Interior Home Design Oriental Theme

I fell in love with Asian themed decor after watching the movie Memoirs of a Geisha. The soft colors, cherry blossoms, and whimsical feel of the scenery motivated me to decorate my living room in such a fashion. At first, I figured it would be a daunting task, but it was relatively quite easy. It's definitely something that can be done on any budget. First, find out how much money you are willing to spend on this project. Pick a room you'd like to make-over. Evaluate your wall and floor space to see what large areas you would like to hide, cover, or even enhance. You shouldn't completely strip your chosen room from what it looks like now because it takes a little bit of time to completely redesign the whole room. It's going to be a progressive project because finding perfect items for your home in an Oriental theme can be a little challenging.

Some items to look for when decorating in an Asian theme are these: Paper lanterns of all shapes, cherry blossom decor in any form (paintings, plastic foliage, area rugs, etc.), jade statues (fake or real jade works just fine for the illusion), round, painted fans, and anything with Koi fish, dragons and Geisha's. You can find these at any store in your area that sells Oriental supplies. A good way to find out where you can find these types of items is by going to your favorite local Oriental restaurant and inquiring as to where they found their beautiful decorations. Oriental restaurants are a perfect place to gain inspiration for your Asian-themed room. You can always look online and do a Google search for local Asian/Oriental stores in your area.

Think first of what color your want to dominate your room. As for me, I chose to have my room be dominated by a vibrant pink color that reminded me of cherry blossoms. You may choose a warmer room by going with a jade-green, or even a ruby red. Either way, find curtains that match that color that you are imagining in your head. You can find good quality curtains at reasonable prices that range in sizes at Anna's Linens. Then, find an area rug for the room that will match the curtains. Make sure that the color of the rug is very, very close to the curtains for a look that will be complete. The area rug can very well have decorations embedded on it, such as beautiful Koi fish or even a dragon. Now think of what you'd like the central focus or the room to be. In most cases, you have a huge area of wall you'd like to cover. You can buy big beautiful mirrors to create the illusion of space in the room you are working with, and add Oriental fans and cherry blossoms around the mirrors. Obtain some inspiration from a Home Interiors magazine...there you will find how to balance mirrors, candles, statues, shelves and decorations for a look that is uniquely your own. On EBAY, I found a 6 foot tall cherry blossom tree that is absolutely beautiful and looks very realistic. I became a little creative and painted my own Asian-themed art since original Oriental art was a little expensive. You can, however, find good quality Asian-themed art on Ebay. At the local Dollar Store, I spotted some beautiful framed pictures with Asian-markings on them that would have been perfect for the living room that I redesigned. If you can invest in wall scrolls and some original items, it would add to the authenticity that you are looking for.

It's completely possible to create the dream room you want. At first I thought it was impossible, but it was a fun project to partake in. I encourage you to create your dream Asian-themed room. Just remember to think of the wall decorations, the floor area, and decorations. Look around in garage sales, malls, and in word of mouth places that your local Asian friends would know of. Splurge on a few items, and remember to stay on a budget. Have fun and enjoy your new Oriental-themed room.



By Sue Ellen Kubiak

New Home Interior Design Plan Ahead

By failing to plan properly well ahead of time for your new home interior design, you could end up feeling too overwhelmed with other work to actually plan out how you want your new home to look. In addition, by the time all your belongings are moved into the new home, planning for the new home interior design will be close to impossible with all the clutter lying about.

Getting Started

When planning for your new home interior design, begin first by spending time in your new home and taking a good look around. Keep in mind that it is much easier to plan for a new home interior design when the house is still empty and bare. Visit your new house at least twice before you begin to lay out plans for your interior design.

Make sure that you visit at least once in the morning to see how the light plays around the rooms during the early morning. Then visit again in the afternoon to see how the rooms look and feel in the afternoon light. Remember that your new home interior design will work better if it is designed to harmonize with the light to achieve that warm, sunny and homey feeling.

When visiting your new home, take along a sketch pad and pencil with you. Never mind if you cannot paint or draw. What is really important here is that you note down all of the important parts of the house and then take the time to plan out what you will do with it. For instance, you will want to get the dimension and shape of the living room.

You will be taking measurements for drapes and window coverings. And if you intend to buy new furniture, you need to select pieces that will not look overly large for the space nor make the area look crowded. By jotting down the exact size and shape of the room and home interior design, you will be able to determine the types of furniture and fixtures needed in order to make that room look like your own, containing your own special touch.

By William Hopkins

8 Myths About Decorating the Inside of Your Home

Interior Design doesn't have to be complicated, but their are a lot of myths out there about decorating and ules of how to do it. The key to interior design is following your own tastes while trying to incorporate current trends. Here are 8 common myths about interior design.

