Decorating from scratch can be overwhelming and stressful especially when you don’t know where to start. Things like the choosing the wall colours or the type of rug or sofa may sound simple but can be a bit complicated especially when working with rooms with awkward angles.
Here are a few steps to decorating/designing a room
Have a vision
First step is to figure out the kind of room you want to create and you can do this by creating a mood board on Pinterest for inspiration or using furniture, textures, colour palette as your starting point. Once this is done narrow it done by finding one image or thing that catches your eye and use it as a base foundation for your styling design.
Once you have selected your styling base, check what you already have and see if you can incorporate to your design or upcycle to suit your new design. Remember you can use old and new pieces for a cool old meet new look.
Look for a design that is pretty but also practical for your lifestyle. Let your lifestyle guide the floor plan such as the activities that take place in your home especially if you have small children.
Start planning
Make a list of furniture and soft furnishings that you want to incorporate into the room and place these items in the floor plan. You can use different apps to make a floor plan and design your space such as virtual room designer apps. When designing your space if it’s the living room always leave three feet of walking space especially in high traffic areas and one to two feet between tables and sofas.
Once the furniture plan has been set, use the same floor plan to map out the lighting. Consider all types of light and floor lamps should be near lounge chairs or sofas and table lamps on side tables, consoles or buffets. As a rule of thumb every room should have three sources of light at eye level, positioned around the room in a triangular shape.
Once you’re happy with the floor plan, it’s time to find out how much the furniture and fixtures will cost, keeping in mind the budget you have.
Shopping and designing
When it comes to shopping for the pieces you love, try comparing the prices of similar items from different retailers and see if you can bag yourself a bargain. If the price doesn’t match your spreadsheet see how you can make substitutions in order to reach a budget that your comfortable with. Only splurge on items that will make a big impact on your design and don’t forget to measure everything before placing your order.
Wall colours
Painting the walls should be done at the end, as it’s easier to choose a paint colour that complement your furniture collection than vice versa. The best way to pick the right colour is to get paint samples and match them against the furniture and fabric until you find the perfect match. To get a clear picture paint one foot square on the wall to look at under different light throughout the day.
Accessories
Accessories should be the last thing you add to your space. Don’t make a mistake of buying accessories first, if you do this then pick big pieces later you will end up with a lot of small accessories that won’t work together. When choosing accessories consider vases, cushions, artwork & prints, storage baskets, rugs, coffee table books and tables that will enhance your space.
Do let us know if these tips help and we would love to hear your tips on how to redesign or decorate your room.
