If you just bought a new house and will start decorating, keep the walls simple and majority of the walls plain especially if you are the typical Filipino who keeps accumulating things over the years and can’t throw away anything because of sentimental reasons. So that when you move in your furniture, wall decors and accessories, the rooms will not look cluttered.

Feel free to mix and match different styles of stuff, like contemporary furniture with oriental pieces. Just don’t over do it. Make sure they blend together.

If you are buying new furniture, measure your room and the furniture. Scale the room & furniture on cutout newspaper: 1 feet = 1 inch and see if the furniture are proportionate to the room. Make sure there are ample spaces to walk around your furniture.

If you want to make a room look bigger, use mirrors. they give you an illusion of more space. Colors too affect the illusion of space. A monochromatic color scheme (one/similar color with different shades) like off whites, cream & beige will give you an appearance of more space while warm colors like red and yellow will give an impression of a smaller space. On the other hand cool colors like blue and green will give an openness appearance.

Artificial lighting will also be required for the home office space. The best practice is to use diffused or indirect lighting. In this type the actual light source is not directly visible. The light is emitted on a glossy and bright surface which then gets reflected to create an even diffused light in the surrounding are. This method works great for offices because it does not create glare that might cause discomfort in the office space.

In designing, the overall look of your home is paramount. From your furniture, wall colors, to lighting fixtures, everything should be proportional, balanced and harmonious. A small and delicately carved side table may be beautiful as a piece of furniture but it may not blend well next to a bulky and oversized living room set. Always consider other elements in a room when choosing your furniture, drapes, etc. Ask yourself it is the right size & scale, color and style. If the answer is yes, go ahead and trust your instincts.

Plants at selected locations and of selected type can greatly add “life” in your home office. The best suggestion would be shade loving medium side plants that require less water and maintenance.

Also shade loving flowering plants can be used for this purpose. The biggest benefit of flowering plants is that the plant changes its appearance depending upon the flower bearing season, thus giving your office a “new look” without any effort on your part.

source : ezinearticles.com & interior-design.philsite.net