nterior Decorating e-course Part 1

How to Get Your Project Brief

How to Get Your Client or Project Brief

This sounds more professional than it really is, most things in 
interior decorating can be broken down into processes. Then you can follow simple step by step
methods to achieve them. This is how we achieve the client brief.

1. List up all the project's details, address, number of rooms, number of family members,
pets, lifestyle (professional, family orientated, teenagers with lots of friends, babies, loads
of pets, retired and relaxed, home office etc) current style of the house, the type of
construction, the budget, the overall content of 
the project (ie renovate the kitchen and bathrooms). 
2. Take one item at a time and expand on them. For example Family Members - how many?
What ages? What are their needs?  This is especially important for the bathroom area -
privacy, showers, baths, double basins, additional toilets etc. Current Style of the house, if
it is a 1960's bungalow, what kind of style are you wanting to portray in the home? Is the
whole house going to be updated eventually or simply the kitchen and bathrooms? Look for
long term plans as well as present as these can effect the look of the whole house if it
doesn't flow cohesively. The type of construction, this is vitally important for structural
purposes, for example you may want to put granite bench tops in the kitchen, these are
extremely heavy and if you had a timber framed floor would need additional engineering
support for the floor, the same applies if you wanted to add marble to the bathroom floor
on the first storey, again very heavy. 
3. The Budget - this is a major part of the brief, a good designer brings their project in on
budget, this keeps everyone happy! It means that when you do your initial planning you
are realistic as to what materials, fittings and fixtures are affordable, and you can set a
priority list and use it to get the best quality project for your money. 
4. The Overall Changes - in other words, the scope of work. What do you want to do with
your renovations. Is it simply a repaint with new carpet, drapes and furniture or more
extensive construction and cabinetry work involved. List up what you want to achieve, what
changes are required and to what rooms, what contractors will be involved and their input.
This all helps when you want to define your budget and start prioritizing. 
5. Lifestyle - this is important when it comes to finding the right style of decoration. You need
to find out how the occupiers of the home work on a daily basis. It is no use having a stark
white kitchen with clean sleek horizontal surfaces when you have toddlers and babies and
you spend all day making food for them. Getting everything out and putting it away again
and again. You need something with user friendly appliance storage, easy access and a
more softened look if you are going to spend most of the day in the kitchen. Same thing
for a mass of teenagers you would need to allow a large space for a huge refrigerator as
they will also eat all day! 
6. Then the most important part - the aesthetics! What style or look you or your client wants
to achieve. This can also be the most difficult as it is the creative side of decorating. All the
rest has been "accounting" lists and numbers, vitally important to any project but not the
fun side of decorating that we all enjoy.
nterior Decorating e-course Part 2 - How to Brain Storm Your Style Ideas
Never overlook the power of brain storming. It can bring out ideas 
you may never have dreamed of!
 
Today we will look at one way of finding a style that is right for your project - use it as a catalyst to
get your creative juices working.
1. Take the brief that you have already created and sit somewhere with no distractions and
start jotting down ideas, scribbling sketches, flicking through magazines and books, (you
will find that after picking out a few examples in magazines and books that you start to get
an idea of the style that you are predominately drawn to, the schemes will have a similar
theme), looking at color and fabric and flooring samples and swatches, photos of the
existing space and items that you are going to keep from your existing room to work with.
Start putting things together haphazardly, picking out things that catch your eye, put them
all together and start again over. Continue this process a few times until you run out of 
ideas. Then leave the room for a while take in some fresh air - very good for the brain.
2. Go back into the room and see what scheme or idea catches your eye first. Take that one
and start to work with it. Ask questions. What caught your eye and why, should this be the
focal point, is this the look that you were aiming for in the brief? Will it work correctly in your
space? It is a bit like a flow chart. If yes, then keep working on it, look for other items and
accessories that coordinate with it. If no, then go back and find another idea and start
working with that. It sounds daunting and a little bit scary and of course the old favorite too
hard! It is difficult the first few times until you get your confidence. (By then you may have
come up with an even better process of your own for brainstorming - after all accessing
your brain is a very personal thing! This is a catalyst for creative thinking) So to make your
life easier, don't practice on a real project. Experiment on some rooms in your house,
without actually decorating, come up with some different schemes for different client briefs.
Eventually you will do all this on auto pilot, but it helps to have someone give you a starting
point!
3. I can visualize what things will look like when the project is finished, as so will you be able
to when you have done it a few times. The hardest thing is often trying to explain to your
clients or your family! To resolve this you can make up a color board showing all the
samples and swatches, but this only gives them ideas of the colors, they usually want to
see it in 3d ie already finished! A very expensive way of showing concepts!! So a good way
is with the use of technology. You can now get software that provides amazing graphics of
what a room can look like, this is another way to experiment with out actually decorating
anyones room and very good practice.
How to Use Color Well

