If interior design seems daunting, this is a must read!
- falcaro83
- Oct 29, 2023
- 3 min read
Renovations may feel daunting, but the real challenge comes when it's time to fill a space.
Do you ever ask yourself
What color scheme do I want?
How should I arrange my furniture?
What finishes am I going to need?
Where can I find inexpensive lighting?
Or the most frequent, where do I start?
First step in any interior design process is to address the project in bite size pieces.
Pro Tip: Sherwin Williams sells a color palette swatch book for $40 and it's my #1 item for any homeowner. Avoids endless trips to Home Depot paint department. Once you chose the "theme for the room" it will help guide your decisions moving forward.
Rug: Once you have picked your paint, follow the same color scheme for your rug. The rug you chose should compliment your color choices and take into consideration your existing furniture. This will help tie all the elements together without having a large investment. Safavieh is my favorite inexpensive rug brand and I always recommend buying from Amazon for the easiest returns. Pro Tip: Rug sizing is the biggest mistake people make. Make sure your rug is at least 6" larger than the dimensions of your largest piece of furniture. If all else fails, go up a size if you are on the fence.
Furniture Placement: Start with the largest piece of furniture, always.
Couch should face a focal feature such as a tv, fireplace or outdoor view.
If its a large sectional, it may be the only piece of furniture in the space and you can use benchs or faux trees in the space.
For a standard sofa, two chairs or an exact match of the sofa are usually preferred.
If you are unsure, move all the furniture out of the space and grand some blue painters tape. Tape out where you are thinking of arranging the furniture on the rug and take a picture. Avoids the extra heavy lifting.
Curtains: Curtains can be EXPENSIVE! Depending on your window or patio door size custom window coverings can range from $100 a panel to thousands. Not only is it an investment, what if you change your mind? I always recommend Amazon for great finds and use a beautiful rod and curtain rings to give it an evelated luxe look. As far as color or patterns go, depending on your style get creative but staying within 1-2 shades of your paint color will help make the room look bigger and a more cohesive style.
Pro Tip: Lightly iron the curtains before you hang them. Once you hang, if you want a custom pleat look, fold the curtains accordion-style and use paper clips to hold them in place while you steam. This will help retain the shape long term and give it the luxe feel you are looking for on a budget friendly price.
Lighting: Lighting in most rooms can be tricky due to outlet placement and room flow. Lamps on either side of a sofa, or table lamps on your end tables are the easiest solutions. If you are having trouble hiding your cords, I cut a tiny hole in my rug, run my electrical cords (and added extension cords) underneath it to the nearest wall. If your room is "floating" and furniture doesn't back up to a wall, cord floor covers can be found on Amazon under $20 in plenty of colors. I personally love floor and task lamps but the price tag can be shocking. Amazon has great finds under $200 and I have a couple suggestions under my "Decor Finds" highlights @jfhomefinds.
Decor: This is an endless category that goes on and on and on. Trays, faux plants, books, you name it its out there. Start with 2 areas, your coffee table or ottoman and "dead space" corners. I love to use Home Goods finds for the coffee table and lanterns for dead space. They are multi-use, can we easily decorated for different occasions and more subdued if a faux plant isn't appealing. Check out the recommended product section of the blog for links to preferred products.
If you are every interested in a virtual design consult, please fill out the form on our home page and we will contact you with our package offerings. Happy decorating!
See you next week!
Holly
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