Architecture ideas to design homes suitable for today’s lifestyles

Apart from the aesthetic appeal, each home must also have architectural design features that suit the lifestyles of people living there. There are a number of factors to consider when you build a home that needs to stand the test of time. The location, the environment, the go green elements, technology and future advancements need to be taken into account to create a design that will work – long term. The best designed homes are those that do not require rework or repairs or even upgrading very often.

Here are a few ideas to build homes that are suitable for today’s living and for long term:

Consider the location carefully
To begin with, selecting the right location is important. It’s important that you research the area and ensure that it is safe for construction. Avoid hazardous areas such as flood zone or near an equally hazardous site.

Orientation of the house to maximize the use of natural light
It’s important to consider the orientation of your house and check from where the natural light pours in. Maximizing direct sunlight brings in warmth during the winter months and keeps the rooms cozy. Well, bright sun rays help highlight the various aspects of your interiors too. Make sure that you place the windows and doors strategically to allow just enough natural light.

Water conservation needs to be built in
As the go green trend continues and seeps into every aspect of design and architecture too, building water conserving and energy efficient homes has become a popular trait of modern houses. Plumbing fixtures and toilet flushes with adjustable water consumption features are being installed. Energy efficient appliances are being used in most of newly constructed homes and many of them are even opting for solar heaters – especially for water.

‘Intelligent’ homes
With the advent of smart devices, more and more homes are designed to be inherently ‘intelligent’. Well, the home you design must have all the necessary elements to accommodate all the smart devices and electronic equipment that a modern family requires and uses on a day to day basis. This is the key to building a sustainable home so that individuals do not have to rework on any aspect of the house for a very long time.

Build to last – long term
Well, if the house you design needs constant repairing and rework, the design is not sustainable. The home you build should stand the test of time – especially in terms of design, strength and other relevant features. It needs to have a futuristic design. It’s a fact that trends change very often, but the trick is to take this fact into account and design for scalability.

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Design homes with small rooms tactfully to create an illusion of space

Creating space that does not exist will seem like an impossible task. But with a few simple furniture rearranging tricks, you can easily create this kind of an illusion and make the room look more spacious. Having the right furniture in the right place can make the arrangement more functional and coherent, no matter what the size of the room is.

The layout needs to be planned carefully
The very first step is to plan the layout and decide where the furniture will go. To get a good start, consider the main function of the room. Also take into account how many people will use it. All this will help you prioritize the furniture. For the living room, where people sit and socialize, plan the layout such that people can sit around comfortably and not feel crammed in!

What is the focal point?
It is important to find a focal point in the room. A large window or a television set make a good focal point. If you select television to be the focal point, the distance between the set and the seating should be carefully considered so that it’s comfortable to watch without too much glare. Arrange your furniture sparsely around the focal point – do not clutter too many things in one place.

Large pieces of furniture need to be prioritized
While trying to make a room look spacious, it’s important to prioritize and decide where the large pieces of furniture such as beds and sofas fit into the room. Begin your planning with these, and then work the smaller pieces around it. To begin with, leave enough space between the side of the bed and a wall and between the bed and any swinging door. After you have accommodated that, arrange the other decorative elements.

Symmetrical or asymmetrical?
Decide whether you want a symmetrical layout or an asymmetrical arrangement. Symmetrical layouts give a formal look and asymmetrical ones are more casual. For example, in a dining room, make sure that there is enough spacing between the edge of the table and nearest wall. So, select your furniture in such a way that it fits into that much space. After that, you can decide about the other decorative pieces depending on the amount of space you have left.

How will you keep the traffic moving?
It’s important to take into account the traffic through the room. Especially true with a room with two doors, keep the path between the two, clear of obstacles and direct the traffic appropriately. Don’t block the path with any large pieces of furniture and if there is a seating arrangement, make sure that the traffic goes around it and not through it.

Other an all these layout tricks, there are a number of small things that you could try. For example, placing mirrors strategically ensures that the room gets an ‘extended’ feel. Hanging artwork lower than usual can also give an impression that the ceiling is higher up. Finally, keep the windows clear of any ‘blockages’. Do not arrange furniture in such a way that it blocks any part of the windows.

When it comes to smaller rooms with limited furniture, understand these basics so that you can create an illusion of space.

