Why A Design Plan Is Essential To Your Decorating Success

You remember that time when we tried to drive down to the beach but ended up in the mountains?

That was pretty bad wasn't it? Yes, I love the mountains, too. But I wanted to go to the beach. And I looked a bit out of place in the mountains with my bikini on.

If we had a map (or at least the proper sense of direction or a phone with GPS, internet and Siri) we could have gone to the beach.

Why didn’t we get a map? Oh yeah. We were full of ourselves. What kind of person doesn’t know the way to the beach?

Us.

You can bet next time we went to the beach we got directions first. First from the cell phone and second we printed some out in case we had no cell coverage. Smarter the second time around.

We all make mistakes and promise to do better next time. That’s why you will do better next time you decorate. You’re going to do these things first: Analyze your life. Decide what you need and want. Figure out your budget and if you can get what you need and want.

It seems so simple, doesn’t it? It is. You just have to make sure you have the patience to do it right the first time.

What we are going to do here doesn’t take that much. It just takes you to listen and figuring it out.

You need to be your own client. Listen to yourself and your family. Figure out all those details that you eventually come to sneer at down the road. You know, like your budget, your needs, and finding out that even though pink velvet sounds perfect for your sofa you realize your dog who sheds immensely will turn it into a fur coat in no time. Things like this lead you to spending money on things you didn’t want to spend money the first time around because going shopping first without a plan is so fun!

I’ll help you start the process. I created a mini version of the design questionnaire I ask my clients before I start designing their homes.

Start with these questions that will lead you on the path to discovering the right plan for your home.

1. How long do you plan on staying in this home?

Once you know this, you can figure out how much time and money you really want to put into any type of design.

2. Who lives in your home and what are their ages?

Now, this isn’t a trick question. Do you have children that will be off to school soon or an elderly parent living with you that has a need for grab bars?

3. Do you have pets?

This really makes you think about the types of finishes you want to install in your home and whether they are adequate for those furry friends in your life.

4. Do you entertain quite a bit?

Do you currently have room for this, or do you need to reallocate space for this purpose?

5. Write a list of your family’s regular activities.

Does Joey like to do puzzles in the living room, or does Suzy like to paint in the kitchen? Finding out if you need to make rooms dual purpose or where to relocate these activities locations help you see how you want to use your space.

6. Is there enough storage space in your home?

If not, figure out where you can utilize space to function as storage.

7. What are your favorite colors?

What colors do you just hate? What colors do your family member love and hate?

8. Does everyone in the house have the same design taste?

If not, are the tastes similar or polar opposites? If they are different, have you figured out how you are going to reconcile the differences?

9. What style do you want the furniture and accessories to be in?

Modern, traditional, formal, casual… the list goes on.

10. What is the style of your current home?

Is your house Modern, then perhaps Country would look silly as a design style to choose.

11. Do you have a favorite piece of furniture or artwork you absolutely love?

Maybe you can use this as the starting point for your design.

12. How much are you going to invest in this project?

At an extra 20% to that figure to cover the incidentals that always pop up.

13. Is this based on real prices or total guesswork?

If you haven’t done the leg work to see what items really cost, you may be unable to complete this project once you start or you may have to downgrade your selections.

14. Is anyone in your home a handy person?

If so, you may be able to save yourself quite a bit of money if you can do things like painting yourself.

 If you’re exhausted trying to do this all on your own, I’d love to be able to help you.  Check out my design services and let’s do this together.