Your home is your sanctuary. You want it to be well put together and representative of your personal style. However, taking on a home design project can be intimidating, especially if you are a beginner. Fortunately, with a few tips and the right construction tools, you can make even your wildest ideas come true.
1) Get Inspired
Before starting anything, you need to have a vision for what you will be more. Perhaps even more importantly, you need to convert that vision into actionable steps.
The best way to approach this is to find some inspiration. There is an enormous number of magazines, shows, display homes and more that you can turn to for design inspiration. In fact, there are plenty of websites dedicated specifically to interior design ideas.
Use these to guide you as you plan out your redesign process. As you find new ideas, start to draft a plan for what you want to achieve.
2) Think About the Future
As you are thinking about what you want to include in your home, try to have a long-term mindset. Think about how your decisions today will affect your home in five, 10 or 20 years.
Some changes you make can be easily updated or replaced. Other changes may be more prohibitive to upgrade. Try to avoid committing yourself long term to changes that you don’t think will age well.
Styles and tastes change. There is no way to design a house today that will be totally stylish 20 years from now (unless you just get very lucky or have a crystal ball. However, you likely can identify trends that are likely to be short-lived. Don’t forget that you may have to sell your home eventually.
3) Choose the Right Colors
Once you have a plan together, the next step is to start thinking about colors. The palette you use throughout your home will significantly guide your design. However, getting colors just right can be challenging.
Take a look at some of the inspiration you found. Alternatively, simply look at any well-designed room. Chances are that there are color motifs throughout. Perhaps the rug mirrors a color in the artwork, or the furniture matches the window dressings. This harmony can bring together space. In other words, color is a really powerful tool.
The key to great color is to choose colors that complement each other without being too flat. A pop of contrasts can help to make a room more interesting.
Some people have a great eye for design and can immediately choose colors that will work together. If you are not totally confident in your abilities, you could consider hiring a consultant. With the right palette, you can bring together many different design ideas.
4) Add in Some Powerful Materials
As you are starting to break out those construction tools, think about the materials you are going to use in your home. Material choice can add texture to your colors to create a very attractive space. In other cases, your material choice can give your home a more premium feel.
For example, granite counters often give a kitchen a higher-end feel. However, you may want to use butcherblock instead to have a lighter, more natural feel. In the same way that your colors create harmony and set the tone for the room, your material choices do the same.
This is also a great opportunity to introduce your personal sense of style. For example, you could opt for a more natural style with a lot of wood and greenery. Alternatively, you could apply an industrial style with bare metal materials.
5) Upgrade a Little
When you redesign your home, it is the perfect opportunity to make some upgrades. Everyone has a budget to work with, so you likely can’t convert your home completely. However, finding a few smart updates to perform could help you achieve the perfect design.
For example, if you have a nice outdoor space such as a deck or patio, you could widen your entryway or install doors that let in more natural light. If you have the right climate for it, you could even consider retractable walls. This is very common in areas such as San Diego.
Some smaller projects may be to install feature lighting in your main living areas. Additionally, you could set up a wall mounting system for your television and other entertainment devices to make your home tidier. A few select upgrades can give your home a refreshed feel.
Get the Tools You Need
You can stretch your design budget further when you can do some of the work yourself. With a few construction tools and supplies from Engineer Supply, you can take on more of the project on your own.
Explore our catalog of tools, design supplies, furniture and more. We can help you find everything you need to make your redesign project a success. Get started today.
