DECO TIPS – Filosofopoulos

A theoretical, immaterial, unique & spontaneous concept

The components where, if altered, gives the impression of a greater change of space are the floor, the walls and the ceiling as well as the materials used for the openings of spaces – windows. As secondary complementary elements of a space are the movable components – that are decorative or functional, small or large objects which complement the artistic picture, while serving daily functions and needs. It is advisable to be prudent in order for all your chromatic choices in previous decorative ages to match the movable components of the space if you are unable to replace them afterwards. The aim is to meet the needs of all levels relating to function, expansion, aesthetic coherence of the applications and artistic minimization of the annular space volumes if required.

Regarding to furniture and decorative objects, especially for apartments, the rule for achieving both a functional and an aesthetically correct result is not to accumulate useless objects in the spaces. These are the objects that do not offer anything else than merely occupying space. The perfect combination for a right result is to choose a useful object for a specific purpose, with the greatest artistic adaptability to the environment – by combining a strong design personality which brightens the space. Of course, this does not mean that an object which is rarely or never used has no artistic or functional value. Still, we choose such objects when our space is unlimited or when this space and its objects do not have to serve many people. So, if there is the possibility of choice, a few objects must be chosen for the uses required. In the case that we wish to intervene in a space but we do not have the possibility of unlimited spending, we make sure to focus on the changes of elements with large surfaces or those which are occasionally dysfunctional. When we solve these problems, we proceed with the individual decorative or chromatic study. Color impression makes a huge difference to surfaces. Regardless of their individual properties, colors have their own language of expression. Through the intensity of their shades,

they send their own messages to their receivers and affect them accordingly. It is very important to know what colors want to tell us and what they hide beneath their magic. You will find the language of colors very useful next time you wish to transform your living or working environment. And the easiest way to refresh your space is by adding intensity and character with the addition or removal of color. When you decide to change the view of your life, use your favorite colors and not those that fashion dictates or that you saw in a magazine. These applications are usually made to meet specific needs and are photographed in a professional way. Therefore, they may not match perfectly with all of your spaces. You can though be inspired by them and have original ideas and unique results. Choose two to five colors according to your needs. You should remember that where, how much and how, are very important to achieve the best result. You do not need to apply all colors to the walls of the house. Experiment with fabrics, furniture, lamps, carpets, paintings and decorative objects. Many times, when the budget is limited or marginal, we can find better solutions and results in the creation of a space. This is precisely because the study is carried out based on the combination of financial capabilities and achieving the best result. A space is successful when it manages to have its own personality by providing smooth access to its uses and when its objects are chosen and designed so that the form follows the function. Following this logic, a potentially small apartment looks bigger, a professional space is more functional and an idea is transformed into an art gallery with excellent aesthetics. Aesthetics though is a purely subjective concept, initially the creator’s and finally the receivers who approves or rejects it. A theoretical, immaterial, unique and spontaneous concept which is cultivated and blossoms with time, like talent.

DIY Interior Design in 7 simple Steps

Decorate your own space, do it yourself in 7 simple steps. You are not alone; you have your endless imagination in order to create a unique new interior. By following the simple seven steps of DIY interior design, be sure that you will achieve a great result!

1. Draw a floor plan of the space:

It is very easy and simple. A floor plan allows you to choose where you will place every furniture, to install the proper lightning, to estimate how much paint you will need for the painting…Make a simple sketch – outline of the space maintaining the scale, after you measure the length of walls and frames. Then keep notes on your floor plan with the following information: Ceiling height, Window position, height and width. Door height, width, opening mechanism and mechanism orientation. Space orientation: northern – southern – eastern or western. Socket and switch supply, heater and air-conditioning position and the presence of piping or sewage. And finally, the structural architectural characteristics such as: arches, niches, beams, sloping ceilings, etc.

2. Choose the color palette:

Limit the number of colors which you are asked to choose by applying one color scheme in the entire space. There are four basic types of color schemes: neutral, monochromatic, harmonious and complementary. You can try a different color scheme to each room or apply the same everywhere in order to ensure a sense of continuation at home.
The neutral scheme is based on the absence of bright colors and it includes colors such as white, beige, cream, gray and brown. This combination results in making the space natural.
The monochromatic scheme requires the selection of a single color and its application in different shades (lighter or darker).

The harmonious chromatic scheme consists of colors which belong to the same climatic group (cold – warm). For example, blue and green, yellow and orange or pink and purple. This is suitable for every space as it has no contrasts and thus it is very pleasant for everyday living.
Finally,there is the complementary scheme which is responsible for the most impressive decorative effects. In this case, we use one or more colors in combination with its complement. For example, red and green, yellow and purple, blue and orange and of course all of its shades.

