37 Must-See Cheats That Will Help You In Your Next Home Interior Project

Whether you’re looking to make some changes around the house or have just moved in to a new place, you’ve got to admit that having things look and feel the way you want them to is immensely satisfying. From tile patterns to upholstery measurements, bed styling to color psychology, space planning to art layouting, this list will be your best guide yet.

1. Types of Doors

If you want to update the look and feel of your house, one of the most important things to do is change the door. The front door is what gives a home its character and is usually an entry point for guests, so it’s important that it reflects what you like and who you are.

The panels on doors come in two different varieties: flush panels and raised panels.

Taller panels make a stylish statement when paired with a classy dark stain. Using raised panels on doors requires some carpentry experience to not only cut the panels but also add in supports for proper spacing and sturdiness. If you don’t mind spending the time to install panels into your door, then flush panels are ideal for anyone looking for a sleek and modern look on their entryway.

Flush panels aren’t raised up at all; they simply fit flush with the door so that they only appear as lines on the surface of the door. Flush panels are usually created from MDF or another wood composite so they’re a little cheaper than panels made of solid wood, but they can still easily be painted to match your door style.

Another door option is the glass insert. This will add a touch of class to any door and allows you to see who is knocking without having to open the door. If you are keeping your panels or are using flush panels, then a glass insert can be used as an accent over top of the panels. It is also ideal for creating a full clear door if you don’t have panels on your existing home.

2. The Colors of Hardwood

There are many different colors of hardwood. The color is determined by the age of the wood, where it was grown, and what type of tree it came from. The most common wood types include walnut, cherry, oak, maple, and beech. All these woods have different ranges of color variations that can be caused by the different levels of intensity in the pigments in the wood cells. With walnut, for example, the colors can vary from a pinkish red to deep purplish browns. If you are looking at buying some mahogany or oak wood flooring, then be aware that these two types of wood are very common and tend to be less expensive than other types.

3. Types of Moulding

The different kinds of moulding that we can use in our DIY project basically depends on the effects and styles that we want to achieve. Moulding is often used on the base of our walls and around doorways, but can also be applied on floors, ceilings and staircases.

Common Types of Moulding:

Baseboard:  The most common type of moulding used in residential homes. This type of moulding sits about 1/2″ from the floor to cover the base of the wall.

Strip Moulding: This type of moulding is very similar to what you would see along the edge of a floor or ceiling. This moulding sits right along the joint where two pieces of drywall meet.

Crown Moulding:  The name crown moulding comes from the fact that it looks like a curved “crown” resting on top of your walls and ceilings, although there are other types of moulding that can also resemble a crown.

Cove Moulding:  This type of moulding is similar to crown moulding, but with coves it does not have the curve that you see in most crown mouldings.

Door-Edge Moulding:    Door edge or door casing is a strip of wood attached to the inside frame of a door. It is usually added to cover gaps between the base of a door and the floor, creating a more finished appearance.

Basecap Moulding:  This type of moulding is very similar in appearance to crown moulding but it does not have that slight curve you would see from top to bottom. Instead this type of moulding has a very straight, 90-degree edge.

Base Shoe Moulding:  Base shoe moulding is attached to the bottom of baseboard and can also be installed beside door casings. It helps protect walls from damage that could occur along the floor or doorway opening.

Ornamental Mouldings:  Some types of mouldings can also be called decorative, casings and trims. These types of moulding generally add an extra touch to a room and help bring out certain design elements that you may want to highlight in your home.

4. Tile Patterns

Tile patterns are used for both decoration and to provide a non-slippery surface in bathrooms. There are dozens of different styles, but most can be grouped into four main categories, based on the number of patterns used:

1. One-pattern tile uses only one design over the entirety of the floor or wall – usually at eye level – and is the style most often seen throughout various eras of history throughout the world.

2 . Two-pattern tile uses a single design for half of each tile, with the other half being an entirely different color or pattern. This style can be recognized as much by its two colors as by its lack of symmetry.

3 . Three-pattern tile uses three colors over the entire surface, but each color is used as a pattern in itself. The three patterns are usually arranged so that one surrounds another, not unlike a pie chart radiating from a single center point.

4 . Four-pattern tile is very much like a combination of the first two styles: each tile has only one design, but that design is repeated over the entire surface.

5. Antique Chair Back Styles

Antique chairs have come a long way since their first introduction. These days, people are always on the look-out for the best quality antique chairs because of the materials they are made out of and according to some people, these kinds of chairs simply do not compare to modern day ones.

