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Creating Your Ideal Living Space: Insights and Inspirations

Your living space is a huge reflection of you and your experiences in life as well as your tastes. In recent years, there has been a major shift towards ‘mood décor’ and ‘color therapy’ as more and more people want to sway from trends, adopt timeless styles and simply use colors and décor accents that make them feel happy and joyous amidst the increasing stresses of life. That being said, sometimes it can be hard to create a living space that inspires you simply because you do not know where to begin. Here’s how to create your dream living space that you will thoroughly enjoy every day. 

Looking To Be Inspired

There are hundreds of décor styles out there, industrial vintage, shabby chic and modern sleek to name a few. Using your feelings as a guiding hand, look for styles that inspire you. Once you have found a style that speaks to your nature, gather looks somewhere so you can have a visual picture. Pinterest or your computer can be a start, you can also print inspiration and keep it on a mood board or scrapbook. This visual representation will make it easier to zoom in on the individual décor accents that make up an impressive living space. 

This step takes some time especially as you work through your main living spaces including your dining area and bedroom. Always keep the dimensions of the space in mind as proper space utilization will inevitably affect the quality of your day to day life. Deciding on a maximalist style or a minimalist style all boils down to personal preference and also the space available to you. 

Interior Designers & Personal Input

There is a lot that a professional interior designer can teach you especially on the potential of your space and other experts such as house painters can advise you on color palettes and long-lasting paint choices. Many people even first-timers find however that decorating your space is a concept that evolves over time with your experiences and personality and another person can never really encompass all of that. 

Nevertheless an interior designer can offer valuable insights and will probably advise you on the importance of never overlooking storage options!  Storage is a pivotal part of any living space as you need to leave space to grow as you accumulate more possessions or have children. Utilizing odd spaces like under the stairs for example can open up multiple storage options for you. 

The Walls Speak 

The walls are probably one of the largest spaces in your home when you talk about visual appeal or design and usually not much is done to have them reflect your sense of style. Paint is always a huge decision so hiring interior house painting professionals can result in a polished and perfect even finish. You can always paint your home’s walls yourself especially if you are doing a mural or simply white-washing them as many people do. White paint is great as it will open up your space and make it look larger but always go for more of a deeper, creamy white as opposed to a clinical white. 

Whimsical or vintage wallpaper looks stunning especially if it is done on accent walls and paired with walls painted in one solid color or a transition. Wall art is one of those touches you should never skip as you can tell so much about a person from the pictures and art they have hanging on their walls! You can use memorabilia like posters or old film pictures and mix it in with personal photographs or portraits and paintings. This last tip is a celebrity secret as many a time, their homes will display a mixture of personal pictures and movie or music photos. 3D wall hangings are a very impactful addition to the house and you can commission a local artist to make something for you or even try yourself with some plaster of Paris! 

Explore Materials 

Materials, patterns and textures make all the difference in a stylish house so explore materials like fabrics or stone like granite or marble for countertops and floors or different finishes of wood for furniture and décor accents. Materials are a major driving force behind emulating a style you are passionate about, for example a shabby chic style is best characterized by worn out furniture, creamy white colors, furs, gold accents and soft plushy blankets. Thrifting and buying second-hand from reputable sources is a great way to get your hands on items that are unique and less mainstream and ones that may even have historical value. Not to mention, it is kinder on the budget! 

Final Thoughts 

Interior design may seem like a craft only for the professionals but the ability to create a home that resonates with your dreams, personality and comfort level is present in every individual. Exploration and being open to new ideas and modern concepts can help you realize your dreams especially if you are trying to be more sustainable and source your fabrics, furniture or décor pieces from less mainstream outlets or through creative thrifting. While trends come and go, it is imperative to build an interior style that is a reflection of you and not of changing times. 

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