How to Decorate a Room From Scratch

Do you have a room that you need to decorate from scratch? Is it completely empty or you want to do an entire makeover? It can be SO overwhelming, but if you approach it with patience and my tried and true steps below, it can be fun and the outcome exquisite ;)

Below I'm showing you all the steps using our actual master bedroom plans. This is also a little peek into how I will be approaching my client's rooms once we begin our virtual design services!

1. Visualization exercise.

Literally meditate on how you see your finished room. This is not a time to be creatively stunted by prices or reality, it's a time to believe the sky is the limit! Close your eyes and picture yourself in the finished room. Take note of the colors, the vibe, the style, furniture and fixtures. Is this a place you see entertaining in, relaxing by yourself or a loved one? Will there be kids and pets in this space. Visualize it in the way it will be used.

2. Pin, pin, pin!

Pinterest is a designer/decorators best friend! Create a secret board and pin all the rooms you find inspiring for your space. Again, the sky is still the limit at this point. Don't be stifled by things that you think can't be done—this is purely gathering inspiration!

3. Create a moodboard.

Now that you have a visual idea of what this room will look like in the end via your visualization exercise and pinterest board, start gathering details. Take a look at your board and notice what color, textures and style your inspiration has in common. Is it neutral with lots of natural materials like wood and jute? Or is it bold and modern with sleek lines and pops of color? 

Either use editing software or make another pinterest board to create a moodboard. Focus on details now, such as a cohesive color palette and sourcing decor and furniture. At this time, start thinking more realistically about items within your budget. Use your pins as inspiration to find these items. Then, by putting these items together on a moodboard you will see straight away how they work together. This is much better than purchasing items and hoping for the best! You can easily swap things out on a moodboard until you find what works.

4. Sketch your room.

This does not have to be anything fancy and no measurements are needed at this time. Just sketch your room out in the general shape that it is, birds-eye view. Sometimes drawing a light cross through the center of the room can help you visually place items in a balanced way. Use your moodboard as a reference and begin placing those items in, starting with large furniture. Play around with the best way to configure your items in a balanced and happy way. You will be able to see if your room will be too cluttered or too sparse.

5. Create a measured floor plan.

This takes time and patience but if you are really starting from scratch in a room and need to buy furniture, I feel like this step is pretty crucial.

Measure out your room and convert feet to a smaller measurement such as inches or centimeters. Do the same for window placement and doors as well as any fixed items such as counters and fireplaces.  If you have access to vector making software you can use that, or graph paper works great too! Draw out your room and  place in the fixed items. 

Now that you have the general layout of the room, you can get the measurements for new furniture before purchasing, and draw those into your room. Be mindful of comfortable pathways and high traffic areas.

6. Source and purchase with purpose.

Now you can feel confident about your purchases! You know they fit in with the style, color palette and size of your room. Have patience when searching for the perfect items and enjoy the process!

Also, remember to take this all with a grain of salt (okay maybe something larger..like a grain of rice ;)). Once designing becomes too stressful, planned and there are so many rules, it's no longer fun...and fun is the whole point! If you see something you love and it's not on your moodboard, SO WHAT?! If it feels right, go for it! This is just a starting point and guide to make decorating a little easier and cohesive. You will find that if you do this, sourcing just the right pieces for your home becomes much easier, and you will gravitate toward all the right items for your style.