Interior Decorating Ideas for the Design-Challenged Man

Are you a design-challenged man in search of interior decorating ideas that make sense to you? If so, maybe the following tips can give you a better idea of how to furnish and decorate your apartment so it denotes a sense of style and still blends well with your personality.

Unify Your Space

Tying in all the elements of your living space creates a sense of harmony, which lends a particular theme or motif to a room. For example, a favorite oil painting may be a color guide for the colors you choose for your upholstery, drapes, lamp shades and walls. Make the painting the focal point and use its colors to guide you in selecting the hues and tints for your room overall.

Keeping Everything in Balance

Make sure you balance the size of the furnishings with the amount of space you’re using. Naturally, larger rooms command the use of grander and more elaborate furnishings while small rooms need more petite furnishings and patterns to maintain the proper balance. For instance, don’t crowd a large, high-backed couch in a smaller living area with pillows that display a distinctive print. You’ll only serve to make the room look smaller and feel cramped. Instead, select a smaller sofa in a neutral shade to make the room feel more spacious.

Choose the Right Colors

Make certain your colors complement the room you’re decorating as well. Neutral or pale colors work well in smaller areas and open them up, while darker hues are better suited to large living areas and give them a more warm and inviting feel. Or, add warm hues, such as deep rust, in a cold, north-facing room and cooling colors, such as pale blue, in a room which gets plenty of direct sunlight.

Include Mirrors and Hardware

Mirrors are usually used for decoration in primary living areas while they’re both decorative and useful in bedrooms and entrance halls. A mirror that is well-placed in a in a smaller room will give more it more distance and depth and provide a larger room with a sense of stateliness. Therefore, choose a mirror whose ornamentation or shape is appropriate to the scheme. For example, in a contemporary setting, select an unframed mirror. Choose mirrors with the complementary motifs for period themes. You’ll also want to add hardware. For instance, include antique wrought-iron latches, door knobs and locks in traditional settings and glass and hollow brass door knobs in contemporary motifs.

Decorate with Bookcases and Cabinetry

When fine, leather-bound books are arranged on bookcases, you can impart a decorative aspect to your apartment home. Use wall-high open bookshelves behind a sofa or with a recess for a cabinet. In small apartments, you can hang a wall bookshelf  over cabinetry. Use a low bookshelf to give a smaller area a roomier feel, and include one or two pieces of pottery. You can also add interest to your apartment by including various types of cabinetry. Add a fine wood cabinet made of birch or mahogany in a traditional setting, or include an light-finished oak cabinet for a more modern theme.

You won’t feel as challenged if you use the above information. In fact, you may actually grow to like the effects you create!