Interior Design
How to Create a Home You Will Love
Debbie Donewald
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Note from the author:
PUT LOVE INTO YOUR HOME
What makes a home? I love a beautiful home that I can have people over to enjoy. Comfortable kid and dog friendly. Filled with things I have collected over the years. It could be something I bought on vacation or a piece I found at a flea market or a hand me down. A home filled with an eclectic mix, a collection of treasured things mixed together. A home that feels that that everyone is welcome.
Here are a few things I do to make my home feel loving and inviting for myself, family and friends. These are the same things I have done for my clients I have worked with.
Introduction
Have you dreamt of having one of those beautifully decorated and incredibly comfortable homes that you never want to leave? I want to help you create the home of your dreams and one your friends cant wait to visit! Through this handy eBook, you will find inspiration, actionable tips, and my designer secrets for making your home gorgeous and functional to suit the way you live, love, rest, and play. Lets get to it room by room!
Including 3 different furniture arrangements you can try in your own home.
CHAPTER 1
FRONT DOOR
As you walk up to your front door, what do you see?
First impressions count when introducing people to your home. When walking up to the front door, this is a preview and something as simple as a wreath on the door or some greenery in beautiful planters filled with colorful flowers draw aesthetic attention to your entrance. A bench, if you have the room, is always well received and a stylish welcome door mat/rug sets the stage with anticipation of entering your home.
For small entries, an eye-catching hanging plant or a unique iron wall hanging gives a warm welcome as well shows your personality to your home. Some people forget this area, so think about how you can make yours feel inviting.
Designer Takeaway:
If you have a shaded entry, there are some wonderful artificial plants you can place in planters, no watering required. This is a place you can show some beautiful colors.
CHAPTER 2
FOYER
Step across your front door threshold and into your foyer.
Your foyer is your introduction to the interior colors and the feel of your home. A thread of color is the main color that you have throughout your home and shows your personality. Some foyers are too small to place furniture pieces in them so adding a picture would draw interest. If you have the space, you can really dress it up with a piece of furniture such as a chest or console table. Add a narrow console with a large mirror above, perfect for those small foyers. This provides a cozy, well established entrance and somewhere to drop your keys. From a designers standpoint, a table with a picture or mirror above and one or two lamps on top with a charming accent rug will make a statement right away!
Depending on your space, a chair or bench is also an inviting addition to your foyer. If you have a staircase in the foyer, displaying family photos is interesting and timeless. As does a grouping of pictures or sconces up the stairway adds a focal point to your room.
Lets think! What are your colors in your home? What are the colors that make you feel good? Your foyer should introduce that dominating color that will serve as the thread you bring to each room in your home. Not every piece has to have your main color in it. It is also interesting to add metals such as gold, silver or black to the mix for accessories or lamps.
Once you have decided on your base color, keep this color as a thread throughout the home. For example, in your foyer the walls are navy so add a light-colored chest with a mirror above in silver for stunningly rich stand out colors while are contrasting your wall color. Accenting a blue and white lamp on the chest and chairs on either side will pull the room together. When repeating the color again in the next room. Looking into the living room it has Navy draperies floor to ceiling, contrasting the white walls framing your beautiful view. This is called a focal point, which we will discuss in more detail later.
Envision the living room with white sofas and a couple of navy accents on the coffee table. Bring your thread of color to the kitchen, add a roman shade to the window over the sink in blue and white print contrasting the white cabinets .
The den features navy walls again with white bookcases and a leather sofa with blue and white throw pillows. The draperies in white are floor to ceiling to contrast against your navy walls creating a bold and beautiful look. With this open concept, you see each of the rooms and the thread of color repeated portraying a cohesive flow with eye catching bursts of color throughout. The thread of color chosen can dominate a room or can be an accent color in your room.
Designer Takeaway :
The foyer is a perfect place to introduce a color you want to repeat throughout your home.
By putting a lamp in the foyer and one in living room on timers, you are not walking into a dark home and your foyer is lit when someone comes to visit. This also makes it look like someone is always home.
CHAPTER 3
DINING ROOM
Is your dining room inviting and ready for entertaining at a moments notice?
I like to entertain, so I enjoy having a separate dining room. Some new homes have the dining room incorporated with the open concept living which as a designer I love! Lay out your room to see what type of dining table will fit, whether 4, 6 or 8 chairs. This directly pertains to the open concept as you may only have one dining area. How many people do you entertain? Does your table have a leaf to add more people or is there an area you can add a table and some chairs to for a larger group? Planning in advance can give you the ready-made versatility dependent on your guest list.
If you have a large blank wall, consider placing a buffet or low chest on the wall as your focal point with a mirror or pictures above. Dont forget some lamps on the buffet. If you have the space, an artificial tree is a super alternative if you do not have enough light or time to care for it. Trees soften a look and fill a corner beautifully. Adding a dimmer to your chandelier is an important feature that can set the mood of the party.
Paramount to entertaining is a beautifully set table for dinner. This makes your guests feel special and that you cared enough to plan ahead. The table setting includes place mats, dishes, silverware, water, wine glasses, cloth napkins with rings and votive candles for each place setting. Customize your centerpiece for the season to create a different look and feel each time you entertain. A suggestion for a regular focal point are two large hurricanes on each end of the table to incorporate your fabulous centerpiece. Or a long center piece that flows down the center of the table with votive candles scattered around for that focal point on your table.
