It's a new year! Time for a new you and a new room! Does the thought of redesigning a room give you a raging case of hives? It doesn't have to be so over-whelming! We have developed a six-week shape up guide that will have you decorating like a pro in six short weeks. Start channeling your inner Martha Stewart or Thom Filicia and let's get started!
WEEK ONE - SPACE PLANNING
Let's talk space planning! Not a difficult concept, space planning is simply how you want your space (room) to function the way you want it to. The goal is to make the room flow and look beautiful without being cluttered.
Let's start planning! First, grab the nearest notepad to create your very own design journal. Calm down - we're not asking you to create the next novel for Oprah's Book Club, just a few pages to jot down notes will suffice. Or, for you techy-types, grab your I-something-or-other ... whatever works!
Now, take a minute to look around your room. Look at the size, shape, and traffic patterns of your room. Choose an area for each function in the room: office, entertainment, conversation, etc. Consider the unexpected - a barely used closet could become your new home office! Create a rough outline of the room in your journal and mark the different zones within the room (this is where your multi-colored highlighters come in handy - one color for each zone).
Zones created? Good. Now think about each zone separately. What do you want or need in each zone to make it ideal? For instance, in your office zone, do you need: space for a computer, writing surface, task lighting, storage or filing space, cable/phone/internet access? Make a list of your wants/needs for each zone.
Almost there ... now take a minute to think about the basic items you'll need in each zone. Seating for Entertainment Zone? Desk for Office Zone? Storage for Kids' Play Zone? Now dig a bit deeper. How can each item serve multiple functions? Can the television also function as a computer monitor? Can your filing/storage area also function as toy storage? Would a console table behind a sofa also double as a desk? If you hang the TV on the wall does it create more space for seating/storage?
Congratulations! You did it and you barely broke a sweat! You now have a very general blueprint (or, in designer-speak, a space plan) for your room. Now you know what you need to place in the room to make it work. Hold on to your pretty space plan - it will be your design guide.
