#5 Things you must do before decorating your space
So, it’s about that time of year. You’re looking around wishing your home felt more like home, but there’s a disconnect. That vision you have in your head, you know the one. Where your family is gathered around the table, movie night is going on in the living room, you’re hosting guests over the long weekend and you feel a sense of deep peace and belonging. If you don’t feel when you walk into your home, then listen up sis!
As a virtual interior designer, my team and I have helped hundreds of families across the country get out of design overwhelm and into beautiful spaces that restore, inspire, and help gather the people they love together. Like Rome home wasn’t built in a day, and unlike advanced calculus, it' doesn’t have to keep you up at night with stress sweats, pulling your hair out, and reaching for the wine.
I’m sharing the 5 can’t miss steps when it comes to decorating your home #stressfree. These are the exact same steps we walk every one of our virtual design clients through and the same process I use to decorate my own home.
#1 - Define the Scope
As your friend, I’m going to shoot you straight. Scope creep is real and it comes for us all. Once you decide it’s time for a change there is nothing stopping you - you go girl! Except well… money, time, energy, and your spouse… but other than that nothing! We’ve found, it’s best to start with no more than 3 spaces at a time! In our experience, start tackling more than three spaces at once and your finances & patience will likely be stretched too thin to enjoy it - and you SHOULD enjoy it.
Oh but I can hear you now, “defining the scope of your project is easier said than done.” And you’re right. Knowing where to start can be the most difficult part of getting started. We’ve found that asking the right questions helps you get the right answers. That’s why we created a ROOM AUDIT to help you think through some key questions that will help you determine your next move. My tip - don’t rush through this step. Making a mistake here will ensure the final result doesn’t actually serve you as well as it could.
#2 - Edit, Edit, Edit
For some of you, this is the most challenging part. Just like when growing a garden you’ve got to cut off the stuff that isn’t serving you in order to grow. That means the old college sofa, the random bedding you got because you needed something, and maybe that antique piece that you hate but your grandmother wanted you to have — edit it out. If you find yourself making excuses for why you should keep something, that’s generally a good sign it’s in the “to-go” pile. If it doesn’t have a clearly defined & purposeful spot in your new design simply ‘bless & release’. I recognize it’s not always that simple. Our things can hold a lot of emotional baggage or personal importance. If that’s you, you still need to edit. Yup, you don’t get a pass I’m afraid. Determine what is of most significance to you that still has a defined and purposeful spot in your design.
#3 - Make a realistic budget
It’s time to talk about the “b-word” budget. I’ve always found that talking about money is best done with an emotional support animal at your side like my sweet Nora. Stuff costs money. It’s Economics 101. What I’ve found in my years as a virtual designer is that people have very little idea of what things actually cost. If I asked you “how much does Essie nail polish from Target cost”, you might be inclined to say oh $4? Nope, it’s $9. Our perceived and desired value of an item can interfere with reality. Because we came across the issue of “what should I budget for my space” so often, we created a budget guide to help. This guide has every design item we could think of broken down into four price points and quality categories. Because, as you may have guessed, higher quality items cost more. So we broke down every item into the categories Ikea, Wayfair, Pottery Barn, and Restoration Hardware. That way you can evaluate items at the quality level you’re most comfortable with and feel free to mix and match.
It’s important to recognize however that certain factors like your personal style and the size of the physical space can impact the cost of your design. Not to mention factoring in taxes, delivery & shipping fees etc. If you have a larger than normal space or higher-end style we recommend adding 10- 15% to your space as a buffer. Then adding 10-15% to account for shipping and taxes. Yup, you’re starting to see dollar signs too, that’s okay let that tension “resonate” as they say. You’re getting out of the clouds and down to reality where there are no surprises. You’ve got this, you’ve now planned for it.
#4 - Get inspired, but don’t get stuck
I can hear you now, “Finally! The fun part!” and you’re right. You’ve done the necessary hard work to get you prepared for the “fun part”. A word of warning however… don’t get stuck. It can be so fun scouring design blogs, Instagram, and Pinterest for inspiration and you absolutely should, but don’t get stuck here. There is this nasty little devil we like to call “design paralysis” that likes to sneak in at this stage. It goes a little something like this, “It goes a little something like this: “I’m not quite sure what to do so I’ll spend the next 3.5 hours searching Pinterest and then do nothing at all.”
This is SO common. The trick to avoiding Design Paralysis is to start the clock. Give yourself a limited time to gather inspiration and then stop. Whether that is a week, a month, 30 Pinterest Pins, whatever you want. At some point you have to move past inspiration and into action.
#5 - Make a Design Plan & Follow It
I’m willing to bet, if you’re reading this you’ve likely never made a design plan. Your home decorating plan probably includes phrases like “I’ll know it when I see it”, “I’ve got a general idea of what I’m looking for” or “I’m going to tackle it a little bit at a time.” Can I be super honest with you, friend? Every one of those is a losing strategy that just about guarantees failure. Why? Because they aren’t a strategy. As my dad says, “Hope is not a strategy.” Hoping to come across the perfect item isn’t a plan it’s wishful thinking. Making a design plan is like having insurance for your time, energy, money, and patience. That’s why we think design plans are #missioncritical and just good common sense for any hardworking woman looking to turn her house into a home. Here are just a few reasons we came up with for creating a design plan,
You keep to your budget - no surprises!
You ensure cohesiveness throughout your design - no more questioning “does this go together?”
Your style gets infused on every level - the big picture & small details.
You refine the details before you buy - no buyer’s remorse!
Less time shopping more time enjoying - say hello to home
Work 1:1 With One Of Our Expert Virtual Interior Designers
Work with a Homzie virtual interior designer to create a customized shoppable design plan tailored to your needs, style, and budget. All for a low flat-room rate.