Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers

Tips on Redesigning a Room

Although no two design problems will be exactly alike, it may be helpful to examine a typical design problem to get a feel for what can be done to improve your home. The main objectives when redesigning your home are to improve the appearance of the area and to make it more functional and comfortable. Each room will also have its own needs, such as efficiency in a kitchen, or coziness for a den or family room.

The current trend is to design a multipurpose room. This enables many more activities to occur at the same time, drawing family members together. Many times, you can use space better by simply rearranging the furniture to meet your needs. Scale the furniture according to other pieces in the room. Wall arrangements of photographs or prints should be scaled to look appropriate with nearby furniture.

Provide adequate lighting. Lamps should be large enough to provide reading lighting, yet not too large, or they will look cumbersome on a small table. You can use track lighting to draw attention to centers of interest.

Use rugs to set apart different activity areas. Runners are a type of rug that can lead one visually from one room to the next. Rugs need not be restricted to areas where hard flooring is covered. They can also be used over existing wall-to-wall carpet.

Use space wisely. Small areas should not be cluttered with large, overly ornate pieces. Diagonal pieces in the corners can waste space and make the room seem cluttered. This is particularly true in small rooms.

Use finishes to enhance the structure of the room. Large prints, for example, will enhance the graciousness and volume of spaces with high ceilings. Small rooms, or spaces that are overly large, can be made more comfortable with color, pattern, and wall and ceiling treatments. Light colors will "open up" a small area.

Porous floor and wall coverings, such as carpets and heavy fabric, can minimize noise problems in very large rooms. Hard surfaces reflect sound and light, whereas porous floor and wall coverings absorb sound.

Use window treatments to accentuate or disguise the size and shape of the window. Window treatments can also frame a beautiful landscape, hide a troublesome view, or act as barriers to heat or cold. You can choose from mini-blinds, roller shades, balloon shades, shutters, insulated draperies, sheers, and more.

Use immovable objects to their best advantage. A fireplace can be a dramatic focal point. Group furnishings or prints around the fireplace to create a unified effect. Built-in bookcases can also be furnished to be a center of interest. Although they are not fixed objects, a grouping of photographs, plants, or products of a hobby can also provide a similar effect.

Published by the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois
Reprinted with permission, HouseNet, Inc.

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