‘Julie, I need your help. I’m overwhelmed and don’t know what to do first! It sounded like a call to a crisis hotline, but I didn’t need therapy; what he wanted was help redesigning his master bedroom and her bathroom. Like so many other people, Patty was sick and tired of her boring, old-fashioned room. She wanted big changes, but she didn’t know how to achieve them or what her first steps should be.
If you’re in that place yourself, don’t despair. You may feel like you need some advice (!), but I have some simple suggestions on how to start creating a room you’ll love, a place that expresses your personality and provides a haven from the rat race.
Look for inspiration. Go to your favorite grocery or home improvement store and pick up several home magazines. Or, to save a little money, check out some books from the library. Sit back and have a nice drink while you flip through the pages. If you see something you like, tear out the page or mark it with a sticky note and make a couple of notes about what catches your eye. You can also find plenty of ideas on the internet. Visit the sites of different home or interior design magazines and print out photos of the rooms you like. You can also do image searches on Google and photography sites.
Open your mind as you watch. Inspiration can come from anywhere. It does not have a picture of a room. You might come across a lipstick ad where the model is wearing the perfect shade of pink for your baby’s room! If you like it, rip it out or print a copy.
Put everything in a fun file folder or notebook to have it all in one place. Keep adding as you find new ideas you’d like to incorporate into your room. After a while, you will start to see a pattern developing. Look at their photos and see what they have in common. Are there particular colors, textures, materials, or furnishings that keep popping up? These are the elements of your new design plan.
In your photo collection, you may notice things that you really don’t like. Take some notes on these things too because sometimes this can be just as important as what you DO like. For example, you may love the style of some kitchen cabinets, but prefer a different style of knobs.
Review these photos and ideas with your designer, if you’re working with one, so he (or she) can get a sense of what makes you tick. And you’re on your way to a room you’ll love!