Room Design--Finding The Starting Point For Decorating/Confettistyle

One question I get asked a lot is “where should you start when it comes to developing a room design plan ?”

If you read design magazines or books, you’ve probably read lots of different answers to this question and all of them are probably right to some degree. Finding the starting point for your design plan really starts when you determine the end result that you want for a room.

Think of decorating a room in the same way you would a road trip. You know where and what you’re starting with and you know where you want to end up. The steps that happen between the beginning and end point define the trip or in the case of decorating, they define your decorating plan. And just like a road trip, you might venture off your planned route or change course all together, so know that the same thing can happen when decorating your home. As long as you keep focused on where you want to end up, you’ll get to your design destination.

Here are a few tips to help you create your decorating journey from start to finish.

ENVISION THE FINISHED SPACE

What style do you want to decorate the room in, how do you want the room to function and how do you want the room to feel? Having a clear vision what you want to achieve will determine where you should start in developing a design plan for your space. A good way to flush out your decor vision is by creating a design board using room and product images that represent the style, color, layout etc. for your room.

Harper’s Bazaar

Room-to-Room e-design plan by ConfettiStyle

DETERMINE THE ROOM LAYOUT

The first thing I would recommend you do is to develop a floor plan for the space. Determine the best layout for furniture (based on how the room will function) and then hone in on the types of furniture that will meet your lifestyle needs. In the photo below, the sectional sofa is obviously a key component to the design and layout of the room. If you’re having trouble styling your sectional, check out my post on Styling a Sectional Sofa and my Space Planning post.

Here’s a listing of 10 FREE room design sites you can use to layout your space.

Apartment Therapy

ENVISION THE VIBE OF THE ROOM

After you’ve got a general space plan laid out, think about the feel and vibe you want the room to have. The feel can be dictated by the colors and patterns, style of furniture and accessories and even the finishes you want to incorporate into the room. Once you’ve determined this, you’ll be able to shop for the right pieces to create the design vision you want.

Home Adore

FOCUS ON THE ROOM’S FOCAL POINT

Next, after outlining the room vibe, determine what the focal point of the room will be. Do you want to play up the fireplace or windows? Maybe you want artwork to be the focal point. Or you might determine that an architectural detail within the room will be the focal point. How you address the focal point of a room can impact how you decorate the entire space.

How To Decorate

House Beautiful

CREATE A COLOR STORY FOR THE ROOM DESIGN

Finally, define the color story for the room. One of the best ways to select a color palette for your room design is to pull colors from a dominant decorative element like a rug or artwork. Unless your room is based around a neutral color theme, pulling accent colors from art or a patterned rug is an easy way to create a sense of cohesiveness within the design.

Carl Aston

Highland Park Four Square

Once you’ve got a road map outlined for your room design, don’t be afraid to make changes along the way. Decorating is a journey and every journey comes with twists and turns.