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One of the most important first steps in designing a space is to plan the materials you want to use. Many of us forget this and choose to start with furniture and lighting, but this could be a mistake as creating the perfect flow and feel needs to begin with material textures and colours instead. When the design is complete, the colours and textures in the room will work together to give the look you envisaged that completes the client’s brief.
How to Pick the Right Materials
Knowing how to choose the best materials for the job can be daunting, especially with so many different options to select from. Rather than feeling overwhelmed, think about the following considerations to help you get started:
Colours to Suit Every Mood
Colour choices are endless, and picking the palette to suit the mood you are creating will give you a great starting point. Do you want a clean and crisp look or a dark and atmospheric? Take the time to choose your colours, and the design will become much easier to manage. If you struggle to match colours, then you can simply pick one colour family that you like and then vary the shades to get the tonal look you are aiming for.
According to The English Home you should take some time to get colour swatches and then use them against the flooring and wall products that you love to see what matches best and creates the theme that you were looking for.
Vary Your Material Textures
The way materials feel has a huge effect on the impact of your space’s look, feel and safety. Most interior spaces have some level of need when it comes to comfort, and materials like cotton and wool are great choices. Investing in high-quality fabrics will not just make the place look elegant and stylish, but it will also offer unparalleled comfort and warmth when you want to relax.
UK fabric manufacturer Hainsworth say that surrounding ourselves with fabrics made from wool is one of the most natural, sustainable and comforting things we can do to enhance our wellbeing, providing the textures and colours we crave naturally.
Made to Last
With more focus on the need for sustainability than ever before, it is important to create a space that is will last for many years to come. Focus on the floors, walls and surfaces and invest in the most durable materials that you can afford. Designing in this way means that your client will always have a good interior shell to work with and can change the look for feel by updating soft furnishings and furniture as needed.
It can be tempting to opt for the cheapest and quickest way of doing things, but this is a false economy and will result in a space that becomes tired quickly and needs ongoing maintenance and upkeep to make it look good.
Design a Cost-Effective Space
Whilst it may not be advisable to choose cheap items when designing a space, it is also foolhardy to not set a budget with your client before you start. Failing to properly map out expenditure will leave you with lots of bills and a sense of deflation when the space ends up costing a lot more than you had planned.
When you have defined a budget that works for the space and for your client, then work hard to get the best quality materials for anything that needs to be installed or that has to stay and accept that on some items, you will need to compromise. Failing to do this could end up in ongoing maintenance and repair bills that you didn’t budget for and will leave your client with a space that is too expensive to enjoy.
Pick Our Statement Wow
Varying your materials is a classic way to create a space that is interesting and comfortable. Every project needs one or two statement pieces that create the wow effect, and these can be the floors, an item of furniture or luxury accessories. Whatever you choose, make sure that it provides something that personalises the end result and provides a design result that is sure to impress.
If you are struggling to pick your wow piece, then talk to your client and find out what makes them tick, then take that inspiration and find a piece of art or similar that draws their attention the minute they walk in.
Planning and Preparation is the Key
Designing a new space is exciting, and it is important that you factor in sufficient planning and preparation time to get to grips will all the materials on offer. Doing this will provide you with the maximum amount of choices and will result in a space that is interesting and appealing for many years to come.