Architectural Wood Turnings

David Artsmith  -  The home is a place where we spend most of our time. Each evening, we retire to our residences not only to rest but appreciate its beauty and glamor. It is therefore important that we put in a lot of effort into making it beautiful and elegant. One way to do that is to apply suitable furnishings. These accessories will give the home a nice appearance but for a homeowner to get the best in home decor, he needs to attach great importance to decorative planning. Here are tips to let you get the most of your home, especially if you are moving in for the first time.

Rule number one is to shop for your home decor before you decide on what color to paint your room. The furniture and its accessories must be in concordance with the wall and not vice versa. The purpose of the space should be the deciding factor when choosing a color or tone for the space. Bedrooms should have dark colors such as blue or green. It will be out of place and inconvenient for the sleepers to have a bedroom with brightly colored walls. They are too bright and will make sleeping uncomfortable. A childs space can be decorated with lighter tones, and frivolous images, in order to simulate the look of a playground.

You must also remember during your decorative planning that every room has something called a focal point. This is referring to the focal point of the space, the one item which tends to draw attention and attract the view of people within any particular space. If you are dealing with a den or family room, then the focal point will be the room divider, the fireplace, or the coffee table.

For home decor to be effective you need to buy similar furniture. Do not buy different styles or designs. For example you cannot buy elegant dining tables for a living room with casual setting. Or mix upholstery dining tables with rustic sofas.

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Home designs are continuously evolving as the needs and demands of consumers change and as iconoclastic designers capture our collective imagination with their creativity. Home interior trends are not quite as fickle as the fashion world, but there are subtle nuances that make each year fresh and rewarding for the professional interior designer.

Homes from the 1800s to early 1900s were special in that the home designs of large family estates were internally divided to create distinct environments. For instance, home owners had practical servant’s quarters on the lower level floors near the kitchen, whereas the family’s bedrooms were all situated upstairs. A powder room was often found downstairs and an en-suite bathroom was just off the parent’s master bath. The children often lived down a hallway and in their own separate quarter of the house, so the parents could have a bit of privacy and reprieve.

In some instances, a carriage house held the in laws or guests. This is a home interior trend that’s coming back for 2009, with second or third bedroom suites and added bathrooms increasing in popularity. “Buyers are saying, let’s put kids over here to one side to keep things quiet for parents or in-laws who will be moving in with them,” explains Kyle Lindsey, owner of Kyle Lindsey Custom Homes. These secondary suites are typically 300-400 square-feet with full bathrooms and occasional sitting rooms in an isolated section of the house, Lindsey adds.

Another home interior trend that will proliferate into 2009 is green, sustainable building and modifications, builders agree. “People are trying to save money wherever they can, building to higher energy standards and building green to save water and electricity,” admonishes Bob Weiss, executive VP for Kentucky Homebuilders. Many homeowners are trading in wall-to-wall carpets for recycled wood. TechShield radiant barrier roof decking, which reflects heat away from attics, is purchased by 98% of new home buyers in markets like San Antonio, where the sun beats down all day long, driving up air conditioning costs. Low VOC paint, which emits far less fumes than traditional paints, has become the standard. Spray foam insulation, energy efficient lighting, air circulation systems and insulating window coatings are a few of the eco-friendly interior design trends to look out for.

Any architect interior designer will tell you that the home interior vibe is all in the finishing touches: wall finishes, paint, flooring, countertops. These nuances can draw home owners in or leave them feeling discordant. John Friesenhahn of Imagine Homes says native rock and brick exteriors are classic choices, but home owners are looking for a little more color on their interiors. He says Silestone countertops offer a wide range of colors. Last year’s mocha and sage green paint colors will be traded in for mustard yellow and grassy greens. Allergen-proof, easy-to-clean and natural flooring is in this year too. High-end homes will see Italian mosaic tiles, travertine and porcelain. Dark exotic wood cabinetry became popular in 2008 and will continue as an interior design kitchen and bedroom staple throughout 2009.

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You may have heard of “feng shui,” which is the school of thought that blends spirituality and art. It is believed that color, pattern, space and lighting all have a great impact on our emotions, our productivity and our spiritual nature. By rearranging furniture and redesigning a room, we can feel awakened, enlightened, rejuvenated and at peace. While this was revolutionary design news in its time, the newest trend builds on the principles of “feng shui,” arguing one step further that the human psyche demands a “return to nature” in modern designs.

Green building materials, furniture and interior design services are making design headlines all around the world, but particularly in America, in places like Seattle, Portland, New York and Austin. Last year, green building technology found a friend in the money-conscious consumer who was looking to save on his or her energy costs. Traditionally, sustainable design had been seen as “pricey” and “hardly worth it,” but now prices have dropped and consumers are beginning to see where pennies can be pinched. The LEED standard became the predominant licensing agency and Energy Star appliances became mandatory for government buildings in many states. More than 14% of all US cities have some kind of “green real estate” program in place and insurers agree to protect sustainable houses. These breakthroughs are clearing the way for a more responsible and environmentally-friendly society.

Barack Obama made interior design news in January when he chose Michael S. Smith, professional interior designer of the stars, as his White House decorator. Smith has provided interior design services for the likes of Cindy Crawford, Michelle Pfeiffer, Rupert Murdoch and Steven Spielberg, among others. Additionally, he was Elle Décor’s designer of the year in 2003 and one of Architectural Digest’s top 100 designers in 2002 and 2004. Smith’s style reflects a mastery of “the mix,” says Kansas City interior designer Caroline McCallister. She says Smith weaves traditional and modern, casual and formal, multiple cultural influences, expensive and affordable. He also has a deep understanding of 18th and 19th century decorative arts and modern designs. Currently, he is updating Sasha and Malia’s rooms, choosing from mainstream brand names, as well as a catalogue of stored White House relics and antiques from the past 200 years.

The iPhone is making headlines in design news for 2009. M.O.C. Interior Design recently launched the “Mark On Call” application, which allows iPhone and iTouch users to create and share floor plans. The program lets users create sizes and dimensions based on their actual homes, add and arrange furniture, change fabrics, lay down flooring and select rugs. The program comes with a measuring tool, shopping lists, a note pad and is priced at $5-$10/week. The more buzz that occurs regarding interior design services, the better it will be. With all the $500+ interior design software out there, “Mark On Call” is a reasonably priced way to re-envision home space.

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