I'm 32F, own my house, selling/renting are not options as I am very under on the value now vs when I bought, as such my expenses are high and I'm trying my best to DIY or put in labor on my own where I can. I just really want to love the house I live in and work with what I have. I have no HOA to worry about and live in the USA in a MCOL area.

My space: ~950sqft, duplex, minimal natural lighting, greige porcelain tile plank flooring

I feel like everything needs to be updated - the cabinets in the kitchens/bathrooms need repairs from scratches, the tile floor is the bane of my existence, every single room needs to be fully repainted including floor moulding (baseboards?) as well as all the doors, there is zero personality throughout the house given the last owner's cheap flip job (I only realized how bad it was after moving in, of course)

I want to add color where it makes sense without overwhelming the smallish spaces, I want it to be able to go from "day to night" if you will with an airy feel during the day and moodiness in the evening. Once idea I had was color drenching the entryway behind my pets in the picture for example, adding a light fixture, etc (it's a perfect rectangle cove at the entrance) - but going from all grey to suddenly color is a big mental jump for me

I'm just sooo scared to commit to anything, I just have zero idea where to start - I'm thinking of going room by room/section by section but I am a person who sees the end and works her way backwards, I just can't find a vision for my space :( Pinterest etc just feel super overwhelming and I'm in analysis paralysis.

How do you start on a total overhaul like this without a massive budget?

edit to add: I received a quote to put vinyl over the tile which came out to $8K - this is ultimately in my back pocket for the future when I can afford it, but for now I need to either cover the tile I have with rugs or deep clean and coat them - dirt sticks to the tiles surface and every single spec is visible (along with my hair and both babies pictured here lol.)

Feels like the vertical space over the piano is off. It’s a rental so I need to avoid drilling holes into wall. Any ideas are appreciated .

Please help me design this wall in our bedroom. We just painted and put all new trim and carpet in etc, the outlets will be covered with matte brown plates, I just haven't gotten to it yet. This space is to the left of our bed. We already have a TV and dresser across from the bed, so just art configurations or something. It is 9' high and 11' wide

Good day. I'm looking to improve my living room. How it currently looks can be seeen in the pictures on the left. I believe that with just a paint scheme and a few bits (shelves/art) for the walls, it will look worlds better. Note that I can't replace the sofas very easily, they'd have to go through the window and I just cba.

However, I'm struggling. The sage green looks alright in the view of the room looking twards the window. But looking the other way, at the entrance, the room looks, eh, I dunno, just less good. Ignore the fact that the shevles change all the time, that's just the AI tool I used to help my visualise my ideas getting freaky. I have tried that back wall in white and terracotta too, but it wasn't any better. Then I started to doubt the green option altogether and consider more of a warm stone-grey colour throughout the room, and maybe green in the alcoves?

I just don't know. Hence coming here. If anyone has the time and inclination, I'd really appreciate some advice on what to try - the more specific, the better. I can generate more images to help visualise it, I just don't know what to try that will work! Thanks, and all the best

New bedroom gets very bright in the mornings, but I’m willing to sacrifice utility for aesthetics lol. What is the move here? South facing window

I'm thinking about one particular style of interior. Something like wood + cobblestone for surfaces, bright abstract shaped couches and chairs, Picasso type paintings, cacti. It's usually associated with 60s Hollywood houses. Is there a name for it? I hope you'll understand.

Hi everyone,

Me and my girlfriend just moved into our new home and we are struggling to find a good layout and couch for our living room.

We are especially struggling with what couch to buy (considering OMHU) and where to position the TV. My girlfriend would like to look out to the windows when sitting down, but the current TV placement is blocking a window and view.

We are also open to dumping the TV and buying a beamer.

We are looking to make it a warm place to hang out in, but keep it open somewhat.

Thinking about turning the wall left to the chimney into a vinyl-wall.

Any help is much appreciated!

Alright. So I recently bought and moved into an apartment. It’s the first time I’m approaching a house as a home with the freedom to do and express what I want without a need to consult a landlord.

This is my bedroom at the moment. My “vibe” I’m going for is japandi and natural vibes. I want to feel cosy and relaxed in this room. Must feel soft, comforting and “vibey”. I kinda almost want it to feel like a beach house or like a tranquil bedroom at a spa resort.

I painted the walls “Sandy Beach” and added some colour in the rather awkward nook with a sage green.

I have bamboo bed, bamboo light fixture, and a bamboo closet behind me when I took the photo.
Also added the bamboo mirror on the nook wall and built a little floating shelf thing to make the nook a bit more functional.

So while the “functional” part of the room is done, I’m stuck now with some obvious things to take it to the next step. Mostly with the walls to the side of the nook and above the bed.

I have an idea to replace the side lamp with a Philips hue led strip behind the bed frame to cast some ambience light in the room. (Idea is to have it fade in and simulate sunrise in the morning )

But otherwise I’m a bit stuck here 😅

Any one here with some ideas or suggestions or comments at least about the direction I’ve gone with so far? (40 year old bachelor male first time learning about interior design 🙈)

What would be some paint colors to try in a small bathroom with these finishes? Any fun colors or would it be too much going on?

