Interior Decorator

FabJob Guide to Become an Interior Decorator

Get Paid to Decorate

Imagine having a rewarding high paying job that lets you use your creativity to make homes and businesses more beautiful and comfortable. In the FabJob Guide to Become an Interior Decorator you will discover how to:

• Teach yourself interior decorating (includes step-by-step decorating instructions)
• Get up to 50% discounts on furniture and materials
• Create an impressive portfolio even if you have no previous paid decorating experience
• Get a job with a retailer, home builder or other interior design industry employer
• Start an interior decorating business, price your services, and find clients

The print book includes a bonus CD-ROM with forms and samples you can use in starting your own business.

Order the FabJob Guide to Become an Interior Decorator

Use Flower Arrangements To Improve Your Interior Decorating

Flower arrangements can really brighten up a home and improve the interior decorating. There are hundreds of flowers to choose from and you can either create an arrangement yourself or choose a professional florist to do it for you.

If you are looking to make your home look a little more homey yet you are unsure how to do it, why not think about flower arrangements? They add color, vibrance and they can really help to make a house feel more like a home. There are plenty of different arrangements to choose from or you could even try and create one yourself. Either way, you should find that flower arrangements really help to add that little finishing touch that you have been looking for!

Where to Find Flower Arrangements

The most common place that springs to mind when thinking of buying flower arrangements is a florist. A florist has specialist knowledge of all plants and flowers and they will be able to create some beautiful arrangements for the home. Visiting a florist is by far the easiest way of creating a flower arrangement for the home, but it is not really the cheapest.

If you are on a budget then a florist may be off limits to you and in that case you could try and create one yourself. All you need to do is visit your local supermarket where you should find quite a few bunches of different flowers. Now unless you want to go on an actual course to learn how to properly arrange flowers, it is all going to be a case of experimentation. Try pinks and whites and whites and yellows together as they seem to compliment each other quite well.

So, now you know where to find flowers how can you tell which flowers will go best in your home?

Finding Flowers to Match Your Interior Decorating

Finding the right flowers could take some time if you are not going to get a florists opinion. You need to figure out exactly which colors will go with what and which colors will best suit the color of your room.

It is important to match the flowers with the theme of the room. For example, a living room could give a cozy feel to it and flowers such as carnations could go well. However, a kitchen gives a brighter, morning feel to it and for that kind of theme tulips might go nicely. Finally for a bedroom as it is more intimate, a vase full of roses may go best.

There are literally hundreds of different types of flowers which you can use in an arrangement to suit your needs. The problem is finding them! Experimenting yourself will take a lot of time and money so in fact it could actually be cheaper to get an expert opinion and pay the higher price to get it right, rather than spending a fortune on getting it wrong!

About The Author: Andrew Caxton contributes adding content to http://www.home-decorating-reviews.com . For additional information on furniture have a look at his web http://www.home-decorating-reviews.com/styles-guide.html

Jobs In Interior Decorating

How to know if a job in interior design is right for you. Starting out, and moving up in the field. What kind of schooling may be required.

A career field that is becoming increasingly popular is the field of interior design. Many busy people realize how important it is to have a home or office that is professionally decorated, and therefore many new jobs in interior design are being created.

Another important aspect of the field is that interior designers are located in every city, all over the world, so jobs are available just about everywhere. If a young person is creative and has an artistic flair, a career in interior design may be perfect and will provide a long lasting and satisfying job choice.

The first thing one has to know in order to obtain a job in interior design is what kind of education is required. Different areas may require different levels of education, and a job in a design house in a major firm in Manhattan, for instance, may require a four year degree, while working for a small company in the Midwest may only require two years college. Many schools offer degrees in interior design as part of their fine arts department, and a specialized degree such as this would definitely be an advantage.

Starting out, a new graduate would normally work for another person or for an interior design company. A great deal of experience and contacts can be gained in this kind of environment. Working for an experienced interior designer can give a young person invaluable experience in every aspect of this business, and he can learn many things it took the seasoned professional years to learn. Working side by side with an experienced interior designer, the novice will handle mundane tasks such as ordering swatches and following up delivery schedules, but these are important skills to develop.

After working hand in hand with a senior professional, a new interior designer will then be handed an assignment of his own. Having a a company behind him while he hones his own design skills on a customer is a major advantage to a designer just starting out.

The main (and some say only) focus of interior design is customer satisfaction. The client is the be-all and end-all of the field, so the ability to work with people, who sometimes can be very testy, is crucial.

