Advice

• Interior design advice
• Getting started
• Wallcoverings and decorating tips
• Window treatments
• Upholstery, fire regulations and wearability
• Buying upholstered furniture

Getting started

When starting to create a scheme for a room, there are many questions an Interior Designer will ask their client to find out:

• Client's personality - their taste, their likes & dislikes
• Personality of the home - age / period details
• Light - is the room north / south facing
• Use of room - the atmosphere you wish to create - bright & airy / snug & cosy
• Who will use the room and how - it's functionality.
• What is the focal point in the room? This can be a large picture window, a fireplace, an alcove? What do you like best and would wish to emphasise?
• Will the scheme have a traditional / classical / contemporary feel?
• Existing furnishings & furniture - what will stay and what will go? How will this influence the rest of the room and colours / textures that can be used? Consider colour & texture, both on wall coverings and fabrics.

Colour

• Generally, it can be simplest to start with combining different shades of the same colour and then introducing a contrasting accent colour to give life and added interest to the scheme.
• Consider which colours are in the room already - introducing new, different colours which either blend with or completely contrast with these existing colours may change the feel and look of the room completely.
• Colour - cool colours can be very calming and can work well in rooms which are bright and sunny. By contrast, warm colours can brighten up a cold or dark room.
• If there is going to be a more dominant area within the room, it can be easiest to choose this first. Consider whether this is to be a feature wall with a wow factor wallpaper, or your curtains if you have large windows, or your upholstery if the room will be filled with several sofas / chairs. Coordinating / contrasting textures, colours and patterns can then be chosen around this.

Pattern

• If choosing a strong or striking pattern, see if the fabric company in question has used this in any promotional room set photographs, as this will give you a better idea as to how it will look in a larger piece and 'made up'.
• Obtain the largest piece of fabric you can and pin this to your existing curtains - you may wish to purchase a one metre length to give you a better idea as to how this fabric works in terms of the colour and pattern on a larger scale - you can still use this later for cushions.

Need help?

Our friendly and helpful design team offers professional advice, supporting all elements of creating the right scheme for your home.

Call 01684 291037 or email asktheexpert@kingdominteriors.co.uk

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