you’ve found your new place. So…what’s next?

Congrats…You’ve Found Your New Place. So…What’s Next?

Now that you’ve found your new place…it’s definitely time to PLAN before you begin any interior decorating project. It’s totally normal to feel a bit confused as you stare at 4 blank walls and the ceilings in each of those rooms….so “what’s next” is a very good question.

Do the walls, ceilings, and/or floors need repair? What color(s) do you paint the walls? Should you wallpaper? What color/type of fabric do you choose? What style of furniture or flooring do you select? These are all great questions.

Here’s where some imagination and creativity come into play, but if you stay organized…rest assured, everything will fall into place.

When decorating, the best thing to do is to tackle one room at a time, because unless you’re an expert designer, it could be overwhelming to design or redesign an entire place at once.

What We do Next… is ‘Map Out’

What we do next… is to ‘map out’ or plan each of the rooms being decorated on separate sheets of paper. This is the first step in helping to keep your project organized.

If you have four rooms in your new place, simply take four 8 1/2 x 11” sheets of blank paper and designate one sheet of paper per room for future planning. Using larger paper or large graphic art boards to organize your design would even be better! Label the room(s) on the top of each sheet of blank paper, as if you’re giving it a title. Ex: ‘THE LIVING ROOM.’ These are called your planning sheets for each of your 4 rooms… or what we commonly refer to as mood boards in the design profession. Each of these sheets will be a visual presentation of your selections… or sort of a collage of each room.

If Possible, Focus on One Room at a Time

Only if possible, it’s recommended that you focus on one room at a time. Essentially, each sheet of blank paper will eventually represent a room, thus contain paint chip samples of the selected wall paint colors (or wallpaper swatches) …along with pics and serial numbers or product numbers of furniture that you’ve selected, possibly from the Internet or from shopping at a furniture store…and similarly with lighting fixtures…wall art…area rugs and so on. As you plan your selections on each sheet of paper, you’ll be mapping out how each room shall eventually look. Oftentimes, a designer will print, and then cut out accessories, artwork, light fixtures, and furniture photos from a computer printer…or a magazine or catalog, and attach the photos to the planning sheets. It helps a great deal to visualize your selections.

Hang Each Planning Sheet in the Respective Rooms

Now take each one of those planning sheets and hang them in each of the respective rooms, which you’re planning to decorate or re-decorate in your place.

Each of these planning sheets (or mood boards) will help you visualize how the room design is coming along, and will keep track of your selections, thus far. Do your selections mesh and/or blend well together? It’s not uncommon for designers to change things up as your design is in progress. You can conceivably change colors, fabrics, area rugs and so on…until you get the design to your satisfaction.

It’s a Wrap!

Every design project usually has a better outcome when you are organized and planned. Sometimes, it’s easier said than done…but it will definitely help you with your room design. Color schemes and Coordination of Color selections are up next!