Patience is a Virtue

This post is a continuation of this post- and this post and this post.

Hi Christine,

If you have time, could give me your opinion on this couch for my living room? I'm dying to get some furniture in there, but would love to know what you think. The best part is, I know you'll be honest,...even if you hate it!

Thanks, Sheena

Dear Sheena,

The best plans are when you select everything before purchasing anything. This is brown- your kitchen counters are black- are you heading in two different directions? Or is this leather black? I can't tell very well if it is an espresso brown- or black?? If it is brown it may be hard to pull them together??? Frequently budgets don't allow us to purchase everything at once- but that doesn't mean you can't select it all before you lock yourself in. What about chairs? Will this style sofa go with the chairs? It is hard to say if you haven't selected the chairs yet. What if you purchase this sofa- then find some great chairs that don't go very well... If you want it to look really great- come up with a total plan- then run it by me- then start purchasing. Are you going to paint your cabinets green? Have you selected a backsplash? Get a couple of bean bags and be patient until you have really planned the whole thing- kitchen and living room. Honestly- that feeling of "I'm dying to get some furniture in here..." is one of those feelings that makes people make mistakes.

I may be coming to Utah in a few weeks- maybe you need a visit! ;) I saw from your house plans where you lived. ;)

Thanks for writing in! ;)

Christine

Anyone out there make some design mistakes by rushing things? Leave a comment and tell us about it!

Sheena Needs a Plan

This is a continuation of Monday's post. Sheena also asked about her living room.

...Another dilemma is the living room next to the dining area. (it is all one big space) We have no furniture for this space yet. Any ideas/arrangements would be helpful. I don't like the wall color much. The chandeliers/fans are hideous. Plus there are four of them all in a row and they don't match. With the lights and all the columns, there is alot going on with the ceiling.

Sheena,

I could give you some floorplan options- but without more information- they might be useless. Give your room some thought. This goes for everyone that is re-decorating or just purchasing new furniture. Don't just go to RC Wiley's weekend sale and look for a good deal. Ask yourself a few questions- What do you want out of your room? What do you hope for? What would make you seriously happy to walk by it, and long to hang out in it? Get a notebook, take some notes with your thoughts. Cut out photos. Paste them in there. Take your floorplan and dimensions with you everywhere you go. This will help you to spend your money wisely.

1. Is this a TV room?
2. How many people do you hope to seat?
3. What types of activities should I accommodate for?
4. If there is no TV- is the window where you'd like to have your focal point- or does that face toward your neighbor's ugly truck or something you don't want to look at?
5. Is there a piano?
6. Do you need to store anything (toys- DVD's- etc.)
7. What colors do you hope to incorporate into the room?
8. You gave me a floorplan- but it does not show the depth of the room- what are the dimensions?
9. Can you send me a picture that includes the window? (I can tell there is one...)
10. Are young children going to use this room?
11. If you were to describe your style- how would you describe it?
12. What is your favorite home decor source?

With that said, you need to do this quickly- that wall color is killing me- it looks like an elementary school chalkboard. Especially with the globe... ;)

XOXO

Christine

It All Starts With a Plan!

This is Portico Kim- not Re-model Kim :)

She e-mailed me pictures of her basement, and said,

I am looking to create a warm comfortable space.

It looks like Kim is starting with paint. STOP! That is one of the last selections you make. There are infinite colors of paint- never select the paint before the furniture, rug, and window treatments. It is much easier to match paint to furnishings than furnishings to paint. I want to start by asking Kim a bunch of questions. these are good questions to ask yourself before starting a decorating project.

1. What do you want to use the space for? Just TV viewing? Games? Video or otherwise?- Reading? Homework? Dining? Cards? Conversation?
2. What are your storage needs? Books, videos, DVD's CD's Christmas trees?
3. How many people do you want to seat in your area?
4. What does the actual floorplan look like? (with dimensions)
5. What is your decorating style? How would you describe it? Sometimes you can answer this by tellling me your favorite stores- do you prefer Room and Board, or William Sonoma Home? Do you have any pictures that you have clipped from magazines that show me what you like AND some that show me what you don't like?
6. Do you have any existing items that need to be included in the design? Any art work or furniture to incorporate :) Stuff like that.
7. Any special needs?
8. What color pallet do you invision in the area?
9. How much money do you want to spend?

So- start with a plan. Be deliberate. Make the most of your area / time / money. Hey Readers- can you think of other questions Kim should ask before begining? Anyone NOT do this and regret it?