Interior Decoration: Feng Shui, Function, and Fads

When it comes to interior home décor, it's important to keep in mind how a room feels as well as how it looks. Interior decoration can say as much about a property as the house itself. More than most other elements of a home, how you decorate is incredibly dependent on your budget.

Feng Shui
Since most of us aren't "made of money", the idea of using a few elegantly placed objects to make the room as functional and visually pleasing as possible is a highly appealing concept. No wonder Feng Shui (literally, "wind-water") with its simple aesthetic and promises of tranquil living has become so popular in recent decades.

To fully reap the benefits of this ancient Chinese secret, you need to design your home by the rules from the ground up. Sound a bit much? Well, it's not for everyone. Fortunately, there are enough online resources to give any dabbler a good idea of how to change their interior home décor to mimic Feng Shui principles. In fact, it has become so popular that anyone truly interested in this art form won't have a difficult time finding a comprehensive guide at a local bookstore. If your interior decoration budget is an issue, look no further. As long as it will accommodate a few battery-operated fountains and a full length mirror for the outside of a bathroom door, you'll be well on your way to a better life through spatial relations.

Go Modern
Another way to have a sophisticated look and maintain an open feel is to make all of your interior decoration as modern as possible. Characterized by sharp contrast, bold color, a polished sheen, and a lot of space and light, modern furniture and room designs are a popular choice among home, and particularly condo, owners.

The biggest drawback to decorating your space to look modern is that it can't stay modern forever. Ever been to Graceland? Remember the jungle room? While your interior home décor is certainly a matter of personal taste, beware: What was once the very forefront of interior decoration is now a room coated in green shag whose centerpiece is a big orange coffee table with built in ashtrays.

On the other hand, rooms designed to look modern go really well with today's more enormous TV's. If you've got the money, go for it. Just make sure you save up enough to redo everything in 20 years.

Old School
Dark, solid, and forever in need of dusting, a room with an authentic classical feel can be almost threatening. Oak, however, never goes out of style. If you want your interior home décor to both speak volumes and have some staying power, this is the way to go. It will cost a ton to do it properly, but it will look impressive for generations.

The Bottom Line
Nothing is more subjective than interior decoration. A room can look just as good lined with collections of great literature on walnut bookshelves as it can lined with an extensive collection of Pez dispensers encased in glass. It's up to you. Just remember, when it comes to décor, even small choices can end up costing a lot of money. Look before you leap, chances are you'll have that chair for a long time.