Doing interiors - bugdeting, planning, executing: not easy!

When I plan on doing some interior decorating or fixing up, I pick one room at a time and slowly start, such as painting, then slowly adding pictures, rearranging furniture, adding throw rugs, afghgans, knick knacks, flowers, etc. Sometimes it may take a year or more before a room will be completed. I keep an eye out for things I like on the internet, in magazines (ideas), while shopping, fabric, etc. Eventually it all comes together. Have fun and Good luck.

Hi Mimpi! :-) It is nice to hear that you are going to decorate your home. It is an uphill task to do the interiors. Proper advance planning is must alongwith the availability of budget/funds. We did our interiors last to last year. Initially, we used tiles on the lower half of the wall to protect and safeguard it from spoiling by any external thing. Thereafter, we got the wall plastered through POP (Plaster of Paris) which was followed by painting our walls with 'Royal Touche' paint. Then we changed our windows and made them smaller in size. It took us around 20-25 days to complete the entire process. We had to face difficulties - e.g. searching for experienced and efficient Masons, POP chap, carpenters and Painters, while we ourselves arranged the raw material. Considerable amount had to be spent to re-do the home and needless to say it exceeded our budget. .... Lol! However, the end product was quite satisfactory, which made us forgot the entire trouble we had to face to redo the interiors. Hope you get it done soon. And let us know the end results. All the best. dpk

When I moved into my bungalow I had carpet in my bedroom and my daughter's bedroom. I asked my disabled son which color carpet he wanted and he said blue. I went to a flooring shop and found a piece of blue carpet that would fit my son's room. I bought it and had that shop fit it for me. I decided to have a plastic floor that looks like wood. This is because I have kids and dogs. I decided to get a new kitchen and I went to a shop to look at display kitchens. I had a look in magazines too for more ideas. I found a white kitchen and got a sparkly work suffice. I had to wait a long time for the builder to fit it. It came in at double the price so I couldn't do anymore for a while after that. Now I am going to get 5 double glazed windows. That is the next step to improve my bungalow. Good luck with your house.

I am just now staying in a rental place. But have a lot of ideas in mind of what to do when I take a place of my own. Dont know what will materialize then because the ideas keep changing with time.

Hi mimpi. I wish you much luck in your endeavor! I know it can be a daunting task but if you break it down into small sections, it doesn't seem so big. I've been an interior designer most of my life. Not professionally, I'm talking only for my own personal use or those of my friends who have asked me to help them with their homes. I studied interior design because I've always loved it. I really don't need any inspiration but sometimes I'll see something in a magazine that sends my imagination into overdrive so I have to make a change. I normally tackle only one room at a time and only one thing at a time, although I usually write down all of my ideas and color schemes before starting. I've had a desire to change my living and dining rooms to better reflect my love of earthy colors but that would mean spending money on a house I won't be living in much longer so I'll keep my ideas tucked neatly in my brain until I'm in the home I plan to grow old in. (Hopefully, that will be my next home.) Sometimes, I'll go to a second-hand store to see what they have that might inspire me. I might see a throw pillow or a bedspread or curtains that would make great pillow covers and I make my own throw pillows. If I like the material, I'll buy it and turn it into something that will look good in my home. Actually, since it looks like I will be here through the holidays, I've begun planning how my home will be decorated for Christmas when I have guests over. I always start planning that early because I want to make sure I'm finished in time. Good luck with your interiors!

The last time that we did any of the interior in our house was right after we bought it three years ago. The reason that we did it then was because the bathroom was in really bad shape and we gutted that and did that all over again. We also did some new carpet and some painting in the house as well. I actually drew my inspiration from things that I'd seen in other people's houses that I really liked.

The last time we took up an exercise of doing up the interiors of our living room, it was quite an event. I had accumulated a few ideas that I had picked up while doing some research and visititing some friends houses and wanted to do something on those lines. But, somethings I didn't anticipate like the the craftsmanship and materials required and the cost and most of all the different tastes in the family. The whole process turned out to be quite an event.The end result, our living room has certains elements of everybody's choice, and very little of mine. But one thing I can say for sure it was a huge learning for me and I did enjoy some of the challenges. I'm sure you'll find it exciting and challenging too. All the best with your endeavour.

Hi Mimpi!My response will be surely be boring and colourless. I stay in a rented apartmentin Mumbai; even in my own house in Trichy, when my parents completely renovated the upstairs portion of my father's place for my stay ,I was very conscious that only the minimal amount be spent. I took extra care only with the kitchen with some nice looking tiles for part of the wall and convenient cupboards. Beautiful interiors need money, heavy maintenance and cleaning on a regular basis[I have limitaitons doing hard physical work]I prefer to have the simplest interior possible. I do not even look for Spartek or marble floors but the most ordinary but smooth flooring would do. Similarly, cupboards must be more functional thna ornamental. I think I summed it all up by describing myself as 'miserly' when talking of interiors. I refuse to get ideas from anywhere because my mind is just made up.I can afford a better interior but I choose not to for the reasons quoted above.

So true, its not easy! I've just been planning, cause the house is not yet ready. And I feel like its gonna take loads of effort to do. So goodluck to you mimpi1911!

Hello mimpi My father has been working on my parents room for over a month now. It actually almost done, we still have to move the furniture around. He managed to get the walls done and the floor with parquet and also adding PVC windows with double glazing and rebuilding a clothes closet back on after making it smaller. We want to do the room of my girlfriend before the end of the year and are hoping for my dad's help from december when he will be on pause at work (they can't work in winter and stay home on "holiday" ).

I have no problem with that. If I plan to do something I find a way to make it work. If it comes to that I can easily skip a lot of things out of my life just to get that money. And who really wants finds the time for it also (even if it means you have to sacrifice your nightrest). This is what we call priorities first or what is really important to you. Sounds to me that if you don't have the ideas or can't find them and are not creative or inspired yourself you are not really interested to change at all. There are so many shops (ikea for example) or magazines who can give you all kind of advices. This also includes how to have a great home without spending too much money. Since you have internet go search there it will only take some of your time. If you know what you like you can make the plans and start with doing it one by one and enjoy the whole procedure and the way till you reached your goal.

I only got ideas at the lifestyle network featuring HGTV but I only imagined it on my mind right now still living at my mom's house, but as soon as I got my own home I preferably just a minimize design only

Initially, before hiring any interior designer, you need to have proper planning, which determine your budget. There are so many interior designing companies that offers interior design work for very low price, but make sure you may fails to get you required design in the result. Your planning always determines the budget, therefore plan according your budget and make sure that you need to maintain the project within that. When it comes to interior design we probably have many options in designing the home. The interior design with the unique layout will create great impression on your family members or viewers, therefore you design structure should be unique to attract more people. Reference:-