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Decor Aid – My Home Needs A Do-Over : Where Do I Start?

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Does this sound like you?

There’s something wrong with this picture, but I can’t put my finger on what it is”
“I can’t find anything because everything is everywhere”
“I’m not comfortable in my own home.  What do I do? ”
“I’m overwhelmed just looking at this place.  Where do I start?”

Before intervention

Here’s a terrific idea: Start with the facts….

* What are your priorities?
* What’s your budget for now? Will you allot more money later? When?
* What are your living habits? Where are you comfortable, or not? What works, or not?
* What do you need to replace, refurbish or add?
* What’s the “Big Picture” of what you want to accomplish?

Keep refining your list, using a kind of informed process of elimination, down to the nuts and bolts of what you need to be more comfortable, happier and satisfied. Decide what to attend to first, later, or not at all. Be clear about your habits and preferences, and truthful about the actual condition of your environment and furnishings. You won’t be graded, but you will have a solid set of guidelines from which to proceed to design a home that works especially well for you.

Remember: it’s hard to go wrong if you keep it simple and keep a firm grip on the obvious. For example, if you rent, or otherwise are planning to move within the next year or so, forget about major renovations. Equally, you won’t need to do much with the kitchen, if all you make is reservations.

Most of us don’t really “see” what we are looking at.
The following is a list of the most common home design problems.  Use it for a quick analysis of the issues that are really at hand.

There’s “clutter” everywhere
Well, yes…clearly you need to clean up your room, but more importantly, do you also need more storage space and containers?

The “clutter problem” happens less often because you are inherently a slob, and more often because no space has been designated for the things you want and need.

Edit ruthlessly. The ancient/broken/non-relevant items should be weeded out and banished. This means extra, unloved furniture too. Once you have created some legitimate breathing space around the “keepables”, you’ll be able to effectively plan an organization strategy…wall units, cabinets and containers.

Is it time to paint?
Wall color greatly influences how you feel in a room, and Landlord Default White is hardly inspiring.   Bonus: It’s the cheapest most effective way to change the look and mood of a room.

The upholstered furniture looks “tired”
Are these pieces still serviceable?  Do they need to be slipcovered, reupholstered or simply thrown out and replaced?

The furniture arrangement is non-functioning
Give your furniture something to do.  Establish a goal of “form follows function” in any room.  Think through what you’ll need for comfort, practicality and attractiveness.

For example, in your living room, (multi-purpose or not), you’ll want a conversation area.  Use a sofa, have two chairs flanking or opposing and a coffee table in the middle close enough for everyone to set drinks or food.  What about lighting?  Speaking of which….

It’s dark in here
Rooms without enough light are depressing.  Most of us, for lack of a better experience, under-light our homes with either too few light sources, or worse, “over-light” with a few light sources at very high wattage.  What you want is a range of lighting options that meet your needs for the tasks at hand, as well as to fill your rooms with light, without dark corners.  You want the overall effect to be welcoming, comfortable, interesting and beautiful.

Do you have a room with a view, or a view of window bars and a brick wall?
Great windows with a wonderful view need no decoration.  However, most windows need some sort of covering, if only for privacy or to block out sunlight.   Another advantage is that drapery can add softness, color and texture to a room, as well as camouflaging “unfortunate” architecture.

You get the idea…

After consultation

Related Posts

Wall Color Selection Series – Special Effects – Part I – Green & Blue

Upholstered Furniture Facts Series – Part I – Take A Seat

Furniture Arrangement Series – Part I – Form Follows Function

Lighting Design Series – Part I – Basics For The Well Lit Room

Window Treatment Series – Part I – Why, When, and How

Photos from Decoding Decor Portfolio

This is one of several articles I wrote for publication on Hamptons.com. It’s presented here as a foundation for further topic discussion, updates and commentaries…

Questions? Write to: DecodingDecor@Gmail.com

Tags: How To Arrange Furniture, How To Light A Room, How To Select Wall Color, How To Select Window Treatments, Upholstered Furniture Basics & Tips