The subject of color is HUGE! So large that we have a whole website 

committed to it, for some background reading on color visit 
http://www.color.interiordezine.com

Today I am going to give you some easy ways to use color well when 
you decorate.

1. Always choose one color to start your scheme. That color can come from an existing piece
of artwork, a rug, existing upholstery fabric, or a silk flower arrangement. if you are
decorating from plans or blue prints then it is often best to start planning color from the floor
up.
2. Decide what type of look and or color scheme. (Use your last lesson how to brain storm
your style ideas and visit how to use the color wheel as tools for this selection).
3. Then start "layering" your color using your selected color scheme, start with the largest
areas, floor, walls and ceiling.
4. Slowly bring in other large pieces, furniture, chairs, etc. 
Remembering to balance the room. Don't group all the same color in one area, "sprinkle" it
so that it is easy on your eye.
5. Using patterns is often a hurdle for some people so they just don't bother, and the color
scheme lacks interest. We need to make our schemes look alive by using either pattern and
/ or texture. For more help with these areas pattern and texture.
6. Think in three dimensions when you plan your color, dark curtains will enclose a room, a
similar tone to the walls will keep the space looking open for example. A dark color for the
floor will essentially "ground" your scheme.  To create a cosy intimate feeling use warm
dark colors, to create light and airy the opposite, pale and fresh, cool colors will open up a
room, and it will feel cool. A dark colored ceiling will lower the height of a room, and the
opposite if you use white. Color can be used to reshape your room, for example you have a
rectangular room, you can make it look more like a square if you paint the two shortest
walls a darker color than the longer walls, this will make them appear to advance, and make
the room feel more balanced.
7. Test your color scheme - get "test" or "sample" pots of paint and paint large pieces of card
or board. Put them in your room or order a large sample of wallpaper or large piece of
fabric. Leave these items in the area that you wish to decorate and look at how they change
at different times of the day, due to different lighting situations. The will look dramatically
different, this is when you need to decide when the room will be used the most and what
color looks best in that light!
8. Ensure that the room or area that you are working in coordinates or is in harmony with the
rest of the house. There is nothing worse than a disjointed color scheme with rooms colored
hap haphazardly, it is very unsettling for a designer, an just plain unsettling for the general
population!
9. If you are looking to choose colors that are in vogue now, your 
local paint store will be able to help, paint companies keep on top of fashion colors and
produce ranges of colors to suit, but if you don't have any luck there then try the fabric
stores, they have new ranges of colors for every season. The other place is of course up to
date home and garden or interior decorating magazines.
10. Make sure the room has enough light to do your color scheme 
justice. A very poorly lit room will never look go no matter what 
you do. Lighting is the interior designer and decorators secret 
weapon, (and I almost forgot to tell you!)
11. Interior Decorating e-course Part 4 - Making Fabrics Work for You
12.  
13. Color, as we have learned is an important factor in interior decorating, added with fabric we
start to create a stylish interior.
14. Fabrics have many uses, some are purely aesthetic, while others are 
truly functional.
15. Curtains are a functional use for fabric. Using Drapery as a window 
treatment reduces draughts, keeps the heat in the room (insulates 
the window), reduces noise in a room as well as the obvious good 
looks of curtain drapery in a space.
16. Fabric is also used for upholstery on chairs and sofas. This is not 
only functional but has the added value of comfort, especially when 
seated, it also feels warm and looks inviting.
17. Fabric can be used to create the style of an interior. I say 
English country cottage, and what do you immediately think of? 
Chintz, roses, soft pinks and greens, and creams. Fabric can 
independently create a style. 1970's? Bold geometric designs, 
with lime green, browns, orange and teal. Scottish? Tartan, checks, 
heavy wools. Nautical? Canvas, blue and white stripe. Asian? Red, 
Silk. You see what I mean.
18.  
19. How to Use Fabrics for Window Treatments
20.  
21. The art to using fabrics well for window treatment is to look at 
them through half closed eyes, this way you will see the changes in 
tone and the texture and the highlights of the material. It is also 
important to hold it up upright and see how it drapes, look at the 
weight, too heavy can bog down a window, too light and it can look 
