It can be really confusing when you are planning your renovation – what design and colours for which room – you certainly don’t want to land up with a number of individual rooms which all look totally different.
Firstly - find a common visual thread in pictures that you have identified of rooms that appeal to you. What is the common denominator? Is it a light and bright theme? Is it a dark, glossy theme? Textured surfaces or polished surfaces? Once you have identified the common theme, go through the pictures again, identifying the specific elements that contribute to the effect that is appealing to you.
If you can’t find any common thread across a number of pictures that you like – don’t panic. Choose one picture of a room that you like best. Then note all of the features that appeal to you – colours, surfaces, materials and so on. You can use this as your master design template, and as you move from room to room, use a sub-set of your list, and replace some colours with additional colours from the same palette, and use slightly different but complementary finishes - so that each room is different, and yet there is a common theme running through the home.
When you compile your colour palette – think first about your flooring. Once you have chosen your flooring, you can work in complementary or contrasting fabric colours for curtains and furniture, tiling, rugs and other décor items.
Traditionally, white ceilings are the norm. You don’t have to stick to this – but remember that while a colour on the ceiling can draw the eye up, darker colours can make the room feel claustrophobic.
Remember that the first thing that anyone will see when they enter your home, is the foyer or entry. Knocking down walls to create a spacious entry is one way of creating a more open, lighter, brighter and modern feel. If you cannot remove walls – use colours to lighten and brighten. Consider also modernising finishes – for example an old heavy wooden door could be replaced with a more modern aluminium and glass door. Clever use of mirrors can also help to make a space look larger and lighter.