Interior Design Tips



We get so used to living in our homes that sometimes it’s difficult to see the forest for the trees. Maybe it’s time to take a fresh look. Walk out your door and around the block then enter your home as if you are seeing it for the first time. Stand in place and notice what your first impression is. Notice the most prominent features of the room. Do you see clearly to walls? Do you notice furniture, art, lighting, flooring, stairs or other features first? Identify what you think may be the most visually dominant space in the room. It may be a perfect feature wall for your personal art collection.

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As you look around your room, identify the things in the room that most feel like “you.” Do you love the color of the sofa? Do you love the openness? Do you love the fabric of the window treatments? Consider what it is that you love about your room. Ask yourself, “Does this room reflect who I am and what’s important to me?” If your answer is no, perhaps its time to consider some changes. 

Find the focal points in the room. For example, a large wall behind a sofa, a narrow wall at the end of a hallway, a gallery space in a long corridor or a space above a fireplace. Once you’ve identified some spaces that could be focal points in your home then you’re ready to start pulling your art ideas together. Simply rearranging the furniture can open up the room or bring attention to a wall you may have overlooked. Try a few arrangements and remember it’s only furniture, you can always move it back.
Scott Neste
Interior Designer
IK Member Artist
I’ve been an artist all my life. I’m highly visual. Whether I’m painting, working on digital projects or designing the carefully planned rooms of a private residence, it all feels like art to me.
I started Minor Details in 1988 using my business name for consulting and design coordination projects. In 2001 I chose to call my then newly formed Interior Design Firm by the same name. I currently work in a variety of fields through my firm. I specialize in creating inspired corporate and residential interiors. I also continue to accept business consulting, graphic design and digital media projects.
My work has been received by an international audience reaching clients in Japan, Canada and throughout the United States. Visit me online at MinorDetailsDesign.com and MinorDetailsArt.com.
You may have a few treasured pieces of art. They might be a family portrait, a painting you purchased on vacation or an original work created by a dear friend. These things are important to work into your plan. Pull your art images off the walls and begin to bring the ones you love together in a collection on the floor. Ask yourself, “What do all these images have in common?” It may be color, texture, form, subject matter or that they all relate to a common theme, like family or nature. Identifying what you love will help you learn what inspires your choices.

Now that you’ve identified the images you want to retain in your collection it’s time to build on that collection in a meaningful way. Remember what it was about your art that inspired you. Perhaps it’s themes like, vintage, family, or rustic images with warm colors. Now you’re ready to search for new images to bring you collection together. You may want to plan for each wall or section of wall by arranging the art you already have on the floor first, then noting the spaces you need to fill.

Imagekind makes shopping for art a snap. You can begin your search by subject or genre then expand on your search by typing in a few key words like vintage, rustic and warm. Searching by key words can narrow your search and save you a little time. Once you’ve found a few images you like you can then begin to consider that best print sizes for your wall. Imagekind makes things easy by showing you all the sizes that your image can be printed.


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Once you’ve brought your collection together, it’s time to make some decisions about mating and framing. You may want to use your existing art as a basis for your new purchases. For example, if the pieces you already own are framed in warm wood tones, then you may want to continue along that path and even expand upon it by adding some wood frames with just a bit of gilding. You can build a collection that is substantially similar or one that uses a very loose theme of “wood frames” as the element that holds it all together.

Consider mats and frames that enhance the art rather than distract from it. If you are unsure, simpler can be better. The Imagekind site will show you the outside dimensions of the framed art piece so you can plan your walls right down to the last inch! Deciding how to group your art is like putting together a puzzle. I like to lay everything out on the floor to create just the right mix and juxtaposition. Keep a tape measure handy to ensure that your new arrangement will fit perfectly on your wall.
Once you’ve hung your collection, it’s time to revisit the first phase of your journey. Leave your home, walk around the block and reenter your new, refreshed environment! Did your changes help your house feel more like a personal home? Does your art reflect you, your family, your lifestyle, dreams and ambitions? I hope so! Let art inspire all who enter your home.