Decorating a property, whether home or business, is always a super fun thing to do. There can be some difficult decisions to make though, and they're not all about which colours clash with each other. If you have an older property (maybe you've just bought it), you might have some wonderful period features to benefit from. However, with these features to consider, it can mean you're unsure about to approach the decoration. Do you choose a scheme the perfectly matches the year the building was constructed? Ignore the period elements and go modern without regard for them? Here are some ways you can try to decorate with sympathy for the building.
Learn About the Property (and Its Era)
Start off by finding out about the property and when it was built. You might have been told some details when you moved in. When was it built and what changes have taken place since then? For example, some older buildings have an original part and a more modern extension. Once you know a little about the building, you can try learning about the period in which it was built. What were the styles of the time and could they inspire your new decoration scheme? It's also a good idea to learn about any issues that could exist due to the older elements of the building.
Use a Designer Who Knows What They're Doing
If you're taking on a big interior project, doing it all yourself can be a struggle. You might feel up to doing one room, but even then, you might not feel very confident. Using an interior designer to help you decide what to do takes some of the pressure off. A service such as Sacha Interiors can help you take a sympathetic approach to each room. Take a look at both their commercial and residential projects to see how it can be done. You can take inspiration from the property while still making sure it doesn't look too old-fashioned.
Preserve Original Features
If there are some original features of the property that you love, you can do your best to preserve them. In addition, you can also think about how you can make them work with the rest of the room. Perhaps you have wooden beams, which you might decide to paint or perhaps hang some lights from them. However, some people would rather leave period features alone as much as possible. You might want to do some restoration work if it's needed.
Find a Way to Give It a Modern Twist
Although you might want to incorporate some period features into your interiors, it doesn't mean you necessarily want it to look like a Victorian drawing room. You can still make things look up to date if you don't want it to seem too old. It could be a good idea to focus on using timeless styles, which might not be ultra-modern but also don't look out of date, either. You can decorate a period property with sympathy to its origins. If you want, you can also combine modern design with more traditional ideas.
