Room of Dreams

YOU drool over living blogs and wish your room gets  picked for a makeover. Well, stop dreaming and be your own decorator. Here are easy steps to build the room of your dreams.

Take measurements and plan. Take measurements of your room, furniture, and accessories to help you in creating a floor plan of your space. If you’re not sure of what to do, you may enlist the help of an interior designer or an online interior design software like Floorplanner (www.floorplanner.com) to draw out a floor plan for your room. Play with various arrangements, lighting, focal points, and seating arrangements.

Budget your shopping list. Figure out how much you can afford to spend, and expect to spend on each item. Canvas prices for each item on your list. Invest in larger pieces like sofas, coffee tables, or beds, and cut back on smaller furnishings. You might also want to invest in a piece of artwork, which you can use as a focal point for the design of your room.

Be Inspired. Pull ideas and images from your favorite books, magazines, and runway collections, to start an inspiration board or lookbook. Save ideas like a color of paint, fabric swatch, pictures, or a wallpaper sample you like--even if it’s out of your price range.

Pick your design style. Whittle down your design style into adjectives. These will help you in knowing your taste in design. Make a run through your inspiration board and keep your eyes peeled for an emerging pattern which will serve as a start-off point for your design. These will help you curate your collection of décor, and toss what doesn’t fit.

Let your lifestyle be your guide. Think about how you and your family live. Do you have toddlers running around? Do you have pets? Do you love having friends over for parties? Be honest about where your priorities lie and work around it as you work through your design process.

Make an inventory. Sift through your furnishings and belongings and decide what category it fits into: donate, keep, alter, or toss. Stick to your design style and be on the lookout for furnishings that just need a makeover. Making a list or taking photos may help to give you a visual reminder of everything you’re keeping or altering.

Build your room.  The fun part: executing your design. Shop for the items on your list while keeping in mind your design style and budget.  

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