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Create charming interiors with appropriate texturing

Truly beautiful designs consist of great furniture, the right accessories, perfect lighting and proper color selection. But a good designer will reveal one more secret to a perfect design – it’s the texture. Every element in your design has a unique texture. For example, shiny metal is a texture, wooden finish is a texture or even smooth is a texture.

Basically textures could consist of anything that has some kind of pattern, movement and look like they would be interesting to touch. These textured elements make the room look complete – other than adding a sense of unique beauty. Well, some forms of textures simply provide the eye with something interesting to look at – something that is soothing yet attention grabbing. Without adding textured elements, the entire design would look cold and lifeless.

Here are a number of ways in which you can add textures to your designs to make them look bustling with life!
Textiles can be used to add texture
Textures using textiles adds a cozy comfort to your rooms. Patterned textiles, their varied colors, look and feel give a unique look to your room.

Choose your furniture carefully
Even a single piece of really good wooden furniture – probably something antique would be perfect. Polished surfaces give a neat look to the entire design and designing with grooves could give it an interesting touch.

Use rugs to add texture
Rugs are a great way to add texture to a room. They simply make a room look complete. Sometimes placing an ethnic rug in the right place is all you need to complete a room décor. It’s not necessary that the rug be ethnic. Select a rug that goes along with the other elements of the room interiors.

Plants are a perfect addition 
Plants can be used to add a natural texture to the décor. Plants placed around the house are also known to improve your mood and give a ‘pure’ effect.

Books are a great way to add texture
Book shelves add a unique look to the interior décor. They add a kind of warmth to the room and also add the right kind of texture to the room.

Making use of more than one of the above elements could help you create a great textured look for your interiors. You can create stylish textures using other elements such as curtains, super modern furniture, a rustic wood coffee table, or an interesting rug placed against a white backdrop, could add just the right texture to the room. Old wood cabinets could add an interesting look to the room.

The idea is to create interest by removing the monotony of the look of the room. Adding at least one textured element could completely transform your home interiors. It’s all about how you place all the elements and create a harmony.

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7 most common ‘colour’ mistakes in interior design

A lot can go wrong when you try to mix and match colours and select the perfect combination for your homes. Let’s face it colours are a tough choice. Well, simply because it is your favourite colour, does not mean that it will look good on the walls too – along with all the other home décor. To select the right colour, you will need avoid the following mistakes.

Mistake 1: Not paying enough attention to the lighting in the room
Without the right light effects, colour fails to create an impact. Light brings life into the colours or – if not used correctly, it could make your white wash look dingy. It’s always a good idea to use sample paint and check its impact in broad day light as well as in artificial light.

Mistake 2: Using too many colours at the same time
Creativity is not bound by any ‘rules’. So, there is absolutely no limit on the number of colours you can use in a room. But, remember that the more the merrier does not simply apply when it comes to selecting colours. Too many colours sometimes make the room look crowded and restless – it may seem like it’s closing in. If you have too many colours to choose from, start eliminating one by one until you find a balance. You can instead pay attention to the amount of each colour you select and place them strategically so that they carry your eye round the room.

Mistake 3: ‘Matching’ too much
The idea is to create a visual story – with a mix and match of an array of hues. It’s a good idea however to stick to two or three colours and use different shades. If you feel that the colours are getting too repetitive or predictable, add a few decorative elements that are spread around the house – that have nothing to do with the colour palette. It gives your design an interesting look and brings it to life.

Mistake 4: Not create a sense of cohesiveness in the design
It’s important that your home does not look like a ‘mess’ of colours. Using too many colours could make your home look ‘hectic’. Well, if you wish to make peace, consider creating cohesion with each room. This does not mean that you use exactly the same colour in each room, but create some sort of tie-ins that makes your home look like a complete package rather than just a few disconnected spaces put together.

Mistake 5: Not giving the eyes a place to rest
Bold designs with something on every wall sometimes make the room look too crowded. Even the most colourful spaces in your homes require an eye to rest. The trick is to incorporate empty spaces and or large elements in neutral colours. Neutral colours are those colours with hues that do not ‘compete’ with other colours for attention. Some of the basic neutrals are white, beige, brown or black.

Mistake 6: Playing too safe with colours
When it comes to choosing colours playing too safe makes it monotonous and too boring to look at. So, if you have a wild imagination, go with it – get that bright blue sofa or those bright red kitchen cabinets! It could add life to your home décor!

Mistake 7: Using too bright could mess up the harmony 
Bold colours sometimes turn out to be harsher that you imagine. This does not mean that you give up on that colour, but make sure that you try it out or check out samples of a few shades of that colour and see which goes with all the other elements without losing harmony.