whimsical. Can you see through it? What is the type of weave? Is 
the fabric suitable for drapery? Is it color fast or will it fade 
quickly? Synthetic fabrics tend to have better fade resistance and 
are not prone to breakdown in the sun like natural fiber fabrics 
such as silk, linen and wool.
22. Look at the pattern, are you going to be able to see it when it has been made into curtains
or will you lose the effect? Having large patterns at the windows will enclose the room,
ensure that the room is large enough to handle the scale of the pattern. The same thing
goes with patterns that are very small, they can look out of proportion in a large room.
23. If you want to create a monochromatic color scheme and you require drapery, use a fabric
one or two tones darker or lighter than the wall color, this provides a break and a small
amount of contrast for a 
monochromatic scheme. It is best to have some sort of texture when 
doing this style of scheme otherwise the room can look flat.
24. Choose carefully the type of heading you will use for drapes as this will effect how the fabric
hangs and how the pattern is viewed or lost! 
Sheers create a soft and romantic look at a window in contrast to 
velvet which exudes heavy luxury and warmth.
25.  
26. How to Use Fabrics for Upholstery
27.  
28. This is an area where the inexperienced can be caught out. 
Upholstery fabrics have quite different properties to drapery 
fabrics. Occasionally some can be used for both purposes, 
but generally not. Upholstery takes a lot of wear and tear from us. 
There is a lot of abrasion from us sitting on the upholstery of a 
chair or sofa, especially when we wear jeans that have the little 
metal tags on the pockets.
29. Here it is important that you look for a Martindale rub test or Weizenbeck test (I explain this
in my soft furnishings ebook) to see how the fabric will stand up to wear. This is often
printed on the fabric swatch where the properties are listed. If it is not there then ask the
seller of the product.
30. Upholstering items of furniture is an expensive business, you do not want to do it more than
is necessary, so make sure you check out the properties of the fabric before you decide to
put it on you chair, sofa or footstool. Obviously you can get away with lower grade
upholstery fabric on occasional chairs, but items that are in frequent use need a good
quality fabric. Good fabrics for upholstery are wools, some wool blends, Dralon, leather and
vinyl.
31.
How to Use Fabrics to Accessorize
32.  
33. This is the fun part of fabric. You can use fabric to accessorize, 
to brighten up a tired color scheme, or add some seasonal color to 
a room. Cushions are the most popular. We have gone through a phase of fur, animal
prints, silk and beads, sheer overlays, quilted, buttoned, in fact, cushion fashions change so
quickly that I dare write about them for fear of being out of date! Any way, they are a great
way to add color and texture to a room. You can use the same fabric on tie backs, or throws
to balance the look. You can use the same fabric as the curtains but in a different colorway,
to add a new dimension to the room, remembering to use these patterns more than once in
a room for a good visual appeal. Or you can pick out a color from the drapes and use that
as your accent.  The most important thing to remember is that you are using fabric to add
texture and softness to a room, it also adds color and creativity to the scheme as well as
enhancing the style that you have created.
34. Finally a really good reason to use fabric in a room is that it absorbs sound. This means
that your living room won't echo when you turn on the stereo if you have soft furnishing in
the room. Don't believe me? Then stand in the bathroom, usually a room without soft
furnishings, remove any towels etc. and turn on a radio. Then put some towels back and a
bath mat and turn it on again. Notice the difference? (This works best in a room with hard
surfaces, ie tiles, timber floor, stone floor etc). 
35.  
36. There you go, a great deal of insight into using fabrics when you 
decorate.
37. Interior Decorating e-course Part 5 - How to Choose Fittings and
Fixtures
38. In yesterdays world of decorating, we did not have many options 
when it came to fittings and fixtures unless we commissioned a 
special fitting. The industrial revolution changed all this, 
bringing us new materials that could be used to make handles, 
bakerlite, chrome finish for example in place of wrought iron or 
timber. Then technology went mad and millions of dollars were spent 
on research and development incorporating industrial design. 
Today we have a choice of thousands of handles, instead of 
previously a handful. The features vary tremendously as well as the 
color and finish options, without even mentioning the different 
brands available. It is no wonder the public struggle to come up 
