How to Think Like an Interior Designer Before Redecorating Your Home
When it comes to decorating (or redecorating), hiring an interior designer can do wonders for you and your home. However, if you are considering tackling your project solo, we have some insider tips to help you achieve your dream interior.
First, consider the following questions:
- What will you be using the space for?
- What is your favorite color? What colors do you not like? What about patterns – do you like florals or geometric prints?
- Is this space going to get a lot of wear and tear or will it be used less and more carefully?
- Do you have pets?
- What furniture pieces would support the use of this space?
- Do you like a room to be cluttered and cozy or clean and airy?
- Think about any other likes, dislikes, dreams and ideas you have for the space.
These questions will help you to begin to create a program or guidelines for the design. Build on your answers to these questions by thinking about how you want to use the space. Do you need a sofa or a sectional? Do you want a plush cozy rug or a low pile easy to clean rug? Do you have a lot of guests? If so, do you want one big area for everyone to gather or smaller scattered areas for more intimate conversations?
Find Your Theme
Once you have developed your program, we suggest that you start collecting photos, magazine tear outs, start a pinterest board, and take stock of your most cherished possessions. Spread out everything you’ve collected in front of you. Is there a common theme? Did you choose one color repeatedly? Are you gravitating toward one style or type of furniture? Or are you all over the place with many styles, colors, textures, etc?
If you find a common theme, run with it. Is every image of a sofa you pulled a tufted chesterfield? Then go for a tufted chesterfield for your sofa! If you gravitated toward dark blue, use it as your main color. If you find that’s too much color, choose a neutral for your main color and add some dark blue accents (like pillows, drapes, or a wallpaper with dark blue in it). If a certain style such as contemporary, mid-century modern, or coastal keeps popping up, there’s your style! If your home is Victorian traditional and you pulled a lot of contemporary – call us. Incorporating a style into a style can be tricky!
Dig Deeper
Now that you have your main theme, let’s dig a little deeper. Look closer at all the concepts you collected – is there a secondary element that you love? A side table that has a cool marble top or an oversized mirror as a statement piece? Look around and see if you can feature any of your secondary elements in the space.
We often put together all the final concepts and ideas into a powerpoint presentation so we can see everything together. This allows us to see the big picture and make sure everything works well together. If one item sticks out like a sore thumb, revisit your concepts and see if anything else can take its place. Keep playing with the elements until you’re happy with your final design.
Measure Twice Cut Once
The last step is a practical one! Make sure to look at the dimensions of everything you’re putting in the room and measure them out in the actual space to make sure it all fits. Pro tip: follow the path the item will take to be brought into the room to make sure there are no tight corners it can’t squeeze around or the door from the hallway is too small to fit the piece through.
Our final piece of advice is to have fun!
Remember that no matter what you choose, if you love it, it’s right!