A modern home owner today enjoys a lot of freedom when it comes to how they design the interiors of their homes. The philosophy of design is very much in-sync with a postmodern world view where rules and regulations are thrown out the window in favor of an almost anything-goes approach. But beware: even in chaos you will find order.

Before you begin ask yourself two questions:

1. What do I want to improve?
2. What is my interior design budget?

Your interior design options can range from small to large and from inexpensive to very expensive.

You may be able to solve the problem of your lounge room with a splash of colorful pillows and a strategically hung mirror or you may need something more drastic like a complete change of wall color with a feature wall to boot.

The important thing is to be able to pinpoint exactly what is not working for you now. Is it really the color of your walls? Or would a framed poster and showcase light fighting do the trick? Is it really your drab furniture? Or would a brightly colored throw rug and pillows make the dramatic change you are looking for?

In order to answer these questions you need to step into your room and imagine you are expecting a new friend to visit. What would this person see? How would you feel you could better impress this person? Then always try to answer your ideas with the smallest possible changes first rather than the most drastic.

Color is one of the best ways to create the illusion you want. Adding color to your interior design need not be drastic (as in wall painting or new furniture) but easy and something you can do in a day. Instead of painting a wall, hang a mirror, clock, shelves or piece of artwork. Instead of buying a new coffee table, decorate your existing one with books, candles and a large bouquet of freshly cut flowers.

The most important rule of successful interior design is the rule of simplicity.