Eastlife January 2019

10
Things to
think about
before you decorate
Written by Cindy Fuller, Founder of Designs Direct (www.designsdirect.co.uk)
Decorating your home can be super exciting,
but so many of us start the process without
really giving it much thought and often buy items
because we like them, while not really thinking
about whether or not they will actually work in
the room. Have you ever heard the expression:
‘If you think hiring an interior designer is
expensive...Try decorating without one!’?
However, it’s not all doom and gloom.
Here are 10 things to think about before you
start. You will find tips to help you make the
process fun and give you the confidence to kick
off your project in the right direction.
1. TAKE YOUR TIME
Live in the space for a while before you even think about
decorating. I know how thrilling it can be to move and
have new beginnings but think carefully about how you
are going to use your space. Does the room have to work
double duty or maybe triple-duty? If you are a family and
have young children, there may be areas in the rooms that
you’ll want to designate just for them so you can keep an
eye on them while you are doing other things, especially if
they are toddlers. Or do you work from home and need to
incorporate a home office into your living room? Once you
have decided, then you can start planning.
2. GREY IS THE NEW MAGNOLIA
Grey has now replaced magnolia. You can’t go wrong
with grey. We are no longer in the days where magnolia
was the colour of choice, and it was everyone’s go-to
colour. Grey is a much better choice as a base colour
as it goes with anything and everything. Although, just
a tip, all colours have hues and undertones, yes, even
grey, white and black. There have been times in the past
I couldn’t work out why a particular grey wasn’t working
with another colour until I realised it had a slight green
undertone. Think black, now think inky black, if you look
at matt black or a glossy black and then an inky black, you
will see the beautiful, luxurious blue hue mixed within,
giving you a beautiful defining indigo colour.
3. LIGHTING
When designing for clients, one of the first things on the
list is where the light is going to be placed, and yet sadly,
when putting a scheme together without professional
help, it is often forgotten and however is one of the most
critical factors. It changes the whole mood of a room. We
now have what is called layered lighting, which is basically
multiple sources of light which are used to balance a
room. Just remember, light can make or break your design
giving it a completely different atmosphere, so use wisely!
DESIGNER TIP:
Never let the source of the light be seen.
5. MEASURE, MEASURE
AND THEN MEASURE AGAIN
This sounds so simple, but it may surprise you to learn
that some of us, (yes, you know who you are), buy large,
expensive pieces of furniture without actually checking
whether it will even fit in the room, or worse, through
the front door! Size matters! And nowhere is it more
valid than when decorating. The easiest way I have found
is to measure your space and draw it to scale (you will
need a scale ruler for this), on a piece of coloured card.
Use different coloured cards to cut out the size (to scale)
and shape of your furniture and effortlessly manoeuvre
it around your card. It’s so much easier shifting around
paper than it is furniture and the kids can join in!
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