How do I get Modern Interior Design Ideas?

Getting modern interior design ideas from a variety of excellent sources is certainly possible. The Internet as well as books and print design magazines are ideal for viewing images of modern interiors of all kinds. Home decor-based television shows offer other great modern interior design ideas. In-person visits to local boutiques, furniture stores and showrooms specializing in modern styles can give you some hands-on ideas for fixing up your home space.

Taking notes when you visit furniture and home accessories shops in-person can help you keep track of items you love. Noting decor items you really love, rather than just are somewhat attracted to, then comparing all of your notes can help you buy coordinating items and choose colors as well as materials that work well together. Also pay attention to how the shops arrange modern furniture pieces and what types of accessories they use. When looking for modern interior design ideas in showrooms and shops, bring fabric swatches along so you can coordinate colors and designs accurately.

When choosing accessory pieces, remember that in modern interiors, less is usually more, so it's often better to go with a few large, dramatic vases, paintings or bowls in your home than grouping many smaller objects together in each room. The exception to this rule are displays of any kind of collections. Rather than spreading out pieces of a collection around the home, modern impact can be achieved by having them on one accent wall. For instance a collection of baseball memorabilia could be displayed in a modern-styled bookcase that stands against one wall. A photograph collection featuring black frames against a colored accent wall is one of the typical kinds of modern design ideas presented in a television "do it yourself" show.

Spending a few hours with a stack of interior design magazines or viewing decor images on a computer screen can help you figure out which type of modern looks you love the most. For instance, you may discover that you prefer a certain kind of oven style or sofa color. Browsing through home decor books at the library or purchasing them online or at a bookstore is another way to get inspired by modern interior design ideas.

If you really want to challenge your imagination, spending the better part of the day touring modern art museums and artist's galleries can help you "think outside the box." You may be inspired by an offbeat color combination or an abstract furniture shape. Even a trip to local fabric stores to see which textiles and prints really stand out to you can give you modern design ideas to create simple, soft furnishings such as pillows and curtains.