How to Stage Your Home - The Five Best Interior Design Tips to Help You Sell It!

When putting your house up for sale, you'll want it to sell fast and at a high price. Any interior designer in Seattle, New York, or any other major city would stress one thing - you have no control over who views your home, but you can have an effect on how they feel when they see your house and how much they are willing to pay for it. Here are five important tips that will help influence your buyers:

1. Color

The colors on your walls will instantly convey certain feelings to potential buyers when they enter your rooms. The best colors to attract them will be neutral, muted shades which will be gentle on their eyes and allow them to picture adding their own colors later. Stronger colors that you have chosen because of your own tastes, e.g, red or dark blue, are worth painting over. Be careful when choosing white as a color for your new coat of paint - it can sometimes convey a sterile look. Instead, opt for an off-white color which is warmer to look at.

2. Furnishings

Rooms that are cluttered are very unappealing to buyers. In contrast, a room which has minimal furnishings appeals larger and allows people to imagine adding their own belongings to the room. De-clutter by either selling items you may no longer want or placing them in storage until you move to your new home.

3. Repairs and Updates

Look around your home and see what repairs you can do to improve its overall look. Perhaps a worn carpet is worth replacing as it makes the whole room look run down too. Or you might want to touch up the scratches on your bedroom doors or fix the loose tiles in the kitchen. Spending money on these things will help it look much better and may even increase how much a person is willing to pay because of the newer features. It will also make your house appear well-cared for which a buyer will be attracted to.

4. Tricks to Help

Understanding a buyer's psychology will help you know where to focus your interior design efforts. The entrance is the first place they see, so you'll want to pay some attention to this space to help create a good first impression. Some people are very particular about their kitchen and bathroom spaces, so make these areas look clean and inviting. Also, add props such as flowers and plants to brighten up a room where needed and remove personal photos so that spaces don't appear like they belong to someone else.

5. Get help if you can

If your budget permits, hire an interior designer who will give you tips and advice about what your particular home needs to become more attractive to buyers. Paying for professional advice could be an investment which helps your home sell faster and for a better price.

So You Want To Be An Interior Designer?

My wife has a problem.

Every night, once the kids are asleep, she rushed to the living room, grabs the remote, and switches it to HGTV. For the next hour and a half, she's mesmerized by strangers making choices on home decor. And she's more than willing to offer her

own advice as well.

"Are they kidding? That color is HIDEOUS!"

"Oh who would want that in their bedroom..."

Or the one that frightens me the most: "Let's do the same thing to our kitchen!"

But this is not an uncommon occurrence. All over the country people are swarming to these home decorating shows, anxious to get their interior decorating juices flowing. And the cable networks are eating it up.

But is there REALLY a market for interior designers out there?

The answer is a resounding YES. Right now, interior design is one of the fastest rising careers in the marketplace. With the popularity of shows like these and the "keep up the the Jones'" mindset that's so prevalent in today's suburbia, more and more homeowners are hiring interior designers to make magic in their house.

And they'll pay anything--ANYTHING-- to make sure it's twice as magical than the folks next door. So the opportunity to make big bucks as an interior decorator is there...but how do you go about getting into this field?

Here's a few tips to help get you started...

--Look into attending an interior design college. Here's where you'll learn how it all works, with courses on everything from proper room acoustics to feng shui. Most programs come with bachelor degrees, so you can get educated and start your own business in just a few years.

--Become a volunteer or an intern: Want a free education? Hook up with an existing firm and learn all of their design tricks firsthand--for only the cost of your time. Many busy interior designer would love to have someone helping them out. And you reap all the benefits of getting your hands dirty from day one. Maybe they'll even offer you a paid position, so you can get trained AND get paid. How cool is that?

--Offer to redecorate for friends or relatives: What a fabulous way to work up a portfolio. If you have a decorator's eye, then offer to do a room (or two) for someone you know. This is a superb method for gaining experience and that all important sample to show potential clients. Plus, your friends and relatives will love you for it!

These are just a few of the ways to get started as an interior designer. So get up of the couch and put your talents to work...for real! And who knows? Maybe you'll have your own show someday, and my wife can question your choices too!

Interior Design Trends For Your Home

People love to decorate their house with latest interior design trends. Everyone likes it when people compliment them on the interiors of their house. The more difficult thing then designing the interiors of the house is to design it a way that society can easily embrace. To keep up with the latest trends, people read about it in magazines, over the internet, consult design specialists etc. We hereby try to make it a little bit simpler for all those people who want to know what the latest interior design trends are.

A good thing about the trends in interior home designing is that they don't change so quickly like trends in other industries like fashion, movies etc. So if

you have recently designed your house with latest interiors then you don't need to worry about your designs being out of date any sooner. The latest trends are an amalgamation of traditional and modern interior designs. The use of natural materials and colors is aesthetically preferred these days. Hand craft items have also made a come back in interior designing trend. Earlier it was often used with traditional designs. Colorful textures and modern geometry along with use of glass or other see through objects in the interior designing is also catching up.

