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10 ESSENTIAL TIPS DREAM

#3 – Dream and Dream BIG

Essential Interior Design Tip #3:

Dream…and dream BIG!

Why is it so important to dream?

Because the ABSOLUTE first thing you MUST do in ANY design project is create your CONCEPT. Your concept is crucial! It is the guide by which all design decisions are based.

In the overall design of your home,

Your CONCEPT = Your STYLE

I don’t want to say it’s impossible to find your style without dreaming – BUT it is. So you’d better get to it!

How do you start dreaming?

By intentionally seeking inspiration.

  • Flip through magazines.
  • Cruise Pinterest (my personal favorite).
  • Look at blogs.
  • Visit some stores (to browse, not to buy – because you already know that “shopping” is one of the last things you should do).
  • Go to a showhouse or a furnished model home.
  • Observe your surroundings and take note of your likes.

Besides getting inspired, you need to begin to visualize your room. Not necessarily how it will look, but more importantly, how it will feel.

What if you’re afraid to dream?

On the surface dreaming seems like an easy enough task. But in truth it can be quite difficult. The adult in us resists dreaming because it often seems completely unrealistic. I get it. You don’t want to be disappointed when your reality can’t live up to those dreams. Especially if you feel like you don’t have the time, money, skill, or will to even start a project.

Well that’s the beauty of dreaming for design. You’re allowed to ignore reality for a bit. You’re dreaming up a concept, not the final outcome. You’re dreaming simply to define your style. Not your whole dang room.

DREAMING is big picture.

DREAMING doesn’t do details.

DREAMING has no budget.

Beyond the dream – 4 Key Steps to REVeal your style:

  • GATHER {inspiration}
  • DEFINE {what appeals to you}
  • ANALYZE {the similarities}
  • NAME {it}

That’s right! Name it and claim it. Short and sweet. All you need is a 3-word name for your style and you’re ready to move on to the next phase of the design process.

WHAT is not as important as WHY.

What you name your style is not nearly as important as to why you name it that way. Don’t worry about whether you’ve used certain terms correctly. As long as you understand and can explain why you used them, that’s all that matters.

So how about it? Are you excited to get dreaming? Great! But I have to warn you…

Once you start dreaming, it can be hard to stop.

Which leads us to our next tip…

Essential Interior Design Tip #2: Stop Dreaming. Start Doing.

 

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10 ESSENTIAL TIPS DO! Uncategorized

#2 – Stop DREAMING. Start DOING!

I’ll admit, I can get really stuck in dreamland. It can be quite addictive. But eventually, if you ever want to get anything done, you have to stop. Which brings us to our next to last tip…

Essential Interior Design Tip #2:

Stop DREAMING. Start DOING.

Got it?…maybe not. That’s because you can’t skip straight to doing. You’d be skipping right over the most important part. In order to “do” you have to know what to do. Dreaming alone doesn’t get you there!

Dreaming is too fuzzy. It doesn’t produce anything real. As discussed in our last post, it’s conceptual. We utilize dreaming to come up with our concept, which for our homes is equivalent to our style. Our style is our FOUNDATION. Our jumping off point.

So how do you get from DREAM to DO?

The Design Process of course! Remember that? I talk about it A LOT (here and here)! About how design IS a process. It’s what differentiates design from decorating (talked about here and here).

In short, this is how I define the process:

Design = DREAM + DECIDE + DO

DECIDING is that crucial phase between DREAMING and DOING. It’s what propels you to DO!

DECIDE = the absolute “heart” of the design process. Skip this and your room will flat line!

Once you’ve defined your concept, REVealed Your Style, it’s time to move on.

You’re done dreaming!

It’s time to take that inspiration and turn it into something useful. Time to DECIDE how to turn those DREAMS into reality.

“Exactly what should you DECIDE?”

  • Which room?
  • How much to spend?
  • Your timeline?
  • What activities need to happen in the space?
  • How many people should be accommodated?
  • How should the room feel? Evoke emotion? Express your style?
  • What are your space limitations?
  • What can you reuse? (Tip #7 : Shop Yourself First)
  • What should you buy new?
  • What are your storage needs? Electrical? Plumbing?…
  • Do you need a contractor? If so, how will you obtain bids?

I could go on, but you get it! This is where MOST of your decisions are made. I say “most” because as you start DOING there will be unforeseen occurrences and you will again have to make some decisions.

But the idea is the more decisions you make beforehand, the more smoothly your project will go. The happier you will be with the whole process!

Conclusion

Do NOT short-change the DECIDE Phase. This is where majority of your time should be spent. This is where the MAGIC happens!

I repeat:

DECIDE – It’s the HEART of any design project!

It’s time to stop DREAMING and start DECIDING. Only then can you get to the DOING of creating and enjoying that DREAM room!

And finally we’re on to the Numero Uno Tip. The one you’ve been so eagerly awaiting…

Essential Interior Design Tip #1: (You’ll just have to view it next to find out)