A well arranged home interior can maximise space.

• Avoid the temptation of crowding your house with everything you can think of.
  
  
• Let each room have one or two focal areas so that they get highlighted.
  
  
• Fancy wall finishes like a mud finish is best avoided. Go for something more solid and long lasting.
  
  
• Selecting the right light is absolutely essential. Dull lighting can ruin an elegant interior.
  
  
• Never go in for fake finishes. Let wood and metal show up as such.
  
  
• Instead of expensive marbles, you could innovate with local stones.
  
  
• If you are one of those avid collector's of paintings or artifacts, don't display them all at once. You could display them one by one or shift them from room to room.
  
  
• Ethnic furnit ure can add character to a room.
  
  
• Let your house reflect your personality. Don't let an architect or designer dictate terms to you.

When you hire an interior decorator for your home or office, here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Check the firm's credentials.
  
  
• Check the interior decor of their own office, it will give you a fair idea of what they can deliver.
  
  
• Talk to the firm's previous clients, inspect some of their earlier work to check on the quality of materials used and timely completion.
  
  
• Take the quotation, bill of material and drawings in advance and make sure all agreements are in writing.
  
  
• A fairly large architect's firm can also provide interior decor services. If you hire such a reputed firm, you can be assured of quality work.