Interior design concepts for a new home

imitation

I`m currently building a new house, and I`m trying to figure out some of the basics of interior design so my house doesnt resemble a clown car on the inside.

For example, I`m quite fond of dark woods like walnut, if I go for a walnut kitchen should I have light tiles / paint to contrast ? Like wise, if the living room has a walnut floor, should the furniture be lighter to prevent have one big dark mass in the room ?

Any tips / fundamentals etc would be fantastic.

geneval2008

Hi there,
This may or may not help you, but really its a question of what look and feel you are trying to achieve in your new home. For example, walnut and cream or dark/light does indeed give a nice contrast and can work very well in a kitchen. However a living room could look fantastic with walnut flooring / dark rich walls / deep coloured furniture / and perhaps accents created by dramatic lighting or feature artwork. It takes a brave person to pull this off correctly though! The size and scale of the rooms also make a difference. And try to carry the look / feel throughout the rooms for consistency.( And to avoid the "clown effect"!) Even as I'm typing there is sooo much to consider, what size house is it and do you have any idea what style you are going for? If you have a bit more info I will try and dig up some links to sites / books / magazines to look at that may help.

imitation

geneval2008 wrote: »

Hi there,
This may or may not help you, but really its a question of what look and feel you are trying to achieve in your new home. For example, walnut and cream or dark/light does indeed give a nice contrast and can work very well in a kitchen. However a living room could look fantastic with walnut flooring / dark rich walls / deep coloured furniture / and perhaps accents created by dramatic lighting or feature artwork. It takes a brave person to pull this off correctly though! The size and scale of the rooms also make a difference. And try to carry the look / feel throughout the rooms for consistency.( And to avoid the "clown effect"!) Even as I'm typing there is sooo much to consider, what size house is it and do you have any idea what style you are going for? If you have a bit more info I will try and dig up some links to sites / books / magazines to look at that may help.

Yeah its tough to say the least, the house is a single storey bungalow of around 2500 sqm. The kitchen / living area is open plan, it will be a long rectangle. For this room I was thinking of the walnut kitchen plan above. It will have a semi vaulted ceiling (as in its vaulted to the ridge line and then there is a plasterboard wall runnding straight down) and will have fairly large window space. I was hoping for a contemporary / relatively minimalistic theme to the house in general. I`m single, and I`m happy to leave the female touch for when one comes along

As an idea of what appeals to me, check out this cash and carry kitchen (begone kitchen snobs !).
http://www.cashandcarrykitchens.com/blackwalnutkitchen.asp

The house has quite a good view, the kitchen living area will overlook a city, while the sitting room will mostly have a view of fields. I was also hoping to try and carry theme that across to the rooms as well. (More urban look in kitchen, more relaxed theme in living room)I havent even thought about the rest of the house, I should probably get my skates on.

Short version, I`m looking for something contemporary and relatively minimalistic (namely cos I own next to nothing at the moment !).

geneval2008

Okay so thats quite a large space you have there. I dont know how far along the build is but hopefully you have considered the kitchen layout relative to your windows / views etc. And also how you want the kitchen / living room space to work as a whole. The walnut kitchen you like should work okay for a contemporary style house. If you are unsure of colours consider keeping all walls the same paint colour and add splashes of colour via artwork, furnishings etc. Flooring is a big decision, it really needs to be thought about from the start. Wood / tile / carpet / all three?

Really you should try and gather lots of images from magazines / websites etc. of the look that appeals to you, then research prices and go shopping for the largest items first to fit that style - ie kitchen, bathrooms, then flooring, wall coverings, and curtains & blinds (if any). Don't forget lighting - it can really enhance the whole scheme. Your budget will dictate your choices to some extent so plan it carefully. Try and not be swayed too much by bargains or special offers that don't really fit with the overall plan. During a build its easy to get so caught up in the construction work that the interior becomes almost an afterthought - but with a bit of thought and planning you should get there!

imitation

geneval2008 wrote: »

Okay so thats quite a large space you have there. I dont know how far along the build is but hopefully you have considered the kitchen layout relative to your windows / views etc. And also how you want the kitchen / living room space to work as a whole. The walnut kitchen you like should work okay for a contemporary style house. If you are unsure of colours consider keeping all walls the same paint colour and add splashes of colour via artwork, furnishings etc. Flooring is a big decision, it really needs to be thought about from the start. Wood / tile / carpet / all three?

Thanks, your right about the flooring, the builder needs to know too in order to get the floors flush. What I`m thinking at the minute is tile in the kitchen and walnut flooring in the rest of the open plan area. I think most of the walls in house will be white or a shade of it. Your right about paint I think ! Its easier to tweak with art / prints rather than repainting a whole room.

For the halls I`m thinking laminate wood, and possibly not as dark as wallnut, as the rest of the house wont have as much light. Probably will be carpet in the bedroom and sitting room, and laminate again in the office room. Probably blinds in the open plan area and living room, curtains for the rest.

Really you should try and gather lots of images from magazines / websites etc. of the look that appeals to you, then research prices and go shopping for the largest items first to fit that style - ie kitchen, bathrooms, then flooring, wall coverings, and curtains & blinds (if any). Don't forget lighting - it can really enhance the whole scheme. Your budget will dictate your choices to some extent so plan it carefully. Try and not be swayed too much by bargains or special offers that don't really fit with the overall plan. During a build its easy to get so caught up in the construction work that the interior becomes almost an afterthought - but with a bit of thought and planning you should get there!

Thanks for your help, any pointers on good magazines / sites ? I had a look in porters, but most of the magazines had... the feminine touch shall we say.