Essential Interior Design Tip #7:
Shop yourself first.
Admit it…when you first start thinking about re-designing your room you start dreaming about all the new things you could buy. I know. I do it too. But this is actually the opposite of where we should start.
Remember design is a process.
And like decorating, shopping is one of the last steps in that process. Of course you will eventually get to it. But before you embark on that quest you need to shop yourself first. (For more about “decorating” being a last step in the process click here)
Besides the obvious that this will save you time and money, there’s another really big reason you should do this…
It’s the best way to add character, charm, and a sense of YOU to your room.
So HOW do you shop yourself first?
Once you’ve identified the items you need, take that list and literally shop the rest of your home. Go room by room and find things that you can reuse and re-purpose. REView whether they fit in your design plan and then cross them off your shopping list.
No room is off limits.
Unless it’s already completed to your satisfaction (and maybe even then still) you have permission to look at all of your possessions with fresh eyes (yes Andy Grammer is playing in my head now too!)
Just because that cute chair has always been in your bedroom, doesn’t mean it can’t find a new home in a different room. Sure it will leave a void in your bedroom, but you can address that when it’s your bedroom’s turn.
Or maybe you consider using that chair, but decide you just love it in your bedroom. That’s fine. At least you’ve thought about it and you’re that much closer to a complete, nice, bedroom already knowing that it will partially REVolve around that chair.
Another benefit to shopping yourself first…
It’s FUN!!! You get your creative juices flowing. And you never know what you might uncover in that long-forgotten closet. There could be something in there that pairs perfectly with something from your dining room.
When you incorporate these newly found gems within your room, nothing could be more satisfying or life-infusing. That’s just good design!
Now admittedly when you get down to your last few rooms you won’t have as much to choose from. But this is a good thing! You’re starting with a clean-ish slate. Plus it gives you a good excuse to buy new things with all the money you’ve saved from designing your other rooms so responsibly!
And speaking of good, responsible design…that brings us to our next tip…
Essential Interior Design Tip #6: Design Does NOT Have to be Expensive.