How to make over your home

Picture this: You are lying down supine on your full-sized bed. You stare at the blank ceiling and ponder about the things that have transpired during the day. Your silence slowly makes your mind drift onto a plane wherein you have mental debates on relevant world issues like war and peace, when it suddenly hits you…. how in the world did your light fixture get so dusty?

This shoots you back into reality. You crash back into your dingy, boring, poor excuse of a room! Your room! You still can’t believe how you could have let yourself go like this? Clutter has invaded your sanctuary. You have so much stuff that a simple static spark might ignite a fireball. You have dust balls the size of topiaries, any more dirt and shoveling will have to give in to sweeping. Your definition of decorating is how the room originally looked when it was passed down to you, completely impersonal with most probably the DNA of the previous occupant still scattered around (like in a crime scene).

Your instincts tell you you need a room makeover. You watch all the shows and read all the articles that can help, but you find yourself overwhelmed and helpless. So you slump back into your space and try to convince yourself, maybe, your room isn’t as bad as you think.

What To Do…

Let us first point out that not everybody is artistic. Not all can whip up a spectacle of a room transformation as what we see on TV. So what can we do?

Hiring an interior designer is an obvious solution to your problem. They are exceptionally skilled and trained to tackle disasters such as your room.

But how about those who cannot afford their services? Decorating is an overwhelming challenge for a lot of people. The mere thought of how many things need to come together to create a spectacular space is very daunting.

However, one has to realize that you need not be creative to be able to decorate. You could have the dullest sense of style in the world and still be able to create wonders with your space. All it takes is knowing what your needs are, working with what you have and self confidence.

• Know what your needs are. Separate your needs from your wants. Clutter is a manifestation of too many wants, so tidy up, organize and free up as much space as possible. You’ll be surprised to find how much space you actually have the moment you get rid of all your unnecessary junk.

What do you envision your space to be? Try not to define your vision with objects like what kind of bed you want and what stuff would go nicely with what, but dwell more on the feel, the mood, the function of the space. Once you have a clear view of what you truly need, all the elements fall into place and nothing will be out of place.

• Know the tools. Now that you have finally exorcised your room of its demons, consider the tools you need to fix it. These tools are what we call the principles of design.

Since you’re working with a really tight budget (meaning, you don’t have money), go immediately to the most effective tools – color and light, the two most basic and most important elements in design.

Mastering the use of these two can alter one’s perception of space, proportion and dimension. It can affect your mood, consciousness even your health. It’s also an added bonus that these two are the cheapest to manipulate! (one is inexpensive, the other is free!)

First, you need to commit to a color scheme. Color is very forgiving. There aren’t any rules as to how to use them – it all depends on how they affect you. Don’t worry if people think you’re baduy; if it makes you happy, it can’t be that bad, right? Besides, if you make a mistake or get tired of the color, just repaint!

When choosing a color seems to be like choosing between your child and your lover, you’re overdoing it! Relax, look around and see which color appeals best to you. Go through your stuff, you might find a particular color that appeals to you. Some people love yellow because it reminds them of the warm glow of the morning sun. Others love lavender because it’s the color of their favorite flower. Other people like a faint shade of pink because it reminds them of the print of a worn-out shirt.

Patterns can also be used as a scheme for your space. If you like polka-dots, checks, stripes, chintz, florals, or prints, then use them!

Just one thing, when using patterns, don’t overdo it.

• Work with what you have. You don’t really need to acquire more stuff to make your space habitable. More often than not, you already have everything you need.

After laying out the bare necessities for your room (closet, table, chair, bed), and if you have already painted the walls, the last step is to accessorize to personalize your space. This being the case, bring out objects that best describe you. You like to cross-stitch, then display your works on the wall. You love the beach, then bring in shells and hurricane lanterns . You’re a collector, then display your collection. Don’t be afraid to express your true personality, let it shine, you’ll be surprised at how much your space is going to improve when your "signature" is all over.

Decorating need not be complicated or stressful. You don’t have to have that picture perfect room you see in the magazines to be happy either. A perfect room is a true reflection of its owner, a personal sanctuary, a peaceful habitat for the soul.

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Jamie Tan is a member of the Philippine School of Interior Design Exhibiting Class of 2005. This year’s exhibit, "PSID Gets Personal," focuses on personal spaces and showcases 23 booths designed and constructed by the students according to six different personality types: classical, crazy, sensual, sophisticated, laid back, and liberated. The exhibit will open on September 30 and will run for the month of October at the former BLIMS/Automatic Center at Greenbelt 1.