Decorating-Where do I start?
I received an email the other day that read:
“We have been blessed with a home to decorate, but I don’t know where or how to start. Any advice?”
I hear this so often that I decided to share 6 tips on how to get a decorating project off the ground.
Okay, so you purchased a new home that you love and you want to start decorating, right?
Here’s what you want to do:
1. Walk around the house and assess each space. Take note of how each room feels and looks. I believe each room has a certain feeling (it could feel cozy or cold, grand or uncomfortable.) Assessing how the room FEELS can help you decide what it needs.
For example if I enter a spacious room with crown molding and tall cathedral ceilings it may feel very grand to me. So, I may choose rich fabrics and rich paint colors to achieve a cozier feeling. I’ll want to decorate with large scale furnishings in the space instead of smaller pieces to fit with the grand-ness of the room. If I walk into a space that feels cluttered or small I may go for lighter paint colors and fewer furnishings to give it a feeling of openness.
2. Decide what overall feeling you want the home or rooms to have. Here are some examples: Do you want it to feel formal, casual, relaxed, sophisticated, dignified, intimate, warm, elegant, exciting, or tranquil?
family room before
family room after
The overall feeling for the above space: Warm and inviting. We warmed it up with a fresh coat of paint ( muted neutral green)added window treatments, a better scaled sofa, and a few accessories.
3. Make sure your home showcases colors that you love, and definitely avoid colors that you dislike. Sometimes your home can have the right style and furnishings, but somehow it just doesn’t feel right. Sometimes colors can elicit certain feelings that we can be completely unaware of. Have you ever been in a room that was styled beautifully, but you find yourself avoiding the room? And something just doesn’t seem right about it? What color is the room? Is it an ice cold blue and yet you’re more of a cozy warm earth color person? Is it a fluorescent pink and yet you absolutely hate this color? Color can have a powerful influence in your home, so choose well.
My home office is a modest size room in my basement and there are no windows in the room. Since I knew I would spend a lot of my time in there, I wanted it to be bright and welcoming. I also felt that I needed it to be organized, feel elegant and energetic all at once. And I had a limited budget. Here’s what I came up with.
office before
office after
I chose the yellow paint for it’s light reflecting value and energetic vibe. I chose the chandelier to add a touch of elegance . And the mirror to enlarge the space. Finally, the wall unit keeps my fabric samples organized. 4. Ask yourself what types of activities you’ll be doing in each room. What good is a nice home that looks good, but that’s all? I grew up in a home where the living room was OFF LIMITS to the kids. And while I respected my mom’s rules I decided that when I grew up I was not going to have such a room. I’m sure my mom isn’t the only one that had this arrangement. In fact I’ve been in homes that are beautifully appointed, but you get the feeling that you shouldn’t even breath in the space. My feeling is this: That is for the birds!Homes should be beautiful AND functional. At the end of the day don’t you want to put your feet up, recline, or fall into a comfortable sofa that welcomes you home? Don’t you want to have adequate lighting near your favorite reading chair or a place to put your cup of tea when you’re relaxing in your favorite room? I sure do.
5. Start a file of things that catch your eye. Whether it’s paint colors, or pictures of rooms that you saw on a website or magazine. In fact here are a couple of great places to go to for inspiration: mydeco.com and houzz.com. Both sites allow you to keep a portfolio of your favorite pictures.
6. Your inspiration to get started may be right under your nose. Do you have a favorite piece of art, or furniture? Do you love the color combination in a rug, or the photo of that beach pic you took last week? How about the curves of your favorite sofa?These are just a few ways to get started on your decorating journey. Whole rooms have been built around one single piece.
Our great room (below)for example was built around one of my favorite art pieces. I liked the warm tones of the piece and wanted a casual room that felt warm, inviting, and relaxing.
unfurnished room
The warm tones from the picture is interpreted in the space
Accessories help round out the intended mood of the space
The most important thing of all is to know that your space should be a reflection of what makes you smile.
Before I begin a project with my clients, I have them complete a questionnaire. This helps to guide their choices for choosing colors and decide on the mood they might want to achieve. They find themselves surprised and excited at what they come up with and can’t wait for the process to begin. Let us know if we can provide guidance for your next project.
Inspiring Creativity,
Ricci Jackson
let me know what things you do to start your decorating projects. Was this article helpful? Please let me know.
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