'll manage to agree on the colour of your walls or where to place his/her grandmother's portrait!
And last but not least, our fifth tip: each home should have an element of humour.
What is humour in design? It's very personal but it can be provided by a functional diversion; a drawer as a planter, a strong shelf for a bench, a classical painting frame around a door or a window, a window frame as a picture frame and so on, pictures of you grimacing, and old cupboard as a door, anything unexpected that makes you smile...
Enjoy!