Greener and natural options have become the latest trend in almost every aspect of life. Following with this trend, natural materials have also made entry in interior designing. Natural wood like texture in furniture, green carpets are some of the examples how people try to join the feel of nature into their houses. The versatility of natural elements allows experimenting with various designs and incorporating a transitional style. The interiors of house with natural elements in it create a calm and cozy atmosphere. It also has the advantage of giving the house a cleaner look.

The handcrafts are effective to make a classy combination of traditional and modern design. Handcrafts have made their way back into the interior designing industry for several years. The handcrafts use the latest technology with the artistic craftsmanship. While using handicrafts in designing the interiors we should keep in mind not to overdo it. When coupled with vintage furniture and accessories the hand crafts look even classier.

Transparent and see through materials are widely being used in interior designing. The objects made of glass or other transparent materials have the advantage that they allow the natural light and don't create and dark shades. Diaphanous curtains, glass windows, transparent furniture are some of the examples which we can use to incorporate this latest design trend. Much like the traditional design, the latest design trends also include using bold patterns and bright primary colors. The most important aspect of it is carefully choosing the colors and accessories in designing the house. Nowadays objects with smooth and soft edges are more preferred over straight lines. It can also be engaging and relaxing to use large geometric patterns in the house.

Interior Design - The Secrets Of Home Interior Design

Are you moving to a new house or apartment? Are you wanting to give your existing home a whole new look? Whatever your situation, learning the basics of interior design will give you results that you will be happy with. Read on to discov

er how to make your home look like a pro designed it.

The very first step in interior design is to determine a theme or color scheme for a room. If you are buying new furniture for the room then you are only limited by your imagination. But, if you are keeping your existing furniture, then your color scheme will revolve around the colors in your furniture. Decide if you want the furniture to stand out in the room or if you want the furniture to blend into the background. That will help you decide what color you will paint the walls. It will also help you choose window treatments.

Once you have the room painted and the furniture in place, it's time to start on the walls. This is where you can be very creative. You may choose to hang only family photos. Maybe you want something more sophisticated so you may want to shop for fine art or reproductions. What about a more modern look with abstract art? It's all up to you and what you feel comfortable with.

Now, turn your attention to the window treatments. Many interior design companies will have websites that will help you decide the best window treatments for your room. Don't hesitate to look through interior design magazines for ideas. You can choose from many styles of fabrics for the curtains. There are also other options such as wooden window blinds to add warmth to the room.

Don't forget to add your personal touch with decorative lamps and shades. Strategically placed vases and potted plants can add elegance to the room. Carefully placed books and magazines can give a casual, homey touch. You will know what is a good match for your room once you start decorating.

If you still feel overwhelmed with interior design and you don't have the money to hire a professional, you can buy interior design software that will guide you step by step on how to design your rooms. Interior design software is great because it allows you to virtually design your room. You can see how it will look before you commit to paint and other decorations. The software will also give you suggestions for colors and floor coverings.

There is no need to let interior design intimidate you. Take it step by step. Study interior design magazines to get ideas. Search the internet for other great ideas that will help you with your interior design venture. Before you know it, your home will become a showplace and all of your friends will want the name of your interior designer.

Home Interior Design Ideas For Children

Designing and decorating living space for children can be a very fun and exciting part of home Interior design. It's easy to let your imagination go because children are very creative and imaginative on their own. That's also why it's a good idea to include children in the planning stages of your design as they can often come up with great ideas on their own that you would never think of.

Probably one of the best places to sta

rt on designing a theme for a child's room is to start with their own favorite activity or interest. Of course, as children grow up their interests often change dramatically, so try to decorate in such a way that the accessories can be changed as a child gets older and gets more interested in other activities. But usually, children will get very excited if they know that their room will be decorated to reflect their favorite interests. Just be sure to go over it carefully with them in advance to get their input on what they really like. That way your Interior design will be sure to be a hit.

When designing and decorating for children, one of the advantages is that you can often choose color schemes and combinations that you do not often use in adult surroundings. In fact, you can often go much brighter and bolder with colors that you select for children. You can also arrange the room in a different way then you would normally with most adult rooms. For instance, a chalkboard or toy box may be the centerpiece of a child's room, and this would be far more appropriate than making a seating arrangement the focal point instead.

The accessories that you choose for a child's room will also be completely different than those that you choose for an adult. Toys and collectibles make great accessories for the room of a child. However, the child may want to play with these toys instead of just leave them on display. In this case, it may be advisable to buy duplicates of the toy accessories. One set can be used for display, and the other set can be used as an actual toy. It's also not best to use collectibles that are of high value in a child's room. Remember, children just want to have fun. And they aren't thinking about the price or cost of a collectible item. So whatever collectibles you choose to use as decorations in your child's room should not be so expensive that it would cause a problem if it became broken.

