Some people seem to have a natural eye for design and always seem to have great interior design ideas. I am not one of these people. Just the other week I was setting up a new office and was looking for a nice accent piece. In the store I came up with a combination of items that I liked, and then decided to ask one of the employees for a second opinion. My idea was shot down as combining different styles. So I sought another opinion, and got a similar answer. I asked myself, “If I like it, isn’t that good enough?” Maybe for the eclectic and a private room, but for a business office, it is not good enough. Interior design should make a statement, and “I have no taste” is not what I was going for.

So I started doing some research for interior design ideas, and I learned a lot. Here are four great tips that I found useful, and if you are design newbie, hopefully you will too.

It’s o.k to copy ideas from wherever you can find them. Your friend may not naturally be a great designer, but if she watches enough HGTV, she may have become one over time. If she has a room you particularly like, feel free to copy it, substituting in your own tastes. Watch some home decorating shows, and read magazines, you will soon have plenty of interior design ideas from which to choose. Take ideas from wherever you can get them, and then tweak them to make them your own.
Look at your living space and keep only what you really love. If you don’t like something, or could care less if it was there, get rid of it! Either throw it away, donate it to charity, or box it up if it has family value. Just because it originally belonged to Great Aunt Delilah, doesn’t mean you have to display it. You can still keep it to hand down to the next generation, or hand it off to someone else in the family.
Don’t worry about defining a certain style that you like, after all, if you had a comprehensive idea of all the design styles available, you probably wouldn’t be having this problem! But do define some basics of what you like or dislike. For example, do you like bright and bold colors, or more muted and natural tones? Do you want warm or cool colors? Do you like simple, straight lines? Or more curved or complex designs? Do you like thick or thin furnishings? Do you like to be daring, or would you rather be safe? By answering these types of questions, you can come up with your own design style and some great interior design ideas to bring it to pass.
Don’t forget to accessorize. Great interior design ideas do not have to be expensive, it is amazing what you can do with a little paint, some rearranging, and getting rid of things you don’t really about. Then add a wonderful piece of art that brings the whole room together. The right painting or sculpture can make an entire room, just make sure it is something that love, and that you have just the perfect spot to put it.

There are so many interior design ideas out there, but hopefully these few tips will get you started, especially if you feel like a design newbie like I did not so long ago. I did finish my office with a modern yet comfy feeling, so I know I am heading in the right direction!