Interior Design Inspiration

THFC1882

Hello there kind folks of MSE,

I've just bought my first apartment and have free reign to decorate it whatever way I like. My problem is I'm a single bloke with no interior design skills or style.

Without hiring an interior designer does anybody have any tips on how to get some inspiration? I.e. what sources of inspiration have you used when decorating before?

I have a blank canvas - the apartment's a new build with completely neutral colour scheme. The walls are all currently cream, the fitted kitchen is wooden/cream and so is the bathroom.

Ionkontrol

Buy some magazines, Elle Decoration or Living Etc.

Auntie-Dolly

Have a look at the 'housetohome' website - they have loads of style pictures for each room on there.

melb

have a look on Estate Agents' websites and look at the interior pictures of all their houses/flats that they have for sale

gizmo1409

You can always paint one wall a different colour, or paper a wall.
Have you got any pieces of furniture that you will be using, this may give you ideas with regards to colur, style etc....
If you have a theme in mind, this may also help you.

We had a brand new leather suite given to us, still in the packagin, by OH brother a few years back, was too big for their lounge, and it is red, I used this as my base to work on for the lounge, I have one red wall, and the rest are crean, with dark wooden flooring, with matching wooden slatted blinds, dark wooden tables, and then accessorised with brown and red, i.e cushions, vases, and wooden carved works..
Try dulux website, they may still have the colour schemes, where you paint a walls, in your chosen colours to see what it looks like together...

Hope this helps, or gives you some kind of inspiration


Gizmo

THFC1882

gizmo1409 wrote: »

You can always paint one wall a different colour, or paper a wall.
Have you got any pieces of furniture that you will be using, this may give you ideas with regards to colur, style etc....
If you have a theme in mind, this may also help you.

We had a brand new leather suite given to us, still in the packagin, by OH brother a few years back, was too big for their lounge, and it is red, I used this as my base to work on for the lounge, I have one red wall, and the rest are crean, with dark wooden flooring, with matching wooden slatted blinds, dark wooden tables, and then accessorised with brown and red, i.e cushions, vases, and wooden carved works..
Try dulux website, they may still have the colour schemes, where you paint a walls, in your chosen colours to see what it looks like together...

Hope this helps, or gives you some kind of inspiration


Gizmo

There's some great tips there! I've looked at doing a feature wall but all my walls are relatively big which makes me feel it might look a bit too overbearing... Unfrotunately I had absolutely no furniture, which may seem like a blessing as it's a blank canvas but it's also a pain. I think it's so blank that I have no inspiration.

I'm going to spend my weekend checking out the sites that everybody recommended and browsing some local furniture shops for ideas. :money:

wallbash

My problem is I'm a single bloke with no interior design skills or style.

Was in a similar quandary ... so I got married.
Now I just do as I am told.

debie_2

THFC1882 wrote: »

There's some great tips there! I've looked at doing a feature wall but all my walls are relatively big which makes me feel it might look a bit too overbearing... Unfrotunately I had absolutely no furniture, which may seem like a blessing as it's a blank canvas but it's also a pain. I think it's so blank that I have no inspiration.

I'm going to spend my weekend checking out the sites that everybody recommended and browsing some local furniture shops for ideas. :money:

If you go for a feature wall you can always break it up with a picture.

I have an open fire in my sitting room but the chimney breast wall is quite narrow so I have done both alcove with wallpaper and have large mirror above fire and it has worked really well.

What is your favourite colour, as you can use that as an ascent. I have used Red in my sitting room and Aubergine in my Dining Room.

I'd love to be starting with a blank canvas. I would love to do Interior Design LOL. thats the bit about property that I love.

gizmo1409

I regret to say that I have done two interior design courses, but have never used them to the full potential, the only houses I have done, are my own and my mothers, was always abit scared to try and do anything else with the qualifications I gained, now I always keep on the look, in home/house mags, to try and keep up to dat with what is in etc...

It is great to have a blank canvas, and you can always get tester pots, and put the colours side by side to see if you do like them together.. Every wall in my house is painted, which just makes it easier when it comes to redecorating... You could also try the large diy stores, and pick up all the colour charts, as they also put rooms together with the names of the colours of paints they use...

Hope you have manged to gain some inspiration/ideas this weekend TFHC.....

jellyfish76

I like http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/

It's an american site so is weighted that way in terms or suppliers, but does often include international or UK shops.

It features a lot of cool home by young couples - leans to towards 'quirky/modern/retro' themes but also looks at great ways of getting designer looking homes on the cheap.

There are a lot of home tour blogs which are quite inspirational. That and also fancy things to do with ikea furniture.

My only other tip, don't take your mum's advice on what looks good unless you want to stay single

GrechAndGrech

Start with a neutral colour eg. white, cream, grey. In your case probably magnolia in a new build.

Choose an accent colour/find a good wallpaper for an accent wall (duck egg blue works with cream)

Then chose your wood and metal eg. light oak and chrome.

Using this core palette, you should then be able to work your furniture with you soft furnishings and wall coverings.

Sofa = magnolia/cream, cushions = duck egg, flooring & table = light oak, chairs = chrome, curtains = duck egg. Play with any combination of the chosen palette.