3.Do a market research

After you have chosen your color palette and the scheme you wish to follow, do a research on the materials and objects that you need based on the colors of your choicesuch as curtains, wall or furniture tapestry (fabrics), furniture, lamps and useful or decorative objects.You can renew some of the furniture you already have by painting or coating them with some materials.Get small samples of these materials from the stores and take pictures of the furniture, the lamps and the objects.

4.Create a mood board

A mood board is the surface (usually made by thick cardboard) on which we place all the sample wall colors (chromatic palette), the fabric samples by curtains or pillows, wall tapestry, floor material (carpet, wood, tile, etc.), images by furniture and decorative objects we already have or wish to have. This is the safest way to create immediately the most realistic image of the final result. And this is also the opportunity to change something that you do not like, to add or remove something and in general, to refine your choices so far.

5.Reach a result and make the purchases:

After the changes, the additions and your overall study, you are ready for your final purchases. Sometimes all materials, fabrics, furniture and lamps are not ready for delivery so you will have to order them.

6.Choose the application workers:

Now that you have gathered all your materials, you are ready for the final application to the spaces you have chosen to transform. You will have to find the necessary crew or craftsman for each application. You can seek help in the electronic directories of professionals, the internet, or the yellow pages. And you can of course count on your personal work, if you have the knowledge or the mood.

7.Apply your choices:

The construction of the applications may be the hardest part, but also the most pleasant of the decoration process. Because now all your thoughts and dreams are implemented. You must direct the craftsmen in order to achieve the exact result you had imagined. You have to respect their experience but insist on the desired result. Ask them to make some application samples to the space so that you will be sure of the outcome. Now you are ready to enjoy the result of your hard work so far! Goodluck!

Tips for low, average and high budget

A space is successful when it manages to have its own personality by providing smooth access to its uses and when its objects are chosen and designed so that the form follows the function.Following this logic, a potentially small apartment looks bigger, a professional space is more functional and an idea is transformed into an art gallery with excellent aesthetics.

If your budget is low:

Paint your walls according to the style you wish to give. You will find many affordable paints with great results in the market.
Paint the ceiling in white or pale tones to give a sense of cleanness, especially when it comes to apartments. Bright and dark colors in the ceilings are used in special occasions and only when the ideal height and lighting exist.
You can also apply special wall stickers. These are found in individual decorative patterns or a roll, they cover the entire wall and they have the effect of a wall tapestry.
If you have a wooden floor you can restore it yourselves if you are equipped with the necessary tools and apply a color varnish for a more advanced effect or a varnish in wooden tones for a more conventional one. If your floor is mosaic, you can paint it with cement paint by following the instructions of the packaging. The result is exceptional because there are so many shades but it needs attention and care as it wears out quite easily. If you do not desire a permanent effect, small rugs in various designs and shapes, preferably one-colored ones, make the floors more interesting – so as to avoid confusion – unless required by the pre-planning. If the floor is very old and weak, you can clean it well and apply a tough transparent varnish, by trapping the natural aging inside of it while offering personality to the space without any design alterations.

For the windows you can use affordable fabrics which are easily found in the center of Athens. It is not the fabric quality that matters but the way it will be placed – hung. Make sure to wash the fabrics before sewing so that they will not shrink afterwards. If you wish to give the sense of a great height in the space, hang the curtains from the ceiling to the floor without them touching down. If you cannot afford new fabrics, you can sew various small decorative elements on the already existing curtains like: little rugs in various shades, beads, buttons, ribbons or whatever you prefer, as long as it is washable. You can also dye them with special permanent fabric paints in the washing machine or by hand, depending on the fabric quality.
It is advisable to be prudent in order for all your chromatic choices in previous decorative ages to match the movable components of the space if you are unable to replace them afterwards.Nevertheless, you can change their appearance.By changing your furniture color if their materials allow you to or by replacing the wall tapestry fabrics.
By covering your sofas and armchairs with various throws would save you the cost of the total replacement of upholstery.
As for the small decorative objects of the space, discover grandma’s forgotten souvenirs and clean, polish and place them at selected points. Regardless of the style of a space, an old object is almost always suitable as long as it is placed appropriately.
Find old classic frames and place children’s drawings or pictures with vibrant colors. They create contrast and give a new and fresh breath in your space.

