When building a home or decorating one, there is a seemingly endless array of things to do and consider. Even with the expert guidance of your home builder and interior designer, the decisions are ultimately yours to make and can be overwhelming to say the least. However, this can be a very exciting and even enjoyable process if you break it down and consider only two basics for every decision—function and beauty.

How is this going to make my life easier and is it aesthetically pleasing? For example, go down your list of rooms and the decisions waiting to be made for each. Consider what activities you and any others living with you will perform in the room and what layout, materials, products and furnishings will make those tasks the easiest to accomplish. Next consider the aesthetics of each, is this layout, material, product or furnishing visually and emotionally appealing?

In the modern world of construction and design, the options available to you, even on a budget, make it possible for function and beauty to coexist in your home without sacrificing either. Take the room pictured here for example, initially you may just see the superficial, sure it’s a visually pleasing room. Yet, if you take a closer look you will see along with the beauty this is a highly functional space. Besides being an intimate place for visiting with friends and family, or a comfy place to sit and study or read, did it appear to be a media room at first?

Did you notice the television in the alcove above the fireplace? So often in living areas the television is the focal point of a room, and in times past was not a very pretty sight, but today with flat screen technology unsightly cords and bulky exteriors are not an issue any longer.

While this scenario is just a small example of how function and beauty can coexist, just considering these two elements up front for each space in your home can yield wonderful results and make your home building and interior decorating experience a resounding success.