1. Define your needs and desires very specifically. you will have to be as exact as you can get. Measure and plot out the area of concern on graph paper, being sure to specify the inches or feet or even meters per square.
2. Decide upon your color pallette. Which colors do you like? What colors do you wear? How do these colors make you feel?
3. Decide upon a style. French Country, Italian or whatever? Mix and Match, aka Eclectic? Classic Japanese?
4. Make a sketch. No you don't have to an artist or anything just get out the crayons and go to it.
5. Keep in mind that you have to clean, and live with this design. Can you?
6. Think, safety. If a fire breaks out, can you get out? Do you have kids or pets?
7. Consider your budget and your financial options. Do not over-do for your neighborhood.
|
What is the first thing you want visitors to see? If your garage door faces the street, chances are that they will see that first.Do you want that? You may want to highlight your front door. Can your house be seen from the street? Is this what you want?
What about your landscape?Did a bomb strike it? Or do you live behind a jungle?
You house should sit there, readily visible, like a jewel in a crown.It should reflect a compromise between your identity and that of your neighborhood.Think of the impression you want to create. Welcoming or fortress? How much will 'curb appeal' factor into your decision?
Of course you could be perfectly happy with your house's looks,but its maintenance that's getting to you. If so, go for the same colors in low maintenence materialssuch as vinyl siding, brick or stone. Vinyl paintsare available for those who wish to keep their housethe same only easier to clean. Investgate your options here.
Topiary Art and Laura Ashley contributed the pictures for which Iare very grateful.
|
Now we move indoors. What do you see? A mess? Once again,by defining precisely what you want, you can clearly decide whatneeds to be done.
Depending upon the type of house you own, you may want to considera monochrome basis where all of those open-plan rooms are painted the same base color. Then one would add a little extra in thoserooms you consider important, for example, a mural ceiling of sky with clouds and cupids in the dining room.Or perhaps a wonderful chandelier to add some glory to a loftycathedral ceiling.
As an example, Kate's beach house would be vinyl sided in a creamy,easy on the eyes in the sun, color with sky blue shutters. On the inside, on the main floor, the walls would be a pale orangesherbert or a pale pumpkin color with white trim, an even paler hueof the same orange on the ceiling and a blonde wooden floor with amber carpets. Bright gold or brass would accent moldings and would form the lighting fixtures. We'd then bring in more sky blue in ouraccessories. Vases, pots of plants, and so forth.
The entire paint scheme would be clear coated for easy cleaning and increased durability.
Upstairs, we can go toward a cooler and more peaceful look by reversing;using the sky blue as our basic color and using the oranges as our accents.Keep the gold or brass, of course.
For a complete process guide check out this.
|