If your budget is average:

A wallpaper would give an impressive result on your walls in combination with a painted surface so as not to make the wallpaper pattern dull.
You could also place an entire photo theme (poster) which is applied like a wallpaper. It can cover a quite large wall and it has an exceptionally aesthetic effect.
Paint the ceiling where you can surround with plasters of similar design or remove them completely for more plain results.
On the floors you can easily apply wood imitations (laminate floor) without damaging the existing floor, if you are not the owner of the space. You can use carpets of different quality for a warmer result, but also several synthetic floors for quicker solutions.
For the windows, there is a countless variety of fabrics for sale at different prices. Apart from those, blinds, roman shades, shutters and their combinations with curtains give a nice feeling.
Regarding to furniture and decorative objects, especially for the apartments, the rule for achieving both a functional and an aesthetically correct result is not to accumulate useless objects in the spaces. These are the objects that do not offer anything else than merely occupying space. The perfect combination for a right result is to choose a useful object for a specific purpose, with the greatest visual adaptability to the surrounding environment. So, if there is the possibility of choice, a few objects must be chosen for the uses required. Many times, when the budget is limited, there are better solutions and results in the creation of a space. This is precisely because the study is carried out based on the combination of financial capabilities and achieving the best result.
If you afraid ofpaint application to the walls, choose colorful objects for a colorful or pastel environment. The result will be equally good and you will be able to change them easily if you get bored.
You will find furniture and objects for sale at very affordable prices,suitablefor your needs.

If your budget is high:

A wall becomes very impressive when coated with fabric or leather, which may also appear in some of the wallpapers or the curtains. Of course, always in combination with painted surfaces so as not to burden the space.
On the ceilings or walls, special constructions of gypsum board (false ceiling) can be made and hidden lighting or other lighting sources can be placed.
On the floors there are many choices when applying wood, marble, granite, ceramic tiles, industrial floor or apparent cement.
In the case of a high budget and particularly in this case, unacceptable mistakes are made. The rule for choosing a useful object for a specific purpose, with the greatest visual adaptability to the surrounding environment applies for this case as well. Of course, this does not mean that an object which is rarely or never used has no artistic or functional value. Still, we choose such objects when our space is unlimited or when this space and its objects do not have to serve many people.
That is why when a high budget is available, you may have extraordinary results, by choosing your objects from famous designer houses or by using the help of experts.

Color & Secrets:

Colors affect your perception of the dimensions of a space.The walls with vivid colors make the space smaller, while the walls with pale ones make it bigger.This helps you correct visually the dimensions of a space.
Decide on a basic chromatic palette and apply the chromatic shades to different surfaces – not only to walls.
Warm colors, include red and yellow, are associated with energy and warms up a space.Cold colors, that are those which include blue, calms down, relax and offer a sense of organization and cleanliness.
Bright colors create euphoria while dark colors pose limits.
In northern or dark rooms, vivid or cold colors (blue, purple, light green) give a melancholic tone.On the contrary, the warmer shades (orange, ochre) diffuse the light and warms the place.
If you choose a bright color, apply it to a single wall which is illuminated by natural light (which has an opposite window), otherwise the space will look heavy.Apply lighter shades of the same color or of complementary colors to the rest of the walls.
If you insist on intensity, choose bright-colored furniture and fabrics.Also, make sure that the spaces have an “eye-contact”.
If you combine two bright colors at the same space, make sure that one of them is of a lighter shade.
Constant changes of bright colors are exhausting.Prefer darker shades which have hint of black or small quantities of other colors.
Earthly colors reflect the light.
The white-black-grey palette can serve as a basis for the prominence of a bright color.
Use lighter shades on the ceilings. They add height to the space.

A hallway ending to a wall of bright color seems less long.
Paint the radiators with the same color of the wall to make it disappear.
If you wish to use white color on a large surface, mix the color before the application with drops of a different color such as:black or ochre or anything else according to the other combinations to avoid a rough result.
Choose a satin or matt finish in paints and varnishes in order to conceal any imperfections on the surface you paint.
Know that artificial lighting affects the final shade of the color.If you do not wish for your colors to alter at night, choose lamps which emit day light.
Lining the curtains from delicate fabrics so their colors will not fade out by the ultraviolet radiation.

Color psychology and personality

Color is a powerful communication tool and can be used to signal action, influence mood, and even influence physiological reactions.Interior designers believethat color can dramatically affect moods, feelings, and emotions. Colors aren’t randomly used when we talk about interior design colors.All colors change their character when lightness and saturation are modified so it’s not enough to pick a color for a certain interior design element because you also need to pick a shade.”Colors, like features, follow the changes of the emotions,” the artist Pablo Picasso once remarked.The colors you use in your interior design and décor have an impact on the atmosphere you create and you need to correctly assess what this ambiance should be before you choose the colors.

White:

It expresses purity, innocence and brings to mind images of youth and simplicity.
It is considered to be a hard color and it can be proven exhausting and indifferent but it is the base for countless combinations.
White is used to create an airy appearance, quiet and pure.
For the kitchen and the bathroom, the white color is irresistible and incomparably timeless.
It is one of the most powerful chromatic sedatives of soul and mind.
It is chosen by dynamic and visionary people.

Yellow:

Yellow is the best color to create enthusiasm for life and can awaken greater confidence and optimism, loves a challenge, particularly a mental challenge.It keeps the viewer in vigilance and mental clarity.

