How to decorate - PART ONE

Moving into a new home can be one of life’s great joys, but it can also be a time of uncertainty, especially when it comes to decorating. How do you make your space look its best while reflecting your personal sense of style? Do it well and you’ll end up with a comfortable, happy home. Do it poorly and you’ll end up with a hodge-podge of furniture, fabrics and paint colors that never congeal into a pleasing whole. With a little planning, and by following the same steps used by professional interior designers, you’ll have a much greater chance of success.

"To reach the finish line, you first have to know where you’re going."

Many have heard the advice to avoid grocery shopping when you’re hungry, because it leads to poor choices. Well, the same holds true for furniture stores – don’t go shopping in a panic, just because you have an empty home. Yes, you need a sofa. But if you pick that gray sectional just because you like it in the store, without taking measurements or thinking about the rest of the room, you’re stuck with it. The rest of the room will have to be built around that sofa, and if it’s too large for the space it will look forever awkward. So first things first - start with some inspiration.

INSPIRATION

Scrapbooks are often associated with childhood memories of vacations spent collecting all sorts of wonderful treasures. However, they can also be an excellent record of your home's history and how it was decorated, as well as an invaluable aid for future plans. A collection of ideas and inspirations laid out with care on each page can help to clarify decisions and shape your approach to decorating your home.

To start your inpirations book, collect images of anything with a colour or combination of colours that you love - these don't have to match, they just need to work together. We are surrounded by colour in our daily lives, from nature to advertising billboards. Let your instinct lead you; consider the colours you like to wear, as they are your most obvious form of self-expression. The colours of nature are always inspiring and an obvious starting point. We can learn so much from nature, where colours harmonize and work naturally together.

Take pictures of anything in a colour that appeals, such as a front door that catches your eye or a summer sky. Look at websites such as Houzz, Pinterest or Instagram as well as art and design books or magazines.

The smallest of items within your home can be the deciding factor - entire decorating schemes can be built around a single cushion or a piece of tableware. If you choose to use existing furniture or curations in your new scheme, include images or fabric swatches of those in your scrapbook too.

Whatever your inspiration, historic houses, art or exotic palettes gathered from your travels, it is best to gather as many elements together as you can, including all floor covering, tiles and fabrics. Look at how they react to each other - some colours will recede while others demand your attention, so you may need to rework the mix. Treat them as ingredients for your own personal home recipe, each one as delicious and important as the other. As long as you let your instincts guide you, you will be all set to embark on your decorating adventure.

Once you have created your very own vision of what you want your home to look like, start off by following the below steps.

KNOW YOUR MEASUREMENTS

Matching the scale of furniture to the scale of a room is critical. Before you start designing, measure the length and width of each room you intend to decorate, along with the ceiling height and elements that could get in the way – stairs, columns, radiators and other obstructions. It also is a good idea to measure window openings, along with the wall space below, above and to the sides of each one, to get ready for window coverings.

CREATE A FLOORPLAN

Once you have the measurements of your room, it’s time to put them to use with a floor plan that gives you a bird’s eye view of the entire home. One option is to draw a floor plan the old-fashioned way, with paper, a pencil and a ruler. However, most professional designers use drafting software like AutoCAD. Of course that does not mean you should now go and invest several hours in learning how to use these programs, no, there are simpler ways for homeowners to create simple floor plans. Try apps, free online programs and find what works best for you.

DECIDE HOW YOU WANT TO LIVE

This is the tricky part, and there are no right or wrong answers. Rooms can be traditional or modern, formal or relaxed, and visually warm or cool. Try to discern how you would like to live in a given space. Ask yourself "What will you be doing? How many people live there? Are there children? What are your ambitions for how you would like to live?". Take a look at your scrapbook and build your plan around it.

DEVELOP A BUDGET

There’s no getting around the math: If you splurge on an unexpectedly expensive chair, you’ll have less money available for the rest of the home. Make sure you're being strategic about how you spend your money. A budget gives you a roadmap on how to divide the costs of things between your rooms. Of course you can still make an exception if you find a one-of-a-kind dining table, but in order to pay for it you have be thoughtful about where else you can cut back.

PLAN THE PHASES

Finishing drywall, refinishing hardwood floors and painting ceilings (if needed) is all messy work. If at all possible, it’s better to have this type of work completed before moving any furniture or accessories into the space. If it really can’t be avoided, seal large furniture under plastic drop cloths and accessories in boxes with tape to protect them.

Once all these steps are done, the most fun part of the whole thing can begin. The decorating itself. But where to start? What do you need to take into consideration when decorating each room? Which colours should you choose based on the architecture, light and style of your space? Stay tuned and make sure to read my upcoming blog posts for more insight on these topics.