with informed decisions when it comes to handle selection!
39.
Today we are spoilt for choice in every area of home decorating. So 
I will provide a few guidelines to help you weed out what you don't 
need and leave you with a way of deciding what you do!
40. Fittings and Fixtures basically mean every thing that is fixed in 
your home. Appliances, bathroom ware, taps and faucets, light 
 switches, light fittings, mirrors, heating fittings, door handles 
and locks - you get the picture?
41. To try and simplify how to pick out these items for your home, 
whether it is a new home or you are doing alterations, I will speak 
in general terms and not go down to each individual item.
42. All fittings and fixtures in your home should have some sort of 
uniformity, be this by color, finish or style. There is nothing 
worse than opening doors in a home and each handle feels different 
and is at different heights, similar problems with light switches. 
Try and keep things simple - the old "KISS" method works well in 
this case.
43. "Keep it Simple Stupid!"
44. Fittings and fixtures should be selected at the same time as the 
color scheme and incorporated in to a finishes schedule, this way 
you will make sure that all the materials used in your project will 
work together. How do you do that? Start with one think and start 
layering. An example, you find a beautiful brass bed head with 
white ceramic detailing and you have recycled timber dressers and 
think that you would like to theme your villa around that. You 
choose timber floors, skirting boards and doors, you think a crisp 
white wallpaper with a moire effect could soften the walls and hide 
a few small defects! You then find a brass and frosted glass 
pendant for the living room, use brass knob door handles and face 
plates, and frost a border on the glass mirror in the bathroom 
and on the timber French doors leading into the dining room. 
Antique brass taps / faucets add charm to the kitchen over the 
ceramic sink and timber counter top. The window latches and stays 
are brass, the window frames painted white. There is no microwave 
on show, it is hidden behind a cupboard door, the light switch has 
a brass face plate.  Are you starting to get the picture? Obviously 
other metals can be introduced, but the major items are the same 
and fluent throughout the house.
45. This was an example of a renovation where you have not had to think 
about new appliances, lighting, bathroom fittings, for a new house, 
it is very daunting. 
All I can say is good luck! 
No, really, take it step by step, start in one room and use your 
brief of what style you are looking for, and your brain storming for 
your ideas and start to search out products that fit that look. A 
contemporary apartment, sleek lines, white walls, large open 
expanses, minimalist look, you will need to keep every thing 
shiny simple and understated. There will be pieces of artwork or 
furniture that are the feature here, brushed stainless steel 
kitchen appliances, all white bathroom fixtures and slick stainless 
steel tap ware and accessories, lots of glass, stainless steel light 
switch plates, stainless steel down lights with perhaps a feature 
pendant.
46. A warm family home, here you need to think practical. Tough plastic 
face plates to light switches, (easily washed), Strong and robust 
bathroom fittings and fixtures, especially the towel rails and 
toilet roll holder, children love to swing off these items! A bath 
 as well as a shower for little children, probably without the spa 
or jet options, unless you want water everywhere. Large oven with 
self clean properties, a large refrigerator big enough for all the 
family, and with an easy clean surface. Strong and robust cabinetry 
with strong hinges and solid handles.
47. Are you starting to get a feel for it? It all comes back to getting 
the correct client brief, your brain storming of styles, choosing 
the starting piece and then using a process of elimination begins. 
That is the best part because you can weed out all the products 
that don't suit what you are looking for. This is when cost can be 
looked at and is often a factor in the decision making. The best 
way to handle this is to list up a functional priority list and and 
an aesthetic priority list. Work through these together to get the 
best quality and functionality possible.
48. Choosing fittings and fixtures is a lot simpler when you have only 
got a few things to choose from, and if you follow the few steps I 
have shown you, you will only be left with a small sample of items 
to select from. Then you only have to put your taste to the test!
49. Tomorrow Yamila you will receive the 
sixth part of your decorating e-course. 
50. What to Look for in Home Finishes
51.  
52. Interior design and decorating ebooks 
A fast and effective way to learn interior decorating at your own 
pace, in your own home.
nterior Decorating e-course Part 6 - What to Look for in Home 
Finishes

