Every once and a while I get questions about my process when it comes to designing a room. I think my process has evolved over the past few years and I have settled on a system that I feel works very well.
I know many people just aren’t sure where to start when it comes to tackling a room in their own home, so today and through the next few weeks I wanted to start a series to walk you through the process of designing your space. Here are the topics we will cover:
– Creating Your Basic Needs/Wants List
– Accessing Your Space, Time, & Budget
– Adding Your Passion and Personality
– Creating a Plan
– Implementing Your Plan
– Tweaking/Changing Your Design
– Finishing Off/ Accessorizing The Space
I wanted to be able to provide an actual room that I’ve worked on to serve as our visual as we walk through this process, and I think Mrs. B’s living room will be the perfect example for us to follow.
The process I go through to come up with a design that fits my client’s needs, wants, budget, and space takes a lot of initial research/planning.
The very first thing you want to do when designing is to identify your basic needs and wants for the space. Ask yourself, “What would make this room function perfectly for our family’s needs?” I always start with a comprehensive list knowing that some things may have to be sacrificed due to budget, space, or time constraints. Also, don’t limit your list to only functional needs for the space. If you know you want to use a certain wall color or have a specific visual element in the space, include it on this list. Here’s what was on B’s list for her living room:
– Want to be able to watch tv, sit and talk to family and friends, play board games
– Need a space to store Jaxon’s toys so he can play in space but not take it over
– Need a small play space for Jaxon
– Lots of seating (for 6-7 people)
– Childproof/durable design
– Would love to use purple and brown colors
– Do not want to use red or white (due to the difficulty in keeping it clean)
– Like clean lines, simple designs accented with colors and/or bold print
– Want pieces that are comfortable as well as functional while still managing to look good
These are the things that B was able to verbalize/communicate when it came to filling out the design questionnaire I gave her. Now, as a designer it is my job to figure out what B wasn’t able to communicate and make sure that was present in her space as well. B is a hard working lady and didn’t previously read blogs or participate much on pinterest and other things like that. So, she wasn’t super specific on what she wanted to see in her design from a visual stand point. So, the next step for her was to look through inspiration photos.
I had B search the internet and look through magazines to pick out rooms or items she loved. She didn’t have to know why she loved them, just that she was drawn to them. I send my clients to Decor Pad to find a ton of inspiring room designs in one place. You can create a board and gather a collection of favorite rooms, like B did here.
Of course, if I have a client who is active on Pinterest, I go through all their pins to figure out what they are drawn to as well. Here are some of the inspiration photos that B gathered during her design homework.
Photo from Better Homes and Gardens via Decor Pad
Photo from Linda McDougald Design via Decor Pad
Photo from Atmosphere Interior Design via Decor Pad
Photo from Kim Stephen Interiors via Decor Pad
Photo from Marie Burgos Design via Decor Pad
Photo from Hannah Blackmore Photography via Decor Pad
So, after reviewing all the photos B collected, I tried to identify any themes that ran through them. After accessing all the photos (many of which are not in this post) and talking to B a little more, I could identify a few more things to add to our design list.
1. B is drawn to pops of yellows and golds
2. B likes wainscotting/bead boards/wood moulding on walls
3. While B like clean modern lines, she is also drawn to softer, curvy pieces as well.
4. B likes pops of color, but wants things to feel elegant and sophisticated also
After adding these notes to our needs/wants list, we were ready to move to the next part of the process- Accessing The Space, Time, & Budget. I’ll be back to share about that process in a few days!
PS- Maybe you have a room you’ve been dying to redo, but haven’t known where to start. I would love for you to walk through this process with me over the next few weeks! How fun it would be to see your space totally transformed as we go through each step! I’ll break it down and make it doable for you. So pick a room, find some inspiration photos, and make your list!
This is great Kara, I’m thinking I’m going to have to do this. Our “front room” literally has zero furniture in it b/c we’ve gone back and forth…. making it our dining room or a comfy second living room. We’ve decided on the living room now, but I need to figure out how I want to decorate! Thanks for all the great tips!
these are great tips. i often feel overwhelmed when i’m anxious for a change and then just don’t do anything at all or am not happy with the haphazard result. thanks!
I am definitely going to walk through this process for the room which is giving me fits. I have been meaning to tackle it for awhile, but it is overwhelming. I’m making a list of needs and wants asap! It is challenging when you need a space to do ALOT (family room, TV space, book storage, music practice room including full drum kit, games and hang out space for teens, plus house a 16 year old male and his junk) and you still want it to have style. Throw in a few architectural challenges (weird steps in 2 places) and a tight budget and it is highly tempting to just keep pushing off the project. But I have confidence that you can atleast get my mind working towards some solutions 🙂