Interior Design / Ideas Needed

When my aunt remodeled her place, she went "house shopping" to find ideas... She would look at houses that were for sale, usually in the higher-end areas. (The rich people that could afford interior decorators. lol.)

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I think there can be some (I think they are books) called Shabby Chic, if your taste runs that way. If you find a few pieces you love and are using in a room bring some pictures and find paint swatches that work with them (like a furniture set, etc.). I like flea market and antique looks myself, so find that rooms can pull themselves together from things that don't really match.

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Look in Homes and Gardens magazine, excellent for ideas. I usually copy then modify the look according to my budget or personal preference. You dont have to buy that 500 dollar lamp, find one almost like it for 10 bucks at walmart. Its too easy, just got to think simple. It also shows ya what colors look like against other colors.

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Do you like blogs? If so, you might check out:
thenester.com
http://www.younghouselove.com/
http://theinspiredroom.net/

Spend a lot of time on them, looking at back posts. Great inspiration! Have fun!

Pick your favorite furniture, wood, upholstery, tile, or whatever it may be and take it to Lowes or Home Depot to scan in their paint department. It will give you all sorts of choices for your color schemes. Build from there. That way even though you choose different colors for different rooms, you are within the same scheme.

Hire an Interior Designer! Lots of people feel overwhelmed by so many decisions and then to tie it all together can seem like too much. Designers have a bad rep for being too expensive or difficult to deal with. Give them a chance. Many are more than happy to help complete the project or just offer their thoughts inspiration ideas and help which is great for a super tight budget!

Good luck!

I like House Beautiful magazine and their website for ideas. Their asthetic is more realistic for every day than other magazines, I think. Also, Home Depot's website has an interactive paint section. If you're looking for current trends on a tight budget, check out www.copycatchic.com blog for daily finds that are high on style at a fraction of the cost.

Have fun!

I have also heard to look at what colors you like to wear. The sites and books always seem over the top designs. Furniture stores are always good for looking at decor too. Miller Paint Devine has some great colors and there aren't a ton of them to look at. I have known several people that have used them and liked how they turned out.

I love the decorating ideas in newspapers, especially the Free Press HOME insert that comes out the end of the week. Also HGTV has scads of ideas every day.