There are many different types of antique chair backs that have been coming in and out of the market. Two timeless classics are the Chippendale and Sheraton styles.

Antique Chippendale Chair Back: The Chippendale style is one of the most common types of chairs that can be found in antique shops. In fact, they are so popular because the original ones were actually made in the 1800’s and they have been used for a long time after their creation. These types of antique chair backs have straight lines on the sides with a smooth back line. They also have great spindles on the side with a nice curve to them.

Antique Sheraton Parlor Chair Back: The parlor chair back style has two different variations, which are known as the straight line and the cross line. The straight line is one of the older models that can be found in antique shops while the cross line was used by some manufacturers to create a more modern look.

6. Antique Chair Leg Styles

Antique chair leg styles changed over the years. The legs were made in many different shapes and sizes, with different decorations for each piece. Below are examples of antique chair leg styles before 1850.

The earliest type of ancient chairs used castor legs to rest upon the ground. These were fairly short, but very strong and stable; made of oak, they stood on a disk. The first four legs were more or less vertical and remained immovable; the next two were attached about nine inches from the floor and allowed for easy movement around the room. This type of chair had straight backs and seats carved with rounded wood so as not to cause discomfort to those who used them: mainly the clergy, but also master craftsmen.

By the 16th century, the castor leg had given way to legs made of turned wood which were more delicate in appearance. The seventeenth century chair has straight or vertically curved backs and seats, with characteristic cabriole leg ending in a scroll or ball shape below. Legs are usually attached to the center of the seat.

By the eighteenth century, chairs had more ornate legs. The cabriole leg evolved into a scroll or ball shape below, with an X support below that. During this time period, chairs also were decorated with chinoiserie motifs and elaborate carving on high-quality wood. There were four types of feet during this period: ball and claw, hoof, saber and knife. The ball-and-claw foot was simply a scrolled leg ending in a claw. The hoof foot had the appearance of being part of an animal’s leg, with its hoof attached to the bottom. The saber or deerfoot was similar to the hoof except that there were no nails on it. They are found with or without a crescent-shaped cut at the top.

7. Yardage for Stool Upholstery

Stools are a classic staple in homes and businesses alike, so it’s worth the time to make sure that your stools are covered in fabric that suits you best. An upholstered stool is a piece of furniture that can be made even more homey or businesslike by selecting colored or patterned fabrics. When making covers for several stools, however, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by figuring out how much fabric is needed to cover each one.

Stool dimensions are important, but the degree of stretch in the fabric is also important to consider. When upholstering stool seats it’s worth thinking about both visible surfaces and hidden areas underneath the seat where there’s often a gap between the base and the stool.

8. Yardage for Sofa Upholstery

If you’re planning to reupholster a sofa, take careful measurements before buying fabric.  Measure the length and width of the seat and back, as well as armrests and front legs if they are included.  Also measure over how many inches the seat cushion is set into the frame (including any piping or decorative edges). Then you will have a good idea how much fabric is needed.

9. Yardage for Chair Upholstery

The amount of fabric needed for chair upholstery depends on the size of the chair. Most chairs are made to accommodate a person’s specific height and weight, but they are also designed for fashionable appeal. People who plan on reupholstering their own chairs can save money by purchasing just enough material to do their job properly.

10. Seating Capacities for Dining Tables

During the course of a year, you may find yourself in many different types of social situations where dining tables will be used. Wedding receptions and dinner parties are two such examples, but there are also casual events like family dinners and office celebrations that may require the use of a table for food and drinks. And because we’re often in these situations, it’s important to know how many people can sit at a given table. If you are hosting, this knowledge will allow you to select the appropriate size of table for your guests.

Knowing seating capacities of tables doesn’t require sophisticated mathematics. This reference guide can be used to calculate the maximum number of guests who can be seated at a given table.

11. Sofa Shapes and Their Names

If you walk into a retailer or browse online for sofas, you’ll see many different terms used to describe the shape of sofas.

If you want to get technical, “cabriole” is defined as an armless sofa with wood legs that are always curved, “chesterfield” is an upholstered sofa with arms and back, “lawson” is a three-seater without arms or back, “camelback” refers to a sofa with one large piece of upholstery for the back, while “tuxedo” commonly refers to the armless version of the chesterfield.

