DESIGNING YOUR HOME: WHERE TO START?

Do you not know where to start designing your own home?  Maybe you're tired of how it looks now or maybe you've just completed a remodel or build a new home.  Are there life events that have changed the way you live, like a baby, marriage or divorce? If you're like most everyone else out there you simply don't know where to begin and you either fall into one of two categories - those that know what they want OR those that know what they don't want.

STEPS TO DESIGNING YOUR HOME

1. Get to know yourself: How do I want my house to feel?  What are the most important spaces?  What are the least?  What colors are you drawn to?  How do you want to use the space?  What did you like about your childhood home?  What did you not like?  What special space do you need?  Do you like bold pattern and texture?  Do you follow trends or what classic?  Do you like to change your space regularly?  How much maintenance do you want your home to require?

2. Create a single Pinterest or Houzz board: From what you now know about yourself start a new board with you in mind - keep notes, edit, edit, edit, then ask yourself if your images have a connecting theme?  Themes to look out for: 1) Color - are most of your images neutral, pops of orange, primary colors, or strangely everything you've selected is lime green? 2) Elements - Does grasscloth wallpaper appear in every image?  Are you attracted to the interiors with the raw wood?  3) Style - Perhaps the thing that runs through all your images is a love of mid-century or traditionalism.  4) Furniture - Are you drawn to sharp corners?  Maybe ever room has a tufted sofa.  Look for commonalities to create you own personal design plan.

3.  Create a plan: Once you know what you like and want you can put together a single plan for your entire home - it should be a unified design and something you can refer back to if you get a little lost in the big world of interiors.  This is where you need to refine your style down to a sound bite: I am going all neutral with organic touches or Parisian loft meets American camp.  If you are out shopping and you find a piece, you can ask yourself if it fits your design plan.

4. Budget: know how much you want to invest in your project and know how much time you want to spend.