This is a very good question, and it is one of the most asked questions about decorating, where do you start?
I think there is more than one good answer to this question, but I’m going to share my personal approach. I’m assuming you have a room that is full of furniture, but you want to go a different direction.
STEP 1: Start a Pinterest board for the room. This board should only be focused on the room in question. You are curating ideas for your room. If you like something but don’t see it in this room, do not pin it to this board.
I’ve done a board for my mountain kitchen CLICK HERE.
STEP 2: Review the Pinterest board. I want you to see the patterns. Is there a style that is emerging? Is there something that everything has in common?
For my kitchen I want beams on the ceiling, open shelving, tiled wall, and a really charming gas stove.
STEP 3: Take your ideas from your Pinterest board and decide on the style you are going to implement. Is it contemporary, transitional or traditional? Is it Farmhouse, Cottage, Country French, Boho, Tuscan, or Farmhouse French? Even if you don’t have a name for it, you need to know what look you are going for.
For me, of course I’m going with Farmhouse French style.
STEP 4: Make a WISH LIST of things you want for your room. Use your Pinterest board for inspiration. It’s okay if you can’t afford them. This is a wish list. This way you will have a plan for the room. Even if you won’t buy everything this year, it’s nice to have an idea of what you hope to buy in the future. And you might find a bargain on something you weren’t planning to buy until next year. It’s always good to have a wish list. Start with the furniture you want, but also include wall art and accessories.
For this space, here’s my wish list.
I want
all new appliances
cabinets refaced
new island (already in the house)
new light fixtures and fan
new sink
new faucet
Don’t forget my giveaway. Every comment in October enters you to win! Details HERE.
STEP 5: Determine your budget. You need to know how much you can spend. Almost everyone has a budget.
We basically don’t have a budget at this point, so it’s basically zero right now.
STEP 6: Research what the items will cost you. You can look online and check out local sources.
I’ve begun the research and so far all I know is it’s all going to be expensive.
STEP 7: Make a list of items you will buy based on your budget for this year. Now you have a buying list and you can make purchases as you find items and as your budget allows.
This year, we don’t have any money to work on the kitchen.
STEP 8: Make a list of things that don’t work with your new vision for the room. You can give those things away or sell them. If you want my tips for how to sell your things for top dollar, be sure to sign up for my email updates. You’ll get my free download that outlines the many places I’ve sold things over the years.
I plan to replace the appliance and the island.
STEP 9: Move things out that you don’t plan to keep as you replace them with the new items.
STEP 10: Photograph your room at the beginning and as you make each change. You’ll enjoy having the changes documented and you can easily look over the photos to be sure you are going in the right direction.
I hope that helps! Need more help? Then I recommend my book that outlines how to decorate your home in much more detail. You can find it at my shop HERE Or you can use my affiliate link to purchase it on Amazon HERE.
Anita,
This is a ridiculously helpful post!!! I wish I had seen this 2 years ago when i moved into my new house. In any case you helped me a lot with my house, Anita! You sort of helped me through this process for my living room without even telling me what you were doing.
I will just add that one thing I have noticed about myself: (1) I have figured out what my taste is by trial and error. So, while I found certain bloggers whose taste I admired, (yours being at the top of the list), I needed to work out many mistakes before I realized what i liked and did not.
Another issue I have had is how much one thing will put off the whole room, so you have to go back to the drawing board. A set of chairs is the wrong size and the whole room is wrong. Again, so much trial and error.
Another issue I have had is that when you find a pretty thing at a consignment shop, you can buy it, and I do, but that does not mean it looks good in that room.
The process you have outlined would have helped me with many of these this!
You have shaped my thoughts more than any blogger, and I love your warmth and practicality!
Thank you!
Anna
Thank you, always. You just get better and better. I feel blessed I found your blog 2 years ago, and I have enjoyed sharing your successes!
Anna
A great idea about making a board on Pintrest! I also still cut things out of magazines, pin on my bulletin board (made from a tramp art frame made by first husband grandfather) and I also put things in a red file box called house ideas, also do the same with garden ideas
Great advice!
Excellent article. Pinterest is my go to for ideas and inspiration.✅
I like how you mentioned in Tip 1 that you should only Pin things you could actually see in the room. I sometimes get too general when Pinning because I like so many styles. I need to just dedicate one board to that particular room and stay focused when I Pin to it! Great tips! You always give the best advice! Enjoy your week!
Shelley
Just bought a new house and do not like the kitchen cabinets, counters and such. Home has good bones just needs freshing up. I have been hesitant to start as I’m not sure of colors. Your post will help me bring that together with pins. I’ll keep you posted.
Good ideas. And I too collect too many ideas until I’m back to “where do I start?”
I have already started a Pinterest board for my kitchen, but then I get overwhelmed. This post will help me to organize my thoughts after pinning what I like. I also appreciated your common sense approach to budgeting. I tend to attack a project and try to complete it all at once. I end up settling for what I don’t really like to fit my budget at the time. Now, I’ll take my time to get what I really want: A Life Lesson!!
