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| Layout |
| I Living Room I Dining Room I Dining Table I Kitchen I Bedrooms I Wardrobes I Bathroom I |
- Work out a plan on where you would place the furniture, equipment and appliances even before you think about style, colour schemes, floor and wall treatments. Bear in mind the function of the room and allow sufficient space for walking through, opening doors and drawers.
- Make a list of all the activities that may take place in each room and arrange the furniture, equipment and appliances to accommodate these needs.
- Living Room
- Living room should be decorated in a way that is comfortable and - conducive for conversation.
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- Arrange the sofa in U-shaped for greater freedom of space or
L-shape to fit into a corner for smaller living rooms.
- If the living room is large, a curved seating arrangement presents interesting visual contrast.
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- Dining Room
- Allow ample walking space in the dining room to facilitate movement in and out from the kitchen.
- Place a console or small cupboard in the dining room for cutlery and other dining accessories to avoid having to make several trips to the kitchen.
- There should be sufficient space for knees and elbows between the dining chairs and the dining table.BACK TO TOP
- Dining Table
- As a general rule, the shape of the dining table should follow the shape of the room.
- Circular or oval dining tables are preferred for Asians as dishes placed at the centre of the table are easily reachable regardless of where the diner is seated.BACK TO TOP
- Kitchen
-Place your storage units and equipment in a triangle and -
arrange them in a way that would involve the least walking between the refrigerator, cooker and sink.
- Line the kitchen cabinet in L-shaped for long and narrow kitchens and
U-shaped for larger and squarish rooms. BACK TO TOP
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- Bedrooms
- Decide the position of the bed first before working out details for the rest of the room.
- To maximize space, place your bed against the wall but avoid placing it directly opposite the window if you do not want to be woken up by the glaring morning sun.
- Avoid placing the bed against the wall of the en-suite bathroom as it is believe to be bad fengshui.
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- Wardrobes /Shelves/Drawers
- When positioning the wardrobes, remember to allow space for opening doors. If there is insufficient space, use sliding or folding doors instead.
- Build the shelves & drawer on the sides of the bed or above the bed to maximize space.
- Shelves can also be built at the sides of the wardrobe for display or for keeping books & magazines. BACK TO TOP
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- Bathroom
- If your bathroom is small, it is not necessary to install a bath. A shower area may be a better choice.
- However, if you prefer a bath, choose a corner bath model with adequate area and double it up as a shower area by installing the shower head above the bath.BACK TO TOP
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| Treatment that makes a difference |
| I Plants I Wall I Mirrors I Fabrics I |
- Plants and
Flowers
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-Always have some flowers or plant -in your rooms as they -bring colour, warmth and gaiety.
-These growing things go particularly well with wooden furniture and have the effect of softening a room with modern furniture.
-If you have no time or are not good at taking care of plants or flowers, use dried or artificial ones for lasting effect.
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-Use plants to disguise ugly corners and exposed sewerage pipes. Plants placed at sharp corners or -pillars can diffuse the poison chi that shoots off from these sharp edges.
-Displaying trailing plants from hanging baskets in a room with high ceiling adds that refreshing look to -the room. BACK TO TOP
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- Wall hanging and Ornaments
-Hanging family photographs, prints, plates, dried flowers (in a frame) and embroidery pieces add personality and character to the room.
-Choose the frames and design carefully to blend in with the theme for that room. A chrome/silver frame for a modern interior, a wooden or rustic gold frame for antique theme and a slim black frame for a modern and elegant look. BACK TO TOP
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-Group your collections according to themes such as colour, -shapes or subject matter. Grouping produces powerful visual
impact.
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- Mirrors
-Mirrors are versatile decorative material which provide additional light and add a sense of spaciousness.
-Place a floor to ceiling mirror in a small room or 2 mirrors facing each other along a narrow passageway to give an illusion of space.
-Place mirrors on low ceilings to raise their height and give an airy and bright feel
-Mirrors with unique frames are good for decorating rooms. Choose frames of the colour and design to match with the shades, furniture or even motifs on the fabric.
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- Fabrics
-Fabrics are indispensable and play a major role in determining the theme and character of a room as a wide range of things in a room is made of fabrics e.g. curtain, blinds, cushion covers, sofas, bedlines etc.
-Fabric used for the sofa/cushion cover should complement and not clash -with the fabric used for -curtain. If fabric for sofa/cushion cover is plain or -the colour is soft, the fabric for the curtain can have a -stronger and more eye catching colour and pattern and vice versa.
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-For the bedrooms, it is better to have a stronger or more eye catching fabric for the bedlinen to go with -a subtler and softer material for the curtain as it is easier and cheaper to change the fabric for the -bedlinen if you wish to revamp the look for your bedroom in future.
- Use contrasting fabric for pillows and cushion covers to break the monotony.
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-Choose fabric that drapes well for curtains. Hang the fabric a few metres above ground to see whether it looks puff or hangs well. Avoid thick materials as they are usually too hard for a nice drape and more difficult to wash.
-Fabric for sofas and upholstery must be thick and have firm weave, otherwise they would wear out quickly.
-Always bring a sample of the fabric home to check suitability against walls and other furnishings to avoid making costly mistakes as curtains and upholstery require a lot of fabric.
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| Lighting |
- A well-planned lighting system can change a room's atmosphere and mood and bring out the texture, patterns and colours of your furnishing.
- The positions of the lighting should be planned after you have decided on the types of furnishing and their placements in the room but before walls and ceilings are decorated. If done after wall and ceilings are decorated, there may be problems if hole cutting is necessary or if wires need to be concealed.BACK TO TOP
- There are basically 3 types of lighting
a)Background lighting - Provides overall brightness to a room to let you see and walk around the room. Examples of background lighting are centre pendant light, wall lights, downlights or spotlights.
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b)Task lighting - Focuses direct light on a specific area for activities like reading, desk work, shaving -and putting on make-up. Examples of task lighting are table lamps, individual spotlights and -individual downlights which can be angled towards the area which require illumination.
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c)Accent/Display lighting
- Used to highlight special architectural details, plants, pictures
and collectibles. Such lighting may be provided by spotlights,
downlights and uplighters.
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- Choose the correct type of lighting for the right purpose. Don't just base your purchase on design, shape and colour alone.
- Position uplighter behind big plants to highlight leaves and create intricate shadows on ceiling and upper walls.
- Place downlight above dressing table or clip on spotlights at the side of the dressing tables.
- Position ceiling - recessed downlights or track spotlights above mirrors to create illusion of bigger space.
- Use table lamps for a cosy glow in the room.
- Long narrow passageways and rooms can appear wider when attention is focussed on specific features such as pictures or collectibles using spotlights or downlights.
- Rooms with low ceilings should avoid pendant light as one may easily knock
into them.
- If you prefer lamps with shades, choose translucent silk shades for best light diffusers compared with linen, card or paper ones.
- Examine the surface which you plan to illuminate before buying the light.
a) Shiny surface reflects light, make surfaces brighter and cause glares at times.
b) Soft matt and textured surface absorb light, making colours appear darker,
more subtle and sometimes dull and lifeless. These surfaces include rough brick, unpolished wood, velvet and carpet.
c) Translucent or light filtering textures such as lace, cane blinds are good for diffusing light. They soften and lighten colours whilst reducing glare. BACK TO TOP
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| Overriding considerations |
- There is no right or wrong when it comes to decorating a house. Ultimately, what is important is whether the design and decoration suits your lifestyle and whether you feel comfortable in your own home. Have fun experimenting!
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