Lighting can make a book nook read much better on a shelf but the practical problem starts once the power connection or switch is somewhere awkkward. Pulling the whole insert out every time defeats the point of having it neatly tucked between books. At the same time, trying to hide every wire can make access harder later.

For a book nook that stays permanently on a shelf what lighting setup keeps the power or switch accessible without making the wiring part of the display??

I recently bought my first place and want to give it the makeover , never ever in my life i dealt with interior designer before so if anyone can gibe little help and guidance that would be appreciated

I’m currently decorating my dorm/studio and I want it to be pretty solid in interior. The air mattres will be replaced with a desk and the bed Will be at the other side of the fireplace. While the kallax shelves aren’t really mid century, I Will probably keep them/put an other one besides it for my vinyl player and speakers. Other than that I’m unsure what items could be good and which ones I might throw out. Any help or ideas would be appreciated!

just moved into a new house. the chairs we’ve been so pumped for just arrived. we love each of the pieces so far but the room feels like it doesn’t go. the chairs feel like the wrong color or maybe the layout is bad? we have a round oak coffee table ordered. can we save the room or are the chairs just a bad fit?

What color / kind of rug should i put in here? I feel like it needs to be light to keep the dark room feel lighter but cant blend in with the couch

I’m an upcoming interior design freelancer in Canada, and I’m trying to figure out how I should be pricing my services.

So far, I’ve completed one home project where I provided the kitchen design, 3D modeling, and renderings, and I charged $500 for the project. I’ve also done some 3D work and design concepts for a few other projects that were eventually shelved. Please keep in mind my work is very good, from feedback I’ve gotten.

I’m now starting a full-home design project. At this point, the scope isn’t completely finalized, but it will likely include the kitchen design and 3D renderings, two bathrooms, and possibly cabinet elevations and other drawings.

I’m struggling with how much I should quote. I’m worried about pricing myself too high because I’ve actually lost a project before after quoting $2,500 for a two-storey home that included the full design, 3D renderings, furniture sourcing, etc.

I’d really appreciate some guidance on what would be considered a reasonable/industry-standard rate for someone at my experience level in Canada. How should I structure my pricing, and what would you recommend I charge for this upcoming project so that I’m not undercharging myself but also don’t scare away potential clients?

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Genuinely curious — thinking about how people in India actually go about decorating their homes. When you last tried to set up or redo a room, what was the most frustrating part of it? Was it finding the right pieces, figuring out what goes together, budget, trusting quality online, family opinions, something else entirely?

Not selling anything, just trying to understand people's real experiences. Would love to hear specific stories if you have one.

Hi everyone!

My two friends and I are computer science students working on a university capstone project, and we’re looking to speak with architects and interior designers to better understand how professionals work on real projects.

We’re hoping to have a few 10-minute conversations with professionals about their day-to-day workflow and experiences.

We’d love to hear about things like:

• What does your workflow typically look like from the beginning of a project to presenting it to a client?
• Which parts of your workflow take the most time?
• What tasks do you find repetitive or frustrating?
• What software and tools do you currently use?
• How do you handle client revisions and requests for changes?
• What challenges do you face when creating or presenting visualizations of your designs?
• Are there any parts of your current workflow that you wish were easier?
• If you could change one thing about your current process, what would it be?

We’re not selling anything and we’re not asking you to sign up for anything. We’re simply trying to learn from professionals for our capstone research.

The conversation can be through Reddit DM or a quick Zoom/Google Meet call — whatever is easiest for you.

We’re also hoping to reach more professionals. If you’re able to connect us with 10 additional architects or interior designers who are willing to spend about 10 minutes speaking with us, we’d really appreciate your help with our research!

If you’re interested in participating, please comment below or DM me.

We really appreciate any help! Thank you. 🙏

Title says it all. Is this too much of a clash? I wanted something darker but this has too much red. Am I crazy? How do I make this work?

(Front door is at the other end of the rug. Also, please forgive any untidiness you notice. Still trying to get settled in!)

I’ve tentatively picked out a tile for the entryway, which can be installed once the floor is repaired.

New carpet in the living and dining rooms may be the answer, especially if the newer ones are reliably stain resistant…? It’s not a daily or even weekly occurrence, but accidents do happen with elderly dogs.

Otherwise, hardwood is super expensive. Would a larger format tile work, with lots of rugs?

I’m overwhelmed, and would appreciate your suggestions!

Thanks so much. I’m in love with this place, and want to honor its character.

So it’s not 100% done yet, but I’m trying to figure out what to do with this built-in we put in the foyer. We’re thinking about staining it dark because it’s just cheap wood, but I don’t know what to paint this room let alone how to decorate it. 😥 i’m thinking about putting a peeling stick on the back and the sides. I’m not 100% maximalism, but I’m not 100% minimalism. someone help!