12. Headboard Shapes

The headboard is the most important feature of any bed. It’s what envelopes you at night, and often draws attention to itself with its uniqueness. While everyone knows the four poster bed, which has curved pieces rising out from each post to support a canopy, there are other kinds of headboards that can easily overshadow it in terms of sheer ornateness. Knowing a little bit about headboard shapes can help you make an informed decision on what kind of bed to buy next, and which will suit your future bedroom the best.

13. Common Furniture Sizes

The following standard dimensions of furniture should be used in the specification of all items, whether made by stock or custom design.

14. Common Dimensions

A useful reference guide for the typical amount of space needed for common settings.

15. Indoor Plant Guide

In the quest to decorate our homes in a way that reflects our personalities and lifestyles, many of us overlook one important part of home décor: plants. While most people barely have enough time for themselves, let alone their plants, they can add beauty, life or color into even the darkest corners of a room.

The following guide is useful for identifying the plants that meet criteria for being put indoors, such as the ability to grow in low light conditions or be relatively low in maintenance.

16. Mantel Decor Diagram

A mantel is a beautiful extra area on which to display your seasonal decor. It can be as easy and inexpensive or luxurious and ornate as you like, depending on your budget.

17. Pillow Arrangement

When it comes to home decor, the details count. Pillows are one of those small home decor pieces that can make or break a home’s character and atmosphere. Here are some different ways you can arrange your pillows like a professional!

18. Bed Styling Diagram

Making your bed is a simple home decorating trick that can really make the difference in the look of any bedroom. A nicely styled bed will enhance your home’s attractiveness and even give off an air of professionalism. Making your bed every morning isn’t just about being tidy, it is also an easy way to improve home decor.

19. Lamp Shade Styles

A lamp shade is the fabric container that fits over a light bulb to diffuse or direct its light. Some of the various types of shades are bell, drum, empire, rectangle, square, cyliner and tapered drum.

20. How to Hang Curtains

Hanging curtains correctly is an art which many people ignore (and it’s not their fault they didn’t learn about it). The result of hanging curtains improperly is usually something like this:

The curtains are drawn all the way to one side of the window, blocking both sides. Or they are drawn not enough, dangling above the ground. This makes your home decor less attractive and hides everything behind them.

21. Window Covering Styles

What kind of window coverings do you have in your home? If you’re like most people, you probably don’t give much thought to your window treatments and what kind best fit your home and the purpose. Window coverings, also known as window treatments or window fashions, are the way you dress your windows – for style, protection, privacy or function. Including blinds, shades and shutters there are many options available to complement any home.

22. Print Size Guide

This will give you a rough idea of what to expect with different print sizes compared to a wide two seater sofa.

23. Gallery Wall Layout Ideas

Gallery walls have been a big design trend for several years. For a gallery wall, you arrange your photos in a particular order and hang them on the wall to create a specific look. Depending on the size of the room and how many pictures you print out, you could make an entire gallery all by yourself or enlist family and friends to help.

24. Wall Art Hanging Styles

Hanging wall art can be a tricky thing. Not only do you have to think about what you want in your living space but how it will look when hung and where else in the room it could hang. It takes a lot of time and effort to decide on getting wall art when sometimes it means thinking long term about the wall art you buy and where you will place it. Here are some styles to consider and what they say about your personality.

25. Staircase Gallery Layouts

A Staircase gallery is surprisingly versatile, so it can be tailored to almost any need.

26. Bedroom Rug Size Guide

Picking the right size rug for your bedroom is one of the most important decisions you’ll have to make for your bedroom decor. One good rule of thumb is to get a rug that’s one-and-a-half times the size of your bed. However, this rule isn’t meant for everybody; you’ll still need to experiment around with different styles and designs to see what works for you!

27. Dining Room Rug Size Guide

Similar idea to the above, pick a rug that is comfortably larger than the area of the table and chairs.

28. Living Room Rug Size Guide

29. The Psychology of Colors

Colors are all around us every day. They play an intricate role in our lives and many do not know the influence they have on their lives. It is important to understand and appreciate how colors affect us psychologically.

30. House Paint Color Matching Guide

31. Color Undertone Guide

You may have heard the terms “warm-toned home decor” or “cool-toned home decor.” Well it turns out the colors you use for wall paint for example, are hugely important for setting the whole tone for your house.

32. Paint Finish Guide

It’s important to know how to choose the right finish—the one that will make your home look its very best!

33. Lampshade Types & How To Measure

34. Lightswitch Styles

35. Types of Lightbulbs

36. Home Lighting 101

37. Types of Screws

Screws are generally named after their point or drive, which defines the type of head they have.

A broad range of screws is available with various points, drives and styles.

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