It is important to have an understanding of what interior finishes 

are, what they are used for, when and where to use them and why. 
The why is important, as you must always be able to justify WHY you
have selected a finish or a product to use. Because "I like the 
look of it" is not enough.  This is the part of Interior Decoration 
that we get accessed on, as it is what people "see." It is a 
complex process of continual questions that we need to ask to 
ensure that the product will do what we expect of it.

The best way to gain knowledge of these products is by assessing 

supplier and manufacturer's information and specifications. They 
freely distribute these and some are happy to provide samples so 
that you can physically compare different products. Be careful when 
checking for flame resistance. I once naively put a match to a 
small swatch of fabric to see if it could withstand flame. A split 
second later I had a hot black gooey melted fabric over my finger. 
It hurt and I came to the conclusion that the fabric was not what I 
was looking for and it wasn't specified for the project. It pays to 
read the back of the label for the properties and used their tried 
and tested information.
 Selecting products or finishes, as discussed requires accessing 
their performance capabilities. The following items should be 
considered:

 Economic and budgetary issues. Does the budget allow for the 
initial purchase cost of the material as well as the installation? 
Does the product require long-term maintenance, which may impact on the weekly household
budget?
 Durability considerations. Will the product withstand daily wear 
and tear -water spillage, foot traffic, pets, and children with 
artistic flair, furniture movement? Is the product able to be 
easily maintained? Is it easily broken, or scratched, prone to 
changing temperatures?
 Safety issues. Is it slippery when wet (flooring)? Is it a fire 
hazard? Does it have hard or sharp edges? Does it provide a surface for glare? I.e. is it highly
polished and reflective. Is the 
product dull and dark and impede vision without the lights on?
 Comfort and Aesthetic considerations. Does it look great? Does it fit in with your scheme,
texturally, color wise, patterned items? Does it meet the acoustic and thermal insulation
requirements of the local building authority? Do the tactile properties live up to the look? I.e. is it
soft to touch, silky to run your fingers over, or cool underfoot?
Keeping all these items in mind, start visiting interior stores to 
have your interior finishes and product knowledge increased. A way 
to remember the product and its properties and functions is to 
consider where you would put it and why, it helps to keep a 
notebook of these observations until you become confident with 
interior products and finishes available. 

Always ask lots of questions to the sales staff, especially when 

you are considering wet areas, or areas where humidity can be a 
factor, for example cork is a wonderful flooring product, it is 
warm underfoot, a natural product, economically priced, saves 
glasses and crockery from breaking when dropped (most times), but 
it is prone to damage with water. It is sealed with polyurethane, 
but often moisture can get in around the edges and the tiles start 
to lift off the floor and it really does look messy and is 
dangerous, the conclusion there is, best not to use them in the 
bathroom, kitchen or entrance ways.

Once again the finishes that you select come down to getting a good 
clear brief of what you are going to be using the rooms or spaces 
for, the style that you are trying to achieve, the color and 
texture that fits these parameters and then obtaining the product 
for the right cost to suit your budget.

Don't forget to touch and feel all the products, make sure they are 
the best quality that you can afford, ensure that they will last to 
your expectations, and of course the most obvious, that they look 
good!
For information on individual products to give you a head start, I 
have written an ebook on interior design and decorating materials. 
Take a look at what it has to offer, it could save you a lot of time. 

nterior Decorating e-course Part 7 - Furniture Placement Guidelines 

    
Now that we are progressing well into the field of decorating, and have a solid grasp on getting a
design brief, brainstorming for a style, using color well, making fabrics work for you and what to look
for in home finishes, we will look at how to place the furniture into you cleverly decorated room. The
furniture placement will further enhance all your good work you have done so far.

I will show you how to place your furniture by telling you what not to do!!

The most common error in furniture placement is to place all the 

pieces around the walls, thinking that it will make the room look 
larger. Unfortunately this theory is incorrect, and it does exactly 
the opposite, it makes the room feel smaller and is less usable.