Myth #1 - The Rules of Interior Design Must be Followed

It should be clear if you watch any of the home improvement or interior design shows that are HGTV and DIY Network, that there are no hard and fast rules for Interior Design. Basic rules of house decorating can either be strictly followed, or left totally open to personal taste and interpretation.

However, one basic rule is to consider the locality and architecture of a home before developing a decorating design plan. A southwestern motif might be totally out of place in a New England Cape Cod style home, and vice versa for an adobe home in the desert Southwest.

Room use also is important to overall design. In the kitchen, for instance, the inclusion of the work triangle is critical for ease of movement and convenience. Unless you have extra rooms in your house, most rooms will serve a purpose (entertaining, eating, sleeping), so factor that into the design and allow for proper traffic flow and utilization.

Myth #2 - a Good Decorating Plan is Developed as You Go

The most common mistake that people make is that they just start buying furniture and accessories simply because they like them, and they don't consider how they will work with other items in the room. Rather than just buying things as you find them, try to develop a clear design strategy that will allow you to search for items that will accent and highlight the other items in the room.

Don't hesitate to enlist the service of an interior design professional to help define and develop your plan. Hiring a professional interior designer for either just consulting, or undertaking part or the entire project, can drastically enhance its overall success.

Myth #3 - a Good Decorating Project Should be Completed all at Once

Don't hold on to the notion that everything has to be completed all at once. It is important to work on one room at a time, and start with the basics; but the overall design doesn't have to be completed all at once. It is not uncommon to buy the larger ticket items first, then add the accent pieces later.

Develop a budget; consider what you can afford, and budget your purchases accordingly. While some homeowners have the luxury of being able to spend what they want when they want, and complete everything at once, most people have to complete decorating on a budget; on a uy as you can basis.

Myth #4 - a Decorating Plan Should Include all the Latest Trends

Don't create a decorating theme around the latest trends and fashions.
It is important to incorporate your personal style preferences. Get ideas by looking through magazines, visiting home interior show floors, and viewing online resources to determine what styles and colors your most prefer.

For a well thought-out and successful home interior design, start with one room. Develop a floor plan on paper, complete with room dimensions and special features, such as closets or outlets, window size, window and door placement, etc.

Make a distinction between needs and desires. Depending upon room use, there are certain components considered essential; others considered suitable extras. In the kitchen - for instance - essentials might include cabinetry, counters, sink, stove, refrigerator, etc.

Elements considered extra include things like a work island, second sink (for rinsing and preparing fresh foods), corner breakfast nook area, etc. When working within a budget, essential room elements obviously take priority over any extras.

Myth #5 - a Good Decorating Plan Includes as Many Furnishings and Accents as Possible

Don't overcrowd a design with unnecessary clutter and too many furnishings and accents. Filling a room with excessive furnishings takes away from the overall decorating theme and ultimately makes the room look smaller than it really is. Think about traffic flow in your design, and layout the room so that it is open and has a clear path for traffic.

Myth # 6 - Furnishings Should be Selected to Match Paint Colors

Don't go out and start choosing furniture to match interior paint colors that are already there. Again, you should select a starting point and try to pick coordinating colors and fabrics that compliment whatever the starting point is.

Identify the use and function of the room before selecting furniture and accents. If a room will be used for multi-purposes, include elements associated with each use.

Purchase large elements first. For instance, carpets or rugs, window treatment, and living room furniture or dining room furniture. Use style, textile design, and colors of the large pieces to coordinate the rest. Consider all unifying elements; including wood tones, fabrics, and even room trim colors to coordinate your motif.

Myth #7 - Inexpensive Furnishings Help Increase Scope of Project

Don't buy cheaper materials just so that you can remodel more than one room at a time. Try to purchase the highest quality furnishings and items you can afford, but keep in mind your lifestyle, and think long term; purchase well performing furnishings and fabrics that will last. Often what you will find is that cheaper materials will have a shorter lifespan, so think long-term in your design.

Pay special attention to quality of construction and materials best suited for long life and durable use. You don't want to have to start replacing poorly made items after only a few years.

Myth #8 - Don't overlook what is above you.

Another big mistake I see in novice interior design is the fact that they do not factor the ceiling into their design plan. White ceilings are about as interesting as a blank sheet of paper. Use any number of interesting options to dress up a ceiling; wood beams, wood planks, paint type, color, various dry wall texturing techniques, wall paper, upholstery, formed Victorian tin squares, glass or tile mosaic. The choices are only limited by your imagination.

By not trying to follow current trends, and going with what appeals to your own personal tastes, you will be well on your way to designing a home that you will enjoy for years to come.

By Gary Nealon