ShareThisWhen I moved into my fixer-upper, I knew there was no way I could redecorate every room in the house at once, even though I wanted to desperately. My wallet couldn't stand it, nor could poor Dan's nerves. So, instead, I redid my key rooms in three separate phases, which allowed me to spread out the expense and helped me avoid potentially costly mistakes, like purchasing more furniture than the room could handle.
If you've been putting off a decorating project because you're concerned it will overwhelm your budget or schedule, consider tackling the room in three separate stages, like I did.
PHASE ONE: MAKE A PLAN: Your first step is to develop a long-term decorating plan for the room. If you're not sure what look you want for the space, thumb through decorating magazines and tear out photos of rooms you love. You'll quickly see a pattern in the color scheme, furniture and accents.
Once you've zeroed in on your style, plan out every detail of the room, from the wall color to the fabric you'll use for accent pillows. Determine what furnishings you will need and where each piece will go. Do you want to use any of your existing furniture? If so, will it need to be reupholstered? Work all this into the plan.
When your plan is finished, you're ready to tackle phase one -- assembling the bones of the room. Paint your walls. Pick your area rug. Place key furnishings, such as the sofa and larger accent chairs. Then hang a piece of artwork you absolutely adore to give the room instant warmth and character.
I just went through this process with a young couple eager to customize their new home. After I looked through their stack of magazine photos and saw how they decorated the rest of their home, I helped them developed a long-term decorating plan for their living room that they could implement as budget and time allowed.
For phase one, we painted their walls honey-yellow. They wanted to keep their Persian rug, but it was too small for the space, so we ordered a large sisal rug, then layered the Persian on top. Finally, we selected the furniture they'd need in order to enjoy the space while it was in transition: a sofa and two accent chairs. Even though the room wasn't complete, it already looked sensational.
PHASE TWO: REFINE THE DESIGN: During phase two, you will add meat to the bones of your room. Start by selecting the secondary furnishings you identified in your long-term plan. For instance, when they are ready to start phase two of their living-room redesign, the young couple I worked with will add an upholstered ottoman, two slipper chairs and a table behind their sofa.
Nothing personalizes a room like artwork, so as you come across wonderful pieces that capture your imagination and heart, snatch them up and add them to your existing display so you have an ever-growing gallery on your walls.
PHASE THREE: ADD FINISHING TOUCHES: Once all your furniture is in place, it's time for the all-important final touches that make a room irresistibly inviting. Hang beautiful window panels. Add accent pillows to your sofa and chairs. Using a few well-chosen accessories, create simple but powerful displays on your mantel and side tables.
If there are any spots that still feel unfinished, address them now. For instance, place a ceramic garden stool next to your favorite reading chair so you have a spot for your book. Brighten up a dark corner with a mirrored floor screen. Add extra seating with a bench in front of your fireplace.
While I believe that we are never completely done with a room, you'll know your room is finished for now when it wraps its arms around you every time you walk in.
(Mary Carol Garrity is the proprietor of three successful home-furnishings stores and is the author of several best-selling books on home decorating. Write her at nellhills(at)lvnworth.com.)
(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, http://www.scrippsnews.com)
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