The next error is to group all the furniture around a focal piece, half right, except it is the television!
Neglecting other features like a fireplace or a spectacular view.

A popular error for hoarders is to have so much furniture that they 

have to stuff it all into one space, less is best when it comes to design, we don't want to go back to
the Victorian style of decorating.

This isn't really a placement error, rather a purchasing, make sure 

that the furniture is in proportion to the size of a room. A huge chunky sofa may be comfy, but if is
the only thing that fits into the room, then it definitely is not in proportion. The same can be said for
the heights of furniture, if you have a high stud then  the space will look bigger automatically and
you can have taller and more solid furniture. The other area here is that a large sofa and a small
spindly side table will also look out of proportion, so think about how furniture will work together
when you are purchasing or deciding which furniture to keep in your room if you are a hoarder!

So how do we go about making these spaces work?

Small Steps

Decide what you are going to do in the space, ie read, watch tv, sleep, exercise, relax, converse,
play.

Then work out what you need to achieve these tasks. (do this for every room) For example the
living room - the most difficult as it has to be very flexible to accommodate  a whole family. You will
need to allow furniture for watching TV - sofas, chairs and coffee table or side tables (to hold the
remote controls obviously!), chairs, playing computer games - desk, office chairs, reading quietly -
armchair with  accompanying side table and lamp, play are  for the small children - bean bags,
cushions, toy chest, bookshelf. Do you start to see what we are trying to achieve?
Next step - if you can draft, you can plan out on paper how you 
are going to fit all this furniture in, remembering to look at where people come and go from the
room, you don't want them walking in front of the television every time they need to leave the room,
orientate the furniture in another direction. If you can't draft, don't worry, good old graph paper will
do, measure the size of the room, layout out the overall space on the paper, then measure the
furniture and on another piece of graph paper, measure and draw using the graph paper to help
you, a rough shape of the furniture, then cut them out and you can start placing them in the room.
This is much easier than literally pushing the furniture around the room yourself. This way you can
explore the numerous options until you feel that the space works.

Some tips:

Group sofas, chairs parallel to each other if you are wanting people to converse, in general keep
you furniture parallel to the walls, this is the most pleasing on the eye. You can get away with
angling a chair in a corner but apart from that parallel to the walls is best.

Define a specific area with a change in floor coverings, ie a rug  under a dinging table, under a sofa
and chairs, or as a way to protect your carpet and define where the children play in an area.

Keep all your electrical equipment in one area, TVs, Stereo, Video, 
DVD etc, this way it reduces the cables lying around on the floor, 
if possible use an entertainment unit and it can also store all your cds, dvds and videos out of sight,
this makes a huge difference in a living room. If you are able, get your speakers wired into the walls
and ceiling, this way you won't have to see them on the walls or on the floor.

Think about how you want to create the mood in the room, lighting 
is where I'm going here. It is great to have your general lighting from the light switch, but to create
different moods and effects, don't overlook the power of lamps, there are so many types available
now that there is no excuse not to be able to find some to suit your scheme, some are sculptural,
some are slim and almost invisible, others have the traditional lamp base and shade.

What they all do is create an extra zing to the room, and this will 
show off all the hard work you have done.

Where do you place them? Tall up light lamps look best in corners as 
they make the room look larger, small lamps work best on side tables next to chairs or sofas, as
they provide light for you to read or do handiwork with, sculptural lamps can become a focal point,
so they can go anywhere.

Focal points, I think I have overlooked explaining this and it is very important for furniture
placement. Every room should have a focal point, this is how we succeed in decorating and design.
We have something attractive that immediately draws the eye into the room and makes you want to
be there. Some people are lucky and have an ever changing view from a window that does this
naturally, but most of us have to work at it.

The most common ways to achieve a focal point is with the use of a 
piece of artwork be it sculptural or a painting. Other ways include 
a large decorative mirror, a fireplace, using a change in wall color with a feature wall, using a
change in texture with a wallpaper or fabric to draw your eye. Sometimes a piece of furniture or a
rug can be a focal point, but they aren't usually as obvious because you eye has to look down to
see these, the best place for a focal point is at eye level. Don't forget to highlight the focal point with
lighting.

Use these guidelines to work with the other rooms in the house.

