3 Steps To DIY Interior Home Design
1. Social Media - Now that Pinterest and Houzz.com are all over the web, it makes it easy for all the DIY'ers to go through hundreds of looks and styles without having to get up from your couch. These websites even let you save the photos you like to a board or lookbook so you can refer back to them whenever you need to with the click of a button.
2. Online Shopping - If you want to get the look for less, you can shop on websites such as Jossandmain.com and OneKingsLane.com who offer designer home furnishings for a fraction of the retail price with new sales being added every day. This is also a great place to get ideas since they group the goods by color palettes and styles. Etsy.com is also a great site to find handmade goods made by local artisans who can customize everything from pillow covers to reupholstered chairs.
3. Search Magazines - Domino Magazine and Better Homes & Garden's own Do It Yourself Magazine are two great home decor idea houses. They have tons of easy ways on how to spruce up an old room, and even turn old furniture into something new again. If you go to Barnes and Noble, you can buy a cup of coffee and sit and look through a stack of magazines for free in the cafe. Bring a pen and paper and take cell phone pictures of anything you like so later on you can easily pull it up online.
The general rule of thumb is concentrate on one room at a time, you have to finish one project before you start another. You must have a vision before you create, so get your notebooks out and start printing and clipping ideas so you can visualize everything together. You may realize that rustic coffee table you have always dreamed of doesn't match the black lacquer mirror you want to hang next to it. Seeing it all on paper first is a great way to avoid a big mistake. Also, make yourself a "Wish List." You don't have to get everything at once. The lamp has to strike you as soon as you see it. Don't settle for something if it's not what you truly want, or it will end up at your next yard sale. It may take 6 months to find that perfect colored rug you have been searching for. If you are looking to follow the wallpapering trends this year, make sure you get a sample first and tape it to your wall for one month. If you still love it after a month, then place the order. If not, this can be a very expensive mistake; same goes for any hardwood and tile too.
Happy Decorating!