Authentic Designs - Interior Designing

Located a short walk away from Sloane Square, and marked by a sign "No 11", Eleven Cadogan Gardens is an outspoken testament to uniqueness when it comes to English hotels - understatement, an almost un-designed interior and an obvious hint of the Aristocratic. This is also design guru Philippe Stark's most favorite London destination for years.

This hotel displays a very authentic design that resounds for long in a European pitch. Apart from that the decor, wall coverings and furnishings give it a warmth and ease that makes you feel just at home. Once in your day will fade away in the elegant ambiance that is both dramatic and rich.

The rooms located in the back of the hotel have a nice view of the well manicured gardens. The walls have wood panels and display classic oil paintings. You can go up the oak wood staircase to take a look at the many antiques showcased at this well decorated hotel. The lobby uses bold color on furnishings to give a theatrical touch to the interior décor.

This hotel started in late 19th century, when Lord Chelsea decided to build 4 mansions on his cricket ground near the royal palace. This later became London's first private townhouse hotel.

The European elegance of this hotel can be re-invented in a modern way in other interiors by using European furnishings, high styled wall paper and window treatments that are both traditional and stylish. Most interior designers who have worked with similar interiors will know how to build your interior decorating ideas scheme up to your liking.

Choose the Best Interior Design Schools

One of the most important moments in your life is when you are choosing the best interior design schools, and at first it can seem like a daunting task. We can help you make sure your decision is a sound one and turn the process into an easy one.

Too often, prospective students only consider the large and famous schools when thinking of the best. This, however, isn't always the case, as the programs at many of the smaller schools are just as strong, if not more so, than interior design programs at the larger schools. And, there is the additional benefit of having smaller classes, which give the students more opportunities to have one-to-one attention from the relevant faculty and direct communication with their instructors. Additionally, even though some students enjoy the livelier environment that larger schools may have, many students work best in more close-knit communities at the smaller schools.

As you will be living at your school of choice for a rather long time, definitely consider the location of the school. Consider whether you prefer a quiet, rural neighborhood or a busier urban area. For many, a simple change of setting is just what is needed for a new burst of inspiration. Living farther away from where you grew up gives can broaden your horizons and expand your perspective, truly a valuable and life-changing experience. Many students, however, may find that the emotional support and comfort of friends and family positively influence their success, especially in competitive schools.

The quality of the interior design school's academic programs is of course very important as well. Consider your specific talents and interests in the field of interior design, and then compare them to the best schools you are choosing between. Browse the faculty's teaching credentials and portfolios. And, look for famous and successful animators amongst the school's alumni to get an idea of the relative strengths.

Extracurricular activities, athletics, and other non-academic aspects are also useful to think about when choosing an interior design school. Students who are active in community service may want to participate in school and give back to the nearby neighborhoods. Students who are enjoy athletics can choose schools that are active in sports.

The costs of the interior design program and other academic fees are other key factors you will want to consider. Prepare to apply for grants, scholarships, or work-study programs as soon as you are able to. Remember that a more costly interior design school can work for those who have the means, but there are many less costly interior design schools that provide the same, or even higher, level of education!

Finally, choosing an interior design school is a very personal process - what really determines the best schools varies from student to student.

Traditional Interior Design

Traditional interior design encompasses a great variety of elements in a home. From the ceilings to the floor; including the trim, the wall finishes--all the way to the window treatments and the furniture.

The careful designer must focus attention on each of these items in order to create the ideal design. Lighting, wall treatments, flooring, and furniture are all fundamental steps in creating a smooth design. Each of these elements should tie in carefully with the last, creating an interchanging staircase of design. Theme, color, texture, and placement are the tools with which you are to design this delicate stairway.

Themes of traditional interior design vary from traditional to modernistic, from eclectic to yes--even retro. The decision of theme should (in my opinion) be left entirely up to the individual homeowner or business owner. Each person has a message they would like to convey to the world through their space. It is your job, as the designer, to listen to their wants and needs and to develop a solution that suits them perfectly.

If the client is having difficulty in assessing his or her design needs, provide them catalogs or magazines to browse through. Traditional interior design is a concept that is simple and everyone should be able to understand. After browsing through magazines and determining what appeals to them visually, it would be a good idea to ask them about their lifestyle needs.

Most clients with children will definitely need to keep the cost modest of their furniture. If the person is active socially and plans on entertaining, you will want to be sure to organize any recreational spaces in a way that is ideal for that type of entertaining.

Once the basic theme has been decided upon, the next major set of choices will be what colors to base those themes on. I always advise clients that it is better to fit the color with the space than the person in this situation. Does that sound unfair?

Many clients will associate their first color selection with their favorite color. A favorite color and wall paint sometimes don't mix very well. Traditional interior design motivates the color choices more towards colors that match the room's needs. This is so because very often you will find that even if a client is less then enthusiastic about the color selection, after the room has been painted and they have had the chance to see it, they change their minds quickly.

Try to offer this type of solution to your client in an encouraging, helpful way rather then with a know-it-all attitude. If they are still not very enthusiastic, try to show them pictures of similar colors in catalogs to give them a better feel of how it will look. Catalogs and magazines are an endless resource for things like this because it offers people a little insight into how designs play out.

All right, you have a theme in mind and a palette of colors to work from. What's next in traditional interior design?

It honestly depends on the magnitude and scope of the project. Choose your wall treatments and get those out of the way if you intend on making any flooring changes. Don't become hasty and have new flooring installed or the existing flooring refinished only to paint over the top of it while applying your wall treatment. Once the walls have been complete and allowed time to properly dry, then is the time to make flooring changes.

Flooring! Traditional interior design offers so many choices for all types of flooring; it is best to base this choice upon the needs and lifestyle of your clients. If they have children, suggest that easily washable, flat surfaced flooring is used with the compliment of a large rug in any recreational room. These rooms will be the rooms that are used the most often and are danger areas for anyone with kids or children. Explain to them that the rug is easily replaced but carpeting is not!!!

When the 'canvas' is ready (the bare bones of the room), it is time for you to treat any windows before you begin moving furniture in and things get crowded. For small rooms, open them up by adding more light using sheer window coverings. The same idea with dark rooms that need a little extra light. Make 'short' rooms tall using window-to-floor curtains or draperies in contrast to short furniture.

Traditional interior design includes MANY alternatives to window coverings that will fit any home. Keep in mind while doing this the activity on the outside of the window as much as you do to the appearance on the inside of it. If it is a very open window and the setting of the home does not offer much privacy, they will probably want privacy window coverings. After your windows are complete, hang any wall accessories before proceeding to the next step.

Time to bring in the furniture! A few key rules to remember while positioning furniture in traditional interior design: first, create lines and continuity. Second, be sure to create adequate walking space. Third, don't over clutter. And fourth, be creative.

Once your furniture is in place and has been 'tested', it is time to accessorize. Traditional interior design normally does this by placing a few instrumental accessories into place. Simplicity is elegant and too many accessories can lead to an uncomfortable room.

Try to purchase well-defined items that can even make great conversational pieces. If the homeowners are hands-on and involved, get them to add personal touches by creating an accessory themselves.

Traditional interior design is a catch-all that incorporates the workability and usability with the beauty of a room. Achieve the perfect balance by properly combining these items and you will be successful!