Interior Decorating e-course Part 8 - How to Pull Your Decorating Scheme Together 
   
With all the hard work over, we now need to tie up all the loose ends. Unfortunately, like every job
there is the element of paperwork! I'm sorry, but it can't all be glamor and fun. You must document
your scheme, so that everyone involved is following the same path. This is then able to be used to
get pricing from contractors and suppliers of products, as well as making sure that you or (your
client if you are doing this for someone else) knows exactly where they stand and what they are
going to get for their money.
So I will keep this short and sweet.

1. Always write a finishes schedule. This lists up all there areas that you are working in, walls,
ceiling, floor etc and what rooms you are working, and then what finish they will receive. This means
that a contractor for example a painter can take this piece of paper and walk around the rooms and
measure the quantities he needs of each product for each application.

2. Make sure your client signs this document to ensure they know what they are getting. If you are
doing this for your self you obviously don't need to sign, but you do need to make sure you have a
system if you change anything on this list, so that you can update it and reissue it to your
contractors and you all know what is the most up to date copy.

3. With your list (and this should be done when you are selecting your products) check with all the
suppliers that the products are available and or that you can get them within your time frame. It
adds a lot of money onto your project if you have to courier a product to get it on time. So forward
planning is essential here.

4. Make sure that you work out a time line and all your contractors 
know when they have the space to do their work and when they are 
expected to be finished, and make sure you are tough on this one, it is like a domino effect if you let
one slip behind.

5. Make sure you have all your prices and costs in your hand before 
you start engaging contractors or manufactures to start making 
things for you. You need to ensure that you are within your budget before you start. You want to
make sure that you can pay everyone, 
if you want to get a start into the decorating industry, lets make it a good one.

6. Engage your contractors and manufacturers ie painters, carpet layers, curtain manufacturers, in
writing, always refer to their quotation or estimate and confirm the agreed amount and the payment
arrangements. For example a deposit and remainder on completion or 
with installments, or payment in full before commencement (watch out for this one, don't ever pay
the total account until you have the total amount of work completed or else you have no way of
getting the job finished if they don't turn up. They have your money and you have an incomplete
job.)

7. Get the work underway, make sure you keep your eyes on the time
and the quality of the work. Always be around, this keeps the contractors on their toes! You don't
have to stay but keep popping in to check up on things. You don't want to have the job completed
and see that the painter has misread your finishes schedule and swapped some bedrooms around!

8. When the job is completed, check all the work has been done to a 
satisfactory standard before you pay the entire account. If you find any problems, write them down
and get the contractor back to remedy them. It is important that you get this done ASAP as the
sooner it is done the more likely they are to finish it, some contractors start another job and you just
can't get them back. So be very prompt on this job.

9. Take out your camera and take some photos for your brag book!! 
Well done.

Interior Decorating e-course Part 9 - The Finishing Touches

Your contractors have left you have a brand new interior, you have placed your furniture, but there
is still something missing. Yes! The finishing touches. This is where, less is definitely best, so select
wisely. You want to create features in the room, not collections.

Here are some ways to finish your room:

1. Artwork - paintings or prints. Select pictures or prints that relate to your theme or style, make sure
they incorporate colors from your color scheme. They can be used to highlight your colors or just to
create a texture to the wall in similar color tonings.  If you have a lot of paintings, you are best to
group them together to create "one" picture, rather than spread them one by one across the wall. To
find out more about placing artwork visit this article below.
Arranging Artwork
2. Artwork - sculpture. Sculpture is a great way to create a focal point in a room, find a god spot to
display it and make sure you have a way of highlighting it with light.

3. Vases - Flowers, fresh or artificial. These are a great way to soften a look. Fresh flowers are
great because you can always create a new look depending on the type of flowers and the way they
are arranged. For example wild flowers grouped suggest randomness, tulips on their own suggest
simplicity, red roses on centre stage suggest passion, spring flowers evoke cheerfulness to a room
at the changing of a season, large white asian lillies express opulence. To save time and money
artifical flowers are a very good option today. They are almost too real looking, and you do look a bit
silly when you go to smell them and have a closer inspection! Choose flowers that suit the style you
have created, if you need help with this, most florists have a good background in matching flowers
to your taste.

