Basic Tips on Home Interior Design

Have a new place or tired of your old styled and boring home? Want to redesign your home but is confused and don’t know what to do? These are the basic Interior Design tips and ideas to help you design your dream place.

The basic guide in Interior Design is “Divide and Conquer”. It means to divide the place into manageable parts or sections. Basic division would be the Bedroom section, the Living Room section, and the Kitchen section – these are the most common and important places of the house. Dividing the place is very useful to facilitate the flow of work and to focus on each section one at a time.

A very important thing to note is to know what your needs are to which your design must cater. If you like partying on week-ends or have regular bonding activities with friends, you need enough space in your house, living room, or you like to cook and eating is your family bonding, you need a spacious and orderly kitchen, or perhaps you’re a busy professional, and you want to relax at home so you will need a very comfortable home to unwind stresses after work.

Now these are the identified sections and some simple tips on design and improvement.

Living Room Tips:

The Living Room functions as the receiving are1, where you welcome your guests and make them feel comfortable and at home. Basically, this room is built for relaxed conversation and the basic furniture that must always be present in the room is the sofas or chairs and a table.

• Choose a very comfortable sofa or chair, remember that this is where you welcome guests, and so offer them a relaxing chair.
• Consider the size of the furniture you buy and your living room. Provide spaces between furniture for easy navigation in the room.
• If you like to experiment, choose chairs and tables that do not match, such to give a fashionable and peculiar taste, but do not overdo it.
• It is ok to put family pictures on the living room but don’t put too many, avoid putting your diplomas and trophies, remember this is a living room and not a museum.
• White fluorescent light is all too common, experiments on mixing white and yellow lights. Avoid so very bright lights, it gives an impression to guests, that all their movements are seen and ridiculed.

Bedroom Tips:

The Bedroom is the space of the house where you can be yourself. This is the place that can be considered your personal haven and enjoy privacy. Aside from sleeping, the bedroom can be your study room and receiving room for your closest of friends. Basic furniture that must be present is your bed, a study table and chair, and perhaps an extra table for personal grooming.

• Avoid bright colors in walls and furniture; the room must be cozy and restful to induce sleep.
• Avoid expensive decors, use personally crafted or created arts from years ago or making one. Remember that the bedroom is where you can express your personality.
• Always make sure that your room is always clean and clutter free. An extra cabinet for your not so important belongings may be needed.
• Choose warm flooring on your bedroom, preferably wood or use carpets. Avoid cold floorings like tiles, concrete or marble.

Kitchen Tips:

The kitchen is the central focus of every home. This is where you stored everything, especially food and is access frequently, even if you don’t cook.

• The basic of the kitchen is cleanliness. Make sure your kitchen is always clean.
• Always use bright colors in the kitchen walls; it gives a spacious feel on the kitchen.
• Arrange your kitchen utensils by importance. Put away some utensils you don’t actually need to avoid clutter.
• Lighting is important in kitchen work. So a steady, bright light must be provided. You might also want to install other dimmer lights in the kitchen if not in use.

These are only basic tips you can always do at home. Always experiment and study to improve your interior design skills at home.

The Beauty of the Lebold Mansion

Situated in a beautiful corner of the peaceful place of Abilene, Kansas is a         Victorian-period house that has been so famous for centuries because of its brilliant architectural structure and unique interior design.  This house is the famous and historical LEBOLD MANSION, one of the 8 Wonders of Kansas Architecture.

The story behind the mansion

In 1880, a certain Conrad Lebold, who was a banker, built his own Victorian-inspired mansion in Abilene, Kansas. The building was made out of limestone from native Kansas and was designed uniquely and intricately that it has become one of the famous spots in Kansas. It was said that until to date, a dugout at the base of the mansion’s tower is still visible. It said dugout was made of stone and was done by Tim and Eliza Hersey in 1857 at the site where the Lebold Mansion was located.  When the mansion was built, the dugout was preserved. The second owner of the house was a local merchant named G.C. Sterl.  Accordingly, a certain C.L. Brown bought the house in the 1920s and made the house a residence of single ladies who were telephone operators then. During the Great Depression, Mr. Brown converted the house into a children’s orphanage. In furtherance for its charitable purpose, the Lebold Mansion was utilized as a refuge for soldiers during the World War II. During 1940-1970, the mansion was made into an apartment building where families resided after the World War II.

Despite  the various utilization of the house, its structure and interiors have remained intact, something that construed the building’s strong foundation and structure.  Up to this date, the Lebold Mansion is being preserved and is made into a museum where public can take a peek of the mansion’s amazing façade and interior.

The Lebold mansion’s architectural design

Aside from its grand façade and intricate interior design, the Lebold Mansion boasts primarily of its strong foundation that has sustained and withstood the different folds of history centuries back. The stone dugout at the basement of the mansion, which was created by the early settlers of Abilene, is said to be one of the interesting features of the mansion. The architects of the Lebold Mansion used the dugout as a support foundation of the 65 feet stone tower of the mansion.

The unique façade of the house is also being complimented by the colorful and lavish interior design and furnishing that construed a true-blooded Victorian-era house. Its ceiling was elaborately decorated and was accentuated further by fine draperies and expensive furnishings. Also, the mansion was decorated with Victorian arts and artifacts that reflected the vast history which the mansion is very rich with.  The Lebold Mansion, which has 23 rooms, is truly a manifestation of a rich and lavish lifestyle of the one who built it.

The Lebold Mansion today

The mansion is now converted into a museum, good for public viewing. It has become one of the visiting spots in Abilene. It is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.  It was also voted as one of the 8 Wonders of Kansas Architecture because of its unique design and survival prowess because until now it has stood still.

The Lebold Mansion is a picture-perfect both of the physical attributes and the beautiful stories behind it, which reflected the colorful histories of time.