How to Design a Room

Do you struggle to figure out where to start a revamp? Or do you start a project and loose interest half way through? Try our tips below to help keep you on track!

Floor Plan

Deciding to change up your space is a big deal! Once you have your floor area sorted its time to make a plan. Where is your sofa going, will the TV mount stretch as far as you need, do you want built in units or a single bespoke piece. While some of the virtual reality apps can be so helpful, sometimes it is easier to use some tape to mark out where things will sit on the floor or walls to give you an immediate & real idea of how much space, or lack of, you will have once all your dream elements are included in your revamp.

Theme:

Once the above is complete and you have a fairly good idea of what you can/can’t fit its time to decide on your ‘theme’. Not in a tacky sense, but more do you want soft off whites with clean line furniture or do you want a Victorian inspired dark muted tone room with salvaged furniture. From here, get a Pinterest board going of your dream. Whether you are hiring some help or DIY, a clear vision at the start is very important. This is the design you will be living with and you want to make sure you are happy with the style choices.

Visualising/Spacing:

So, you have your theme and floor place figured out. But how do you figure out how to put it altogether without it being bland or way too much? A few things can help massively, test out your paint choices on a couple of the walls to see how it looks in all lights, pin up some of your sample wallpaper against the paint colours to see which work and which don’t, speak to your local hardware shops on their advice for particular DIY projects you want to try, mark out the size of your sofa/TV/cabinets, get samples of your flooring options, etc. There are a lot of ways you can make something come to life before committing to a decision. This could save you a lot of money in the long run!

Phasing:

Decide on your must have elements early on. Do you want a new stove, built in units, new flooring or a new suite of furniture? Or all of the above? But with the cost of building materials at the moment, this might not be possible all in the one go. Phase what you can do and when i.e. prioritise what you want done first or what you can afford. It might take longer, but the results will be worth it!

Budget:

Decide your budget and stick to it! Try include everything you will possibly need down to your paint samples so you know how much you can afford to do upfront, what needs to be saved for and what you might be able to cut costs with if you do it yourself.

Professionals:

Decide where it is better to let professionals step in and help you. Whether it is an interior designer helping with the whole project or a carpenter making *the* bespoke TV unit, make sure you know when its time to call them in. You don’t want to be half way through your budget, frazzled, 3 different themes going on and no longer interested in sorting this space.

Measure Twice, Cut Once:

This goes for furniture choices as well as design elements. There is no point choosing the perfect sofa, only to realise that it is way too big or is way too heavy for your new space. The same goes for any section of your design, buy the paint testers first not the full tin to be stuck with a colour you actually hate, speak to professionals when you aren’t sure, look for different choices in your finishes etc. So many designers & suppliers will be able to show you sample elements of your overall design so you can make sure you are getting the design you want.

Tester Pots:

If I can give you any advice, please buy tester pots over the cards you get in shops. Until you see the paint on your wall in your space it is impossible to see how it will react with the light or lack off. We went through easily 50 tester pots to get the right colours. And while it drove Martin insane at the time, we saved a fortune and so much time by not going with the wrong shade and wanting to re paint.

Finishing Touches:

This is the fun part, and so tempting to start at the very beginning of the project – especially if you are outsourcing a lot of the work. But don’t do it. It is so easy to over buy, to clash styles and muddy the elements you really want to stand out. My advice is to note where you see/find pieces you really love and keep that store in mind when your space is ready. Once it is all put together you might find that must have light fixture does nothing for the space, or those couple of trinkets now take up 2 shelves on your media wall. If you love the vintage pieces that are so popular at the moment, reach out to your favour shops and ask them to source what you love once the space it ready. Or speak to your designer at the very beginning, they will have a supplier list and know exactly where to go to bring your personality into your space.

Let us know your must do tips for starting & completing a full room renovation over on our Instagram account!

Eve xx

Studio Moore