The Importance of Making A Plan

If there's one thing I've learned over the years, both from being a homeowner and going to design school, it's that impulsive decorating is not your friend. It might SEEM like it has your back, especially when a spontaneous purchase is a great deal, but let's be real here: wandering around in the dark is rarely a good idea.

Save yourself the rage headache and make a plan.

Even I make them. I think there's a misconception that professionals/students just pull rooms out of their heads and then everybody goes and has ice cream. Nope! Our upstairs bathroom is on its third paint color because I just started winging it. And you know what? It's still not great. (I finally sat down and made a plan for it, though, so it will get better.) The basement family room, on the other hand, had a clear vision from the get-go and has been A LOT easier to pull together. And that room flooded last year, so that should tell you what kind of crippling disorder impulsive decorating can be.

Here's the room board I whipped up right after we moved in:

Some stuff changed, but we did end up with a gray couch, white shelving, and turquoise accents down there. I didn't pay a TON of attention to this while I shopped (in fact, I only looked at it a handful of times), but I had an overall idea of what I wanted and that kept me focused. Think of it like a ship's anchor: you can still bob around a little, but you're not going to float into open water where things get iffy.

I was going to show you a picture of the couch, but there's laundry on it soooo...

Your plan doesn't have to be fancy, but you need SOMETHING to keep you organized.

>> Find inspiration photos. These are all over the place: blogs, Pinterest, magazines... Just start noting the ones you like (and why) and you'll eventually see a theme. For the bathroom project I was all about things that were mostly white, since the room only has one tiny window. Had I thought about it a little more in the beginning, I would've saved myself the trouble of painting it dark gray the first time.

>> Pick a mood. If you're having trouble finding a specific style, think about how you want the room to feel instead. Happy and fun? Welcoming and cozy? There's really no wrong answer for this one. Once you have a mood in mind, you can find pieces that go with it. For example, a leather wingback chair would be snazzy in a refined workspace, but not so much in an upbeat nursery.

>> Start with a focal point. Maybe you already have some awesome fabric you want to incorporate. Boo ya! Pull your color scheme from there. You can do the same thing with a piece of art, a rug, even wallpaper. Just don't start with your main wall color, because if you get that wrong on the first stab, it's the most annoying to fix.

I'm also taking on clients for room boards again (holla!), if you ever need more personalized help. Hit me up at paige.ronchetti@gmail.com and we can chat.

How do you plan a room before you decorate? Do you like a lot of detail or just get a general idea? Have you ever winged it and been full of regret? Thankfully my biggest mistake has been The Paint Debacle of 2012, but that's irritating enough.