4. Cushions - These are the greatest accessory, especially if you 

have children, they just love messing up your well placed accessories! They are great as you can
further enhance the colors and fabrics that you have chosen, use the same fabric in a slightly
different color way or the same colorway in a different design. Contrasting colors work well to
brighten a scheme, or textured cushions in a monochromatic scheme. Fringes and tassels, buttons
and beads, the world is your oyster when it comes to decorating cushions, these are a "must have"
in almost every room.

5. Throws - these are a simple way to make a room feel more homely.
They are great when you sit in front of the fire at night to read a book and you wrap the throw
around your shoulders and snuggle. So they are useful as well as adding color, texture and style to
your room. Once again you can follow the principles for cushion selection to choose what they will
look like.

6. Tie backs, hold backs - curtain accessories, these really add a touch of class to your window
treatments. You can choose from such 
a huge selection today, so I will just send you to another website to look at how these work.
curtains.interiordezine.com
 
7. Lamps - we touched on these in furniture placement, but I can't stress enough how these really
add the finishing touch and create 
versatility in mood creation to your room. You have many options with lamp bases and shades to
add color and texture to your room.
8. Coffee table books - the ultimate accessory - The coffee table book. Something grand on a
trendy topic like Food from Tuscany, or The History of Fashion, something that makes people want
to pick it up and flick through. This is a way of making people feel welcome in your home.

9. Ornaments - keep these to a minimum, as they are the fastest way to clutter, but the odd
strategically placed ornament will definitely make your house look and feel like a home.

10. Mirrors - These are a simple way to make rooms look larger or 
bring in more light to a room via reflected light. There are so many beautiful frames available today
that you are bound to be able 
to find something to suit your style or look.

For more information on mirrors visit below

mirrors

I hope that this has inspired you to add the finishing touches to your scheme.
Interior Decorating e-course Part 10 - Taking Decorating a Step 
Further

So you have enjoyed what you have learnt so far and are itching to 
get out there and learn some more.

I am going to tell you about how I became an interior designer. 

When I was young I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life, I 
had been an AFS exchange student to Quebec Canada for a year, I 
returned to New Zealand and promptly took off to the United Kingdom 
to embark on my big OE. Whilst staying there my friend was working 
as a nanny in a beautiful home owned by an interior designer and 
her husband was the decorator, implementing the work that she 
specified. Their house had the most incredible trompe l'oeil 
ceiling. More information on Trompe l'oeil
It looked like it had extensive and very elaborate plasterwork 
and a huge domed ceiling. In fact the ceiling was flat! 
I was inspired by what can be done with a little imagination and 
there I set upon my current career path. I trained at a college 
back in my home town, and at the end was ruthlessly determined to 
get a job, I worked part time in the industry until I made myself 
indispensable to the design company and issued them an ultimatum 
- I need full time work or I am leaving, and I am still here 14 
years later!
Anyway, where I am getting to with my story is that I am not alone, 
there are so many people out there who are in the same situation 
that I was, unsure of what road to take and whether it will be 
what they anticipate.

Never fear, every career choice is like this, but the positive side 
of interior decorating is that it is an industry that follows 
fashion and is linked with technology, so it is always changing and 
there are constantly a flow of new products to learn about and the 
seasonal trends that follow. That keeps the job fun! You also have 
the people side of the job, you are changing people's homes for the 
better, we aren't doctors but we can transform the emotional side 
of a person to be happy in their environment. A wonderful comfortable 
home, is a great way to keep the soul happy and motivated.

I love my job and recommend it to any budding creative person who 

wants to take up decorating as a hobby or really wants to get their 
teeth into it and work full time in the industry.

I get asked often by people all over the world, how do I learn, 
where do I start? You have already made a positive start by 
visiting our website and taking up this ecourse. Obviously I have 
been unable to cover every aspect in detail of interior decorating 
because it is covers such a huge range of topics, but we have made 
a positive start to your learning, and believe me you are always 
learning in this industry, there is no time to get stale!

There are a lot of careers within interior decorating, for example 

you could specialize in color and be a color consultant, or window 
treatments and work in a sales store, you could be a buyer of 
decorating accessories for a department store, an adviser on floor 
coverings, a kitchen or bathroom designer, a sales representative 
for fabrics...the list goes on.