Once a designer has paid his dues, so to speak, at a company or two, he will want to branch out on his own. Besides being more profitable, owning his own interior design firm allows a decorator to put his own creative stamp on the work he is commissioned to do.

If decorating a room or a home is something you have enjoyed doing, consider a career in interior design. It is very rewarding to be able to bring an artistic vision to fruition, and it can be a very financially successful career as well.

About The Author: Andrew Caxton writes for http://www.home-decorating-reviews.com . Find more publications about interior decorating at http://www.home-decorating-reviews.com/styles-guide.html

2008 Top Decorating Trends

It’s that time of year again to start thinking about a new look and all the things that we can do around the house to make our home more fashionable and trendy. So what’s hot for decorating in 2008? Think affordable luxury with a wide variety of styles and flavors to suit any Decorator! As the wheels of fashion turn, so do the wheels of home décor trends, observe the coming of Neo-classic art back into modern décor in the year 2008. Luckily, it’s never been easier to create a luxurious home to suit your lifestyle with these simple decorating tips:

1. Eco-friendly design – The focus this year is on organic and the natural artifacts. In the past, eco-friendly or what is now termed Green Design could be summed up in one word: ugly. That isn’t necessarily the case anymore. Eco-friendly design has met a stylish interpretation proving that earth friendly decor can at the same time be elegant, beautiful and exciting as well as Green.

2. High contrast color combinations – Contrasting colors and textures like smooth against rough add a touch of the unexpected to your décor. Pair up accessories or furnishings for that special feeling and spark to lighten up your décor.

3. The “X’ is everywhere – Find it in furniture and accessory design. It was first spotted at the Highpoint European Show and has since been making its way down the trend ladder to almost every trend seeking home in America.

4. Beautiful Design is simply not enough – For today’s multi-tasking, on the go lifestyle, home décor needs to be multi-functional as well. Home Décor shoppers want utility as well as sheik in their furniture and accessories. Look for furniture and decorative accessories that will make your everyday life easier and more organized. It’s time we demanded more from our décor!

5. Expect to see the softer side of leather – Earth tones on smaller pieces of furniture with contrasting more feminine like colors.

6. Art that Inspires Luxury – 2008 is all about the Classics of luxury. Add elegance via home decor, and specifically wall decor. Shop for hand painted art reproductions of famous works of art. Hang a hand painted Impressionist masterpiece like aMonet or a Van Gogh. Like David Sasson, President of OverstockArt.com says: “It is sure to bring many admirers…”

7. Whites – From pearl white to ivory, the white color family will be on display in 2008. From your furniture to your wooden frames. Adorn your home in soft whites.

8. Make a dramatic Impact – Oversized décor for a dramatic look. Shock your friends and add one focal point piece as a jaw dropper. Imagine one huge work of art in your living room that would leave everyone in awe.

9. Gray tones and Metals – Add a touch of steel to your design with elements such as Silver, brushed nickel and aluminum. Recycled would be a preference (remember to think green!).

10. Feng Shui – In this hectic and fast pace world we all want a bit of piece and tranquility in our home. Let your design and furnishing make you feel at ease. Add the Feng Shui elements and embrace piece on earth.

Hopefully we can all create the right environment for growth and exploration in our homes in 2008. I wish you all a fabulous and enjoyable year full of joy and successful decorating endeavors.

About The Author: Amitai Sasson, of http://Overstockart.com is a renowned world traveler on a mission to seek out the beauty and passion of the art world. As an avid enthusiast of art and oil paintings , he contributes greatly to the industry with his writing. Read more on art and wall décor today!

How To Decorate Your Home When Money Is Tight

Just because you don’t have a celebrity checkbook doesn’t mean that you can’t have celebrity style!  Anyone can decorate their home or apartment – even with limited funds!  Consider the following:

• Decide ahead of time on a budget or payment plan, pace your decorating. Include money for accessories.
• Decide on one room at a time and designate a priority within your room. That’s where you should begin.
• Have a plan, color scheme, style, & atmosphere. Have a target date for completion.
• Your confidence level in tackling your decorating project makes a big difference. If you are the least bit unsure, contact a professional designer. He or she will save you time, energy, money, and frustration. Select a designer that you are comfortable with and trust. He/she should know your likes and dislikes. Whatever is done needs to suit you and your family.
• Measure your room to scale. Show windows and doors. Decide on a focal point. Measure furniture, rugs, etc. before purchase. Draw your furniture to scale and cut out the drawings. Place these on your floor plan, moving them around until you get an arrangement that you like. This is very easy on your back. This procedure will also help you decide if the items are proportionately correct for your room. Think too about ceiling height and traffic flow.
• Repeat each color in your scheme at eye level, mid level, and floor level to achieve good visual balance. Repeat any pattern and/or textures at least twice in the room.
• Paint and wallpaper/borders go a long way in updating and freshening a room and usually cost very little.
• View colors and patterns in your home during daylight hours before making a purchase.
• If you do not plan to be in your home for a long time, invest in accessories (artwork, area rugs, decorator pillows) that could easily be used in another home.

