By Danielle Chapman
Interior decorating is a very painful subject for the ‘spatially impaired’. Often, the sufferer looks on wistfully at beautifully and tastefully prepared bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchens and offices with nary a clue how to achieve the same effect for themselves. They’ll longingly gaze through magazines and desperately try to achieve the same look by copying what they see on the pages right down to the curtains- but somehow they always come up short. How does the ‘spatially impaired’ person get the look for their bedroom, bathroom or kitchen they desire? Is it even possible? With time and practice, yes! The tips below are the basic tools to decorating the interior of any room.
1) Search magazines for samples of the styles/colors of furniture (or accessories) that will go in the room you want to decorate. Pick only the things that really speak to you. Sort them up into individual pieces. (Have a pile for sofas, a pile for end tables, a pile for armoires, etc) Put them together to see which item (sofa, table, chair, etc) you really like best. Do this for each furniture item. Then put the final choices together. Do the styles match? What about the colors? This is a common trait with the spatially impaired. They pick styles and/or colors that do not match or do not complement each other.
2) When you have chosen a style and color scheme that will work, draw a floor plan of the room you plan to decorate. Measure your room and transfer these measurements to the floor plan, using 1 inch to equal 1 foot of room. If you are able, get the measurements of the furniture you plan to purchase. By using actual measurements, you will get a realistic idea of what the room will look like. The spatially impaired are often guilty of overestimating/underestimating the size of rooms and buying furniture that is either too large or woefully inadequate, leaving negative areas of space.
3) Let an interior designer check your plan before you start. Some furniture stores have an interior designer on site. He or she will be able to point out any details you may have missed, such as mismatched textures, patterns or color schemes. Knowing these things before you start will keep you from wasting time and money! (Something else that the spatially impaired are all too familiar with!)
Follow these steps by starting one room at a time. As the desired look is achieved and confidence grows, move on to the next room. In no time at all, your house will be a lovely dwelling that displays your tastes in a carefully put together manner.
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