Starting to design a room from scratch can be an overwhelming process. Whether you are starting with a blank slate, re-designing an existing room or somewhere in the middle, this process will teach you how to design a room.
Access your space & needs
The first step in your process should be to access the space you have and the needs for using the space. Ask yourself questions like: What are the dimensions of the room? Where are windows and doors placed in the room? What type of flooring is in the room? How high are the ceilings? What kind of light does the room get?
Then determine HOW you are using the space in your new design. Ask yourself questions like: What function does this room have? Who will be using it? How often will it be used? Is there multiple uses for this space?
By answering all of these questions you will ensure that you create a design for your room that practically works with the space you have and meets the needs you have for the space.
Get Inspired
Getting inspiration is a very important part of how to design a room. Once you have practical answers to the questions above, you can move onto the fun and sexy part… getting design inspiration! This is when you get to go on Pinterest and source images that make your eyes explode with heart emojis. Look through furniture catalogs that come in the mail and flip through all your coffee table books.
Determine What You Have vs. What You Need
Now you are all excited by your inspiration, it is time to get practical and determine what furniture you already have (and can reuse) and what you will need for your new room design. Keep in mind, you can and SHOULD up-cycle existing furniture you already own. It is incredibly rare that someone is designing from scratch and is purchasing everything new. Allow your mind to think creatively about how you can re-purpose and up-cycle what you already own.
At this point, you don’t have to know the style of everything you need, but rather the function. For example, you know you need a desk, not a white desk that is 40″ wide,
Create a Mood Board
Now, you can create a mood board. This encapsulates the vibe you are creating in your room. You will want to include: colors (as specific as possible), prints, textures, inspiration, and even words.
Check out this video to learn step-by-step, how to make a mood board and design plan in Canva.
Create a Design Plan
The mood board gives you the vibe of a design, the design plan is where you actually choose the furniture pieces you will be pairing together. Many times the idea of a furniture pairing sounds good in your head and then you see it in your design plan and decide you don’t like it. This is why planning out your design and seeing how everything goes together is so important. Creating a design plan will save you a lot of headaches (and returns) when designing a room.
Shop
Once you have completed all of the previous steps, you can finally go shopping! Bring out your inner gatherer and get everything you need in order to set up your room to your design plan. This includes: paint, upcycling your existing furniture, purchasing anything new, building or creating, and DIY projects.
Execute
1, 2, 3, go! Once you have gathered all your goods it is time to put together your design plan. Think of this like the install day we all see on HGTV shows.
Iterate
The best people evolve. Well-designed spaces also evolve. Over time, or even right away, spaces will iterate, Think of your interior design project as version 1 out of infinity. A new home decor accessory may catch your eye next month, or you may find something when you are traveling. This is how a home is curated over time. Give yourself the grace to have a home that evolves and grows over time.
Check out all of my tips on How To Design A Room in this YouTube Video:
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