The 6 Basic Elements Of Interior Design

There are 6 basic elements used in all aspects of interior design and decorating.   If you correctly incorporate all or most of these elements you will have created a beautiful and functional room. 

Balance
There are two types of balance – symmetrical and asymmetrical.  Perfect symmetry is like the human body – two eyes, two arms etc.  Symmetrical balance is typically very formal.  Asymmetry, on the other hand, refers to an imbalance, perhaps two candlesticks of slightly different sizes placed next to each other.  Asymmetry is used to add visual motion and excitement to a space, and therefore it is considered a more informal way of decorating.  

Balance also refers to the weight of different objects in a room.  This can be the actual weight and size of furniture – such as a large entertainment centre; or it can be visual weight – a patterned or very bold color upholstered piece appears to take up more space than a solid or neutral colored one.  If there is too much weight on one side of a room, the arrangement will feel awkward and uninviting.

Color
The human eye can see more than 16 million colors.  To simplify your paint choices look at your favorite piece of art, a rug or the upholstery fabric.  Choose your colors based on that item using the “60-30-10 rule”.

For example – your favorite painting contains blue, yellow and cream.  You might then choose yellow walls (60%), a blue sofa (30%) and a cream accent cushion (10%).

Focal Point
A focal point is the centre of interest – usually the part of the room that our eye is naturally drawn to when we first enter.  If you don’t have an existing architectural detail – such as a fireplace or large bay window – you can create a focal point by strategically hanging your art or by creatively displaying some accessories on a bookshelf.  Once you have determined or created a focal point in your room, simply arrange your conversation area around it. 

Harmony
This does NOT mean that everything should match.  It simply means that the furniture, art and accessories compliment each other in some way.

Scale and Proportion
The size of pieces relative to one another and the size of the space is their SCALE.  Large, ornate pieces will not look right in a very small room, just as small contemporary pieces will be lost in an oversized space with vaulted ceilings.  And more importantly, the size variance of different pieces within a room should be somewhat related. 

Texture
Texture is the one element that can instantly add interest to a monochromatic color scheme.  Should you choose to decorate an entire room in one color – mocha perhaps – it will be easy to add some visually interesting texture.  Linen window shades and leather pillows can be found in the same color range but each has a very different look and feel.

You may have never put a lot of thought into these elements, but when they are put together in a room, they will enhance the room ad make it beautiful!

Taking on an interior design project can be a huge undertaking.  Don’t let your vision become compromised.  Start by getting organized.

Interior Decorating Using Cool Earth Tones

Cool earth tones are a range of colors achieved by mixing white, or pigments from the cool side of the spectrum such as blue and green, with the basic earth colors. Think of cool stone and slate floors, or the washed creams, gray, and pale sand of a seashore on a winter morning, to get the feel of the colors. They create a soothing but elegant ambience of natural beauty in your interior decorating scheme.

Beige, putty, cream, and parchment all make perfect background settings, so the range of paints and papers that falls into this category is enormous. If you choose to paint rather than wallpaper, a number of translucent washes of different colors from this range will give a more natural finish than a flat latex; in earlier times these colors were full of natural impurities and so had interesting variations of shade and depth. You can either continue the same tones throughout the room, or use the walls as a canvas against which to set a richer series of colors.

If you’re using this palette alone in your interior decorating, it’s important to avoid bland, featureless expanses. Texture, pattern, and detail are vital factors and occur naturally in many of the items that you may choose to include in this type of scheme. For rustic earthy textures, use greeny gold rush matting, jute webbing, rough sandstone, and textured weave linens and cottons. Stone busts and urns, limed wood, or reclaimed bleached pine furniture all give character and interest to your decor.

You can also add interest with strong patterns which don’t tend to dominate because the colors are so muted. Look for bold ethnic designs for fabrics and wall hangings, or densely patterned floral or leafy wallpapers in pale olive, straw and mushroom tones. Important details will count for more in this subtle setting – bone buttons, steely gray upholstery studs, a rough twist of raffia around a recycled glass jar all reinforce the picture but break up the sheer planes of color.