How to Make the Best Interior Design Decisions
I’m sharing 5 tips on how to make interior design decisions for your home and move forward with your project with confidence!
If you watch design shows on tv you’d think that the whole process is magic. In only one hour it would appear that someone designed, purchased and installed an entire homeowner’s vision in no time at all.
Television would have you believe that interior designers have nothing but time on their hands, or that they spend all of their time shopping. I’m sure that they’ll share with you that they wish that was the truth. Unlimited shopping on someone else’s budget right?
Now I’m not bashing these shows, I love to watch them as much as the next person – renovating homes, redecorating homes and flipping houses. I can spend an entire afternoon watching all the drama and successes.
I think that it can be hard to watch these shows and look around your own house and not think about a few things you’d like to change. Of course we all want things changed immediately, right? Just like on the show.
So we set out to redecorate, or change up a few things in our decor, and suddenly we’re frozen when trying to make a decision. There are too many decisions or we just don’t even know where to start.
Well I’ve got some ways to help you overcome the indecision and get your project started and finished.
5 Tips to Make Interior Design Decisions
If you don’t already know your decorating style then that’s a great place to start. Knowing your style is one of the key ingredients to being able to design a space that you love.
Here are 5 tips on how to make interior design decisions for your home. These tips will help you whether you’re decorating it yourself, or you’re hiring someone to do it for you. If you decide to hire someone, this will help you start the process and love the outcome.
Know What You Don’t Like
That seems to be wrong doesn’t it? Starting off by knowing what you don’t like.
Many times it’s much easier to figure out what we don’t like than it is to pinpoint what we do. If you’re just getting started on your home decor, or you’re struggling with which direction to go, starting with what you don’t like can be an easier question to answer.
Is there a certain color that you just don’t like? Or a style of furniture that just reminds you of someone’s house that you were never comfortable in?
Pinpointing fabrics, colors and styles that you don’t like can help narrow down the things that you do.
Remember that there are no right or wrong answers to any of these questions. If Aunt Laura’s house was all yellow and you never like her then yellow is out.
Decorating is personal and it’s your space. It should reflect the things that you love and make your space feel like you.
Know What You Do Like
I like to always start by asking “How do you want your space to feel?” It’s much easier to imagine a feeling for a space than the overwhelming thought of all the decisions that go into finishing a space.
Do you want your space to feel soothing and calm or bright and energetic? Of course these can both be in the same house – you may want a nice serene bedroom but an energetic living room. Using adjectives to describe your space can help evoke the feeling, and that can help narrow down your style.
This is a great time to check out Pinterest or home decor magazines to give yourself some inspiration. If you want to see how I use Pinterest to create an inspiration board just CLICK HERE.
Your inspiration doesn’t have to just be pretty rooms. You can be inspired by art, nature, or any type of object that evokes a good feeling for you. Use that inspiration to guide your decisions.
Other questions to answer:
What is the space going to be used for? What are your favorite colors? Do you prefer a certain style – do you like sleek lines or more traditional styles? If you can answer these questions it will help you make interior design decisions.
Remember that you’ll find many many different styles of design and most people are a combination of styles. I personally love boho design but I find the look is too cluttered for me to live with. The bright colors and mixed patterns always catch my attention and I love the feeling it evokes. It makes me think of a laid back and comfortable space. It’s okay for me to admire it when I see it but it’s not what I want for my own spaces.
I also really love farmhouse style, and it fits perfectly into our ranch style home that we own right now. Sometimes farmhouse style can not have as much color in it so we’ve combined it with some other styles, to get the signature looks that we have in our home.
Set a Budget
There has to be a dollar amount associated with your project.
You are the only one who can decide what a reasonable budget is for your project and there’s no right or wrong answer to this one. A budget provides guidelines for your project and it will vary based on the size of your room and what you’re already working with. It’s obviously much more expensive to furnish an empty room than it is too find some decor for a room that’s almost finished.
You can find a more in depth article on helping you determine your home decor budget HERE, but for now let’s talk about the most important things you’ll need to decide.
Make a Wishlist
Start by making a wishlist for your space. Put everything that you want to keep and everything that you’d love to change on it. Of course adding square footage might not be something you can actually do but it’s okay to include it on your wishlist. The wishlist is the dream room.
Once you’ve got everything you’d love to do down on paper it’s time to make a plan for your space. Figure out the priority for the space and work outward from there. Don’t forget about the simple things like light fixtures and switch plate covers.
Be sure that you include everything that you can think of on your budget. Don’t forget to include shipping fees and repairs, and sales tax on your purchases. Your budget has to include everything in it so you can make decisions about how to best allocate the money that you have to spend.
This list will help you prioritize what pieces you need to purchase and it can change as you move through the project.
Don’t ever assume that a small budget won’t work for your space. Everyone has a budget and a small one can force you to think outside of the box on how to best utilize your money. When your budget is all spelled out it gives you the opportunity to look for deals and save money in a category so that you have money available for something else.
Never be afraid to mix high and low price points. Some of the most meaningful items in your decor can be the pieces that have a special memory attached to them. Everything doesn’t have to cost a lot of money to be special.
Set a Timeline
Even if your room doesn’t necessarily have to be finished, it’s still a great idea to set a timeline. Your timeline should be reasonable enough to be able to accomplish your goals but not so far away that the space never gets finished.
If you’ve got a guest coming to visit the pressure might be on to finish that guest room. If you need a prompt to finish your dining room then schedule a dinner party!
When you don’t take the time to finish a space you’re missing out on making that area more meaningful. It means that you can’t enjoy it to the fullest because you haven’t spent the time to make it special.
Don’t forget that you live in this space. Every day. You deserve for it to be special and you deserve for it to serve you.
Don’t Second Guess Yourself
Once you’ve picked a major piece in your decor you should stop shopping for that piece. If you’ve found the perfect sofa and you love it, quit looking at sofa’s. Once you’ve made a decision move onto the next decision and check that one off your list.
If you continue to revisit and rethink every decision you will end up feeling paralyzed by the process and you’ll waste time second guessing.
Your home should tell the story of you and your family and each decision in it is unique to you. You may admire a beautiful room in a magazine or on Pinterest but if you copied it exactly into your home it wouldn’t have the right feeling for you to love it or live in it.
Use those images for inspiration and then put your own special spin on them. What is important to you? Do you have a favorite hobby? Incorporate some of these things to give your space more personality and make it feel even more special.
Now You’re Ready to Decorate
You are always going to be the best person to decorate your home. If you can check all the boxes on the list above you’re ready to go. You should be able to easily make interior design decisions for your space following these tips!
If you just don’t want to, you don’t have time or you just want someone else to take the reigns then let me know how I can help you.
I’m here to help!
Be sure to follow me on Instagram, TikTok and Pinterest for more inspiration!
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