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Interior Pursuits

Congratulations!  You’ve made a decision to decorate your home.  Now what do you do?

     Whether you are furnishing your home for the first time or the 7th time around, decorating can be a daunting task, filled with costly decisions that you must look at for years.  Where do you start? What is your style? How much is this going to cost? Do you hire someone or can you tackle it on your own? Is there a formula that will assure you of a good result? It’s easy to just go straight to the stage where people enjoy most-like choosing the paint colors, finding fabric, or a piece of furniture.  But that may not be the right first step. 

     The first rule I have discovered is to learn to be patient.  Before running to the store to buy something, take a long hard look at the space you are changing.  This means you have to look beyond what you see now. Look past the color on your wall and the wall hangings.  Look past your furniture and existing décor. Look at your walls and floors. Are there any architectural features?  Is there adequate lighting? The amount of natural light a room has is crucial to not only determine the amount of additional lighting you need, but also the color of paint or wallpaper.

     The space will always be your first consideration.  What is the size of the room? What is its shape? What is the function of the space?  So often we live in a space so long we can lose sight of its potential. For example, a bedroom may be used for more than sleeping.  Perhaps you could use it for a study area, or exercise, or reading a good book. Changing the use of a room can be beneficial and value can be added in the most unlikely places.

     When thinking about your space try to imagine the walls are not there and that each room flows into the next.  This often reveals new possibilities and reshaping the room may be a good idea. Perhaps a wall needs to be removed or a French door added that can open the room up to the next making it feel bigger and more inviting.  You may need to consult a contractor to find out if your ideas are feasible. 

     Once you have assessed the space and decided just how you want to use it, you can begin to think about the style or mood you want to create. I know you may not know your style.  This is the place many people get stuck. And this is where patience begins. 

     You need an inspiration board.  This is a display of all the ideas and looks you love.  There doesn’t have to be a rhyme or reason to it-it’s just a place to start.  This will help you begin to think about and define what you really like.  I would suggest getting some poster board or a ring binder/notebook and start looking for pictures of spaces and places you love.  Cut them out or print them and paste them on your board or put them in your notebook. This may take some time and that’s a good thing. You really can’t do it in one sitting at the computer or the library. You will never regret taking the time to look and see fresh ideas and transformation possibilities.

     In the search for ideas, I have found many places to see the latest trends and happenings in new construction, remodeling, and decor. One place I like is good ole decorating or architectural magazines. A good bookstore has a variety of the latest editions. There are also many online places to find ideas.  A website to start with is www.pinterest.com.  You can search for ideas for the same space you are looking to redo.  It is limited, however.  My favorite website to search is www.houzz.com.  They have literally millions of photos of spaces for the home-both interior and exterior.  You can create your own idea books and be well on your way to figuring out what suits your space best. 

     Take your time with this process to really hone in on your likes and dislikes.  And don’t be surprised if while you are looking, that you change your mind on what you thought you liked. It’s a good thing to have options and to see new ideas you have never-before imagined.  Perhaps you will be inspired with your own ingenuity for your space. 

     Once you have photos of the places you are drawn to, take a long look at them.  Are there similarities in the photos? You will probably have a variety of spaces and looks, but most likely there will be a trend of the look you like.  That is what you want!  Deleting those pictures that you "sort of" like and only keeping what you love will help you narrow down the field and get you well on your way to the style just right for your space. 

     I hope this helps you begin your journey to make the place you live, a place you love.