It is suitable for spaces dedicated to spiritual searches, attention to land surface.
Is the scientist, constantly analyzing, looking at both sides before making a decision; methodical and decisive.
It is the color of success and strong personality.

Orange:

It combines the beneficial properties of red and yellow and it helps in expressing your feelings.
The color orange radiates warmth and happiness, combining the physical energy and stimulation of red with the cheerfulness of yellow.
It is ideal for fighting depression, the cultivation of humor and the development of companionship.
Orange brings spontaneity and a positive outlook on life and is a great color to use during tough economic times, keeping us motivated and helping us to look on the bright side of life.
It is favored by dynamic, capable and relatively impatient people who are full of energy.

Red:

It hastonicproperties and it suits spaces with high activity such as the living room.
Red is energizing. It excites the emotions and motivates us to take action.
Its vast extent though can cause nervousness and anxiety.
Choose softer shades such as watermelon or terracotta.
It is chosen by ambitious, impulsive and energetic people. They usually aim high and they are good in leading roles.
It signifies a pioneering spirit and leadership qualities, promoting ambition and determination.

Pink:

A combination of red and white, pink contains the need for action of red, helping it to achieve the potential for success and insight offered by white. It is the passion and power of red softened with the purity, openness and completeness of white. The deeper the pink, the more passion and energy it exhibits.
It has relaxing properties which make it ideal for bedrooms and children’s rooms.
It is also suitable for bathrooms. Its reflection makes skin looking healthy.
It is enhanced with warm artificial light and it can have impressive results when combined with many other colors.
It is preferred by vulnerable personalities who need the recognition of others.

Fuchsia:

It causes euphoria and results in cheering up the viewer immediately.
It also requires vivid combinations of other colors and it has a unique artistic value.
A combination of red and violet, fuchsia contains the passion, power and energy of red, restrained by the introspection and quiet energy of violet.
When combined with other warm colors such as orange and red, it creates an ideal environment for body exercise.
This color is an instrument of change and transformation; it helps to release old emotional patterns that prevent personal and spiritual development and aids us in moving forward.
It is the personification of joy and uniqueness and it is preferred by people who wish to stand out.

Violet:

It helps in combating fears and obsessions.
It contributes to spiritual and mental balance.
It is an artistic color and a safe choice for artistic applications of theatrical content as it has the ability to change color according to lighting more than any other color.
It is preferred by sensitive and vulnerable people with metaphysical concerns.

Blue:

In chromatotherapy its beneficiary properties help alleviating the pain and suppressing distress.
It helps in communication and creativity.
It is ideal for office and public relation spaces.
It provides an environment for a deep and peaceful sleep.
It expresses creativity, sensitivity and rampant imagination. When mixed with little yellow and white is one of the viewer’s most favorite colors.

Turquoise:

Turquoise is similar to aquamarine and has a strong link to the color of the ocean. As such, it can be connected to calmness and peace.
Like blue, it can be associated with clarity of mind and creativity.
It is a color that, even in its appearance, provides calming vibes and is the most refreshing color of all.
Recharges our spirits during times of mental stress and tiredness, alleviating
feelings of loneliness.
It heightens levels of creativity and sensitivity; it is good at multi-tasking, becoming bored if forced to focus on one thing only. Sometimes thinking can become scattered if surrounded by too much of this balancing color.
It radiates calmness, inner peace and provides the best aesthetics for human minds to cherish.

Teal:

Βlends blue’s tranquil stability with green’s optimism and healing properties.
A more sophisticated version of turquoise, teal signifies trustworthiness and reliability. It promotes spiritual advancement and commitment.
Is the color of restfulness and mental and spiritual balance.
The calm shade has a natural dignity that is not contrived or “in your face.”
Teal’s understated elegance encourages a calm, reflective mood.
Brighter teal tones are unique and smart.
People who like the color teal are reliable and independent individuals. They are naturally creative and think for themselves.
A teal lover has an even temper and a thoughtful disposition, has a talent for mediation and finding a compromise.

Green:

It helps in mental relaxation and peacefulness.
It is refreshing and it calms the tensions.
It is the color of hope and optimism.
It is suitable for all rooms and it conveys the sense of hospitality and joy.
It is chosen by observant people who are not usually fans of action but they have a humanitarian spirit.

Brown:

It is a very warm color and it conveys reliability and stability.
It has though a negative impact on energy and it would be good to be combined with more vivid colors.
Brown is the color of earth. So, brown can give us a sense of security and stability.In interior arrangements, brown can add depth and warmth.
It conveys trust and safety and it is ideal for living rooms.
It is chosen by settled people with a profound knowledge and experience.

Black:

The black color enhances the properties of all the other surrounding colors.
Generally, it limits space to a great extent. It would be wise to be used carefully and tightly.
It achieves an aristocratic decorative effect while it perfects modern spaces.
It conveys trust and seriousness.
It is chosen by the independent person who believes in himself.