Great ideas and tips, I am an Amazon member – so will order the book today. Thanks
Hi Anita, can you please tell me how you will be changing your kitchen cabinets? Will you replace the doors and paint the sides? Or, will you be laminating both doors and frames/sides.
I would love too change my kitchen cabinets as well. So, I am going to the most resourceful person I know! Thanks so much!
thanks Anita! really appreciate you practicality. my problem is i see something that needs to be fixed, reupholster a chair…. what color? If I go with the color I have in mind, it means new flooring… if i get new flooring….should i wait until we expand kitchen…. arg! it makes me immobile. so here i sit with frayed armed chairs…
This is an excellent list! Will help so much, thanks!!
Thank you!! Great information for any project in the home!! The budget advise is priceless.
Great ideas. The previous owner of our house designed a masterpiece kitchen. She must have read your article! Excepting one thing: she didn’t care about the expense. Her husband gave her anything she wanted. I wouldn’t change a thing in this million dollar kitchen. Although she lost that money in our purchasing the house. Now I have to begin the task with the master bedroom. Thanks for your dedication to your site.
Anita,
Expert advice, dear friend!
Copying for reference and for guidance when helping others in their quest!
Fondly,
Pat
Thank you for these great steps…. I too get stuck at the budget, by the time I can afford to start, my ideas have changed. But this is very helpful.
Loved looking at your Pinterest site. Lots of inspiration and very helpful advice.
Helpful post. I just redid my kitchen so I look forward to your tips on how to sell for top dollars. I signed up for email updates.
Not sure what you call my kitchen style. I did a blog post about it in September I think.
What a great post! I, too, have been using Pinterest to have boards for the room(s) I want to redecorate. So helpful, but I find I must constantly curate my boards so it doesn’t get too general or out of hand. That is really a must for me!
I have pretty well defined my style (French Country with some American Primitive thrown in. It is the wall color I’m am struggling with and loved one of your other blogs that deals with paint selection In process of painting sample boards for the kitchen as I want white, but not stark.
Another starting point for me has been an inspiration item — currently, it is my blue and white porcelain for the kitchen.
I have also found it EXTREMELY helpful to keep pictures on my iPhone of what I am looking for as well as a picture of my kitchen as it is now. I have pics of some of my dishes that I am hunting for, including the backstamps. I find the pictures (and little notes on my iPhone, including room and space dimensions) help keep me more on track; maybe I won’t be so tempted to buy things that I really don’t need???? Hah! Not always so successful but I’m getting better…
Thanks again for this great post.
I am trying to clean out my closets and cupboards and just keep the things I really love. Someone said I should try selling some of my accessories on Etsy or Ebay. Have you ever had any experience with either?
Thanks for this most helpful post! I have been dreaming about a farm house sink for my kitchen, which means new countertops, back splash and I should replace the 20 year old dishwasher. I have never felt so paralyzed. I have been afraid to make a decision. I am off to Pinterest to start a new board…..
Thanks Anita for this helpful post! I am always saving pictures of decorating that I like, but I think this suggestion will help me focus on one room at a time.
Bren
I am always inspired by your blog—thank you Anita!
These are some really great tips! Thanks!
Great advice, wish I had this info when we were building 10 years ago. I was overwhelmed and made some regrettable decisions.
So basic of a concept, why didn’t I think to start? Take the before pictures, so I know where I want to go and when I get there…It will help define my direction THANK YOU!!!
Helpful!! Very much so. But I’m also a little freaked out because – Cottage, French country, country, Tuscan…Yikes. I’m not sure I could articulate the differences! How does one know/learn that??
Thanks!
Great post! I’ve just moved and don’t like the kitchen cabinets at all. The island is 6′ long and doesn’t have electricity to it. That’s one of the first things I’m going to change…then the sinks/faucets, and appliances.
Thanks!
Thanks for great tips, if I don’t make lists I’m all over the place! And that means money wasted!
Great tips. My problem, though, is that I DON’T have furniture in the room. I have a bare living room and have no idea about furniture placement so don’t know what furniture to purchase. A future post on furniture placement would be awesome. Love your advice!
We are in the middle of purchasing a new house and I didn’t know where to begin decorating. I love your idea of viewing each room separately and saving pictures to pinterest for that room. I have been pinning pictures for that whole house in one place and that has caused some confusion. The whole idea of moving has got me down…..I just finished getting the home the way I liked it! Now I have to pack everything up and start over again….sigh!
Thank you for the inspiration through your website/blog and your book!
Thank you so much for this post. It comes at great timing. I had cleaned out what had become our storage room, and trying to create an office/family area. We are (hopefully) finally narrowing down the paint color, but I’ve got too many ideas for possible ideas. I need to use Pinterest to help narrow down that list, and have an actual plan. Thank you!