Colours create magic when used correctly, so avoid these common mistakes and maintain the harmony of the design.

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A minimalistic approach to create sophisticated interiors!

Designs that are simplistic and minimal in nature can create a stunning impact and feel more sophisticated than those that are full of loads of stuff. By using the right mix of the key design elements, you can create simple spaces that look sophisticated and rich. Simple designs could create a powerful impact if all the elements are balanced perfectly.

Here are a few key considerations when you are trying to design with simplicity:

Working with balance and proportions
When you have very little design elements to work with, you need to carefully plan for balance, proportion and harmony. Make sure that each element ‘fits in’ with every other piece. Nothing is too big or too small. It is essential that you create a balance in the visual weight of the room. Distribute the design elements carefully. One side of the room must not feel over-crowded and the other side too blank. If you are creating a dramatic effect by adding a large piece of artwork, place it strategically in the room. Make it look intentional.

The impact of lighting
Light becomes all the more important when you design with minimum elements. Know when the light hits the windows and what piece of décor it falls on. You can use this information to decide the placement of objects within the room. Other than natural light, you can use artificial lights to highlight other elements of the room and set the tone for the entire interior decoration.

Details are important 
When you are aiming for simpler designs, the details become more and more important. Even the smallest aspect of the design such as the frame you use on a painting could change the look of the place. So, select every decorative item with care – pay attention to the details.

Quality or quantity?
When you are designing with minimum design elements, make sure that you use quality pieces. Since there are fewer elements, they will draw all the attention. Place something unique so that your designs look charmingly different even with the least number of items.

Calming color palettes and earth tones
Minimal spaces have fewer decorative items and to keep a neutral and calm effect, using color tones that are not too loud. Earth tones are perfect to achieve this. Colors of nature are perfect for these types of designs. They give a sophisticated look to the design too.

Pulling off a simple, minimalistic design could be as easy or as difficult as you make it. The key is to use what you have artistically, taking into consideration all the little details that add up to create a beautiful room. The color, the fabric, the lighting and the furniture etc. all must be selected and positioned with care.

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How to design interiors with a perfect visual harmony

Interior design is not about putting together decorative pieces of artwork and furniture. It’s more about bringing order to an otherwise chaotic room by placing all the design elements in such a way that they create a sense of calmness. This is exactly what is termed as visual harmony. It just ‘feels’ like everything fits in and every space is perfect for the piece of furniture or artwork it holds. Above all, it exudes a feeling of peace and cohesiveness.

Here are a few ways in which you can create a visual harmony while you still keep the place interesting:

The key is to create a visual balance
The very first step is to equally distribute the visual weight in a room. This does not mean that you ‘literally’ weigh each piece of furniture and then decide its position! Well, it’s about making sure that one side of the room does not have too many elements than the other. For example, having multiple bulky elements in one side of the room and keeping the other side completely blank creates a perfect imbalance. The point is to create a well balanced design with equal distribution of the visual weight.

Use symmetry to add a sense of balance
To create a sense of order in a room, adding symmetry could help. Symmetry adds balance and creates the required rhythm too. It’s easy to create symmetry when you use the idea of multiples. Match multiple items across the room. A set of two similar couches or curtains on either side of the room could be a great way to begin. Consider a hypothetical line that runs across the center of the room and arrange elements on both sides to create a visually symmetrical design.

Seating arrangements
Harmonious spaces are usually the ones that have all the design elements connected to give a cohesive effect. So, it’s not really only the seating arrangements that need grounding, but all the elements in your décor need to feel connected. Well, one way is to use a rug to connect all the elements of your seating arrangement. The point is to not let anything feel like it is tethered away from the other elements.

Create negative spaces
Including too many visual elements across the room could be tiring for an eye to follow. It simply creates clutter and chaos. This is exactly where negative spaces can help. Deliberately create negative spaces for the eyes to rest upon. Or simply create a space in the room that does not have too many decorative elements.

Lead the eye through the room smoothly
It’s important to place all the design elements in the room such that they allow the eye to move through the space smoothly without having to jump around. This does not mean that the room needs too many matching elements, but just an overall seamless integration of all the decorative pieces to create harmony. Avoid a room full of different elements that don’t seem to relate to each other at all.

Make sure that most items have a purpose in the design. That’s the key to creating harmony in your design!

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