Another great way to spice up the appearance of a child's room is to use one of the millions of available bed treatments as a central theme that fits in with the overall design of the room. Usually these kind of bed treatments packages come as a full set that includes matching sheets, a comforter, dust ruffle, and window coverings. Altogether, these can quickly change the overall appearance of the child's room very fast. Once again, just make sure that you involve your child in the buying decision process to make sure that it is something that they will be happy with.

When changing the overall theme of a child's room, just keep in mind that most changes you make should not be considered to be permanent at this stage in their life. It's not uncommon to have to change the theme of a child's room every couple of years or so to stay up with their changing interests. And kids are very hard on their furniture as a general rule. So there is no need to be buying expensive furniture and accessories that may only last a short while or get ruined.

Old Trends Becoming New Again in Today's Home Interior Designs

Do you want to know about new home interior trends for 2009? Maybe you're preparing your house for sale, having a new custom home b

uilt, relocating to a different office complex, or simply desire a change of scenery. There are a lot of different styles, themes, and tastes when it comes to interior design. Now that builders are offering their clients so many customizable options, there are some clear trends emerging. Open floor plans continue to be popular, along with energy efficient designs, and practical ideas that are tasteful.

Homes during the 1800s and into the early 1900s were special. Large family homes were actually designed to section off the house into separate distinct areas. For one example, the house would have servant's quarters located on the bottom floor near the kitchen, while the family's quarters were all located upstairs. Just off the parents' master bath was an en-suite bathroom, while a powder room was located downstairs. Oftentimes, the children's quarters were located down a hallway in their own separate area of the house, to allow the parents some degree of privacy and reprieve. There might have been a carriage house for guests or in-laws. This home interior trend is popular again for 2009, with two or three bedroom suites and extra bathrooms being more popular. Most buyers prefer that children's bedrooms are on one side of the house while parents and in-law rooms reside on the other, allowing a space favorable for restful refuge. Located in an isolated part of the home are the secondary suites, usually 300 to 400 square feet in size and containing full bathrooms and occasionally sitting rooms.

Family spaces will continue to be popular through 2009, according to experts. Rear living, meaning that the family room and kitchen are located to the back of the house, is gaining in popularity. This allows the parents to prepare food and still keep an eye on the kids playing in the family room or entertain guests and still be able to take care of things in the kitchen. A lot of modern designs have less walls in common rooms with an "open concept" feel. Conjoining rooms with half walls are good for kitchens, dens, and dining rooms. Moreover, Americans began to adopt the European idea of outdoor living areas; so today we find houses with their own outside kitchens, pizza ovens, fire pits, chandeliers, artwork, and comfortable furniture on a covered patio.

Home interior designers usually look to create a sense of timelessness. Blue and greens are popular in rooms like bedrooms because they offer a calming feeling. As the center of the home, the kitchen often gets bright hues, from designers, like startling splashes of yellow, red, and orange. There is a lot of versatility in living rooms; you can go with dark and elegant or modern and white. Bath design often seeks to create the feel of a "home spa", incorporating crystal blocks to allow light in, using rich browns accented with pastel colors and tiled flooring in relaxing shades. A custom design will pull all of the rooms together for a unified feeling.

Wanting a new look for her home, Camella Trevors researched Santa Clarita interior design specialists. Camella highly recommends Tami Smight, a Valencia interior designer, specializing in custom window treatments and other interior touches through the use of beautiful fabric choices.

Home Interior Design Tips and Guide

One great way to do your own home interior design is to use home interior design software. This is a special software that allows you to basically decor

ate your home on your computer before you actually implement any ideas. This is perfect if you are going to rearrange furniture or paint. When you move furniture around it is difficult and usually requires help. You do not want to spend all day lugging a heavy couch from one end of the living room to the next. Instead, you can try out all different possible scenarios on the design software. In addition, this software is great for paint. While only the best grade design software will have a wide variety of colors to choose from, even with cheaper design software you can get a basic idea of colors and if they go well together.

Many people neglect to use their local home improvement store for more than just nails and hammers. You may not even know that home improvement stores, for the most part, have many things to help people do their own home interior design. Look into your local home improvement store's do it yourself schedule. Many of these stores have workshops to help you learn basic home interior design concepts. There are workshops on unique painting styles, color pairings, and how to build unique pieces of furniture or wall decorations for your home. All of these workshops could help you in any room that you want to design in your home.

Finally, remember to look through the paint section in whatever store you go to. Most paints are arranged in compatible orders. Each paint strip has several accent colors on it. If you want different colors that go well together, look for a booklet near the paint strips. Many of these booklets will give you colors and accent colors that go well together. These can take the guess work out of home interior design, making you feel confident about your design choices.