Mi-Ling Stone Poole – 

Over the years many of you have told me that you lack the confidence or the talent to create a beautiful room in your home. And more importantly some have even admitted that they have problems making decisions when it comes to selecting the right colors, furnishings and staying within a budget.

Well now is the time to throw all your inhibitions to the wind and be confident about making your own decisions about your home.

If you’re not able to hire a decorator or interior designer take a moment to interview your family and yourself in order to begin creating a design specifically for your lifestyle and budget.

Here are a few questions to get you started.

  1. What is the purpose of the room you would like to decorate?
  2. Who lives in your home? Kids, pets, elderly
  3. List three of your favorite colors and write down why you like this color
  4. What is your budget?kids, pets, eldrely
  5. Define your design style, country, Tuscan-inspired…etc

Now take a moment to look through a few magazines and tear out a photo of a room you love. Then ask yourself why you love this room.  Is it the color of the walls, the style of the furnishing or the textures that pop out at you?

Remember, the most important aspect of designing a space is to perform a function. If you’re designing a family room obviously comfort is the main concern. Placement of a TV or computer is also on that list and from there you move to colors and textures.

Don’t freak out when it comes time to pick a color. Just go to your closet and select a piece of clothing that makes you feel great. It could be a dress; your husband’s tie or even a lovely scarf.  If you’re still not sure, go pillow shopping and find a throw pillow with all of the colors you love. Once you buy it you can drop it in a sack and carry it with you to the paint store. I’ve also used place mats, towels and fabric samples, plus the samples are free.

Now that you have all the colors in place refer back to your photo and I bet that some of those colors are in that picture. Take a deep breath…you’ve selected your palette.

To keep things organized, pull everything together in a large three ring note book with clear sleeves. Include the paint samples, fabric swatches, and photographs. Congratulations, you are on your way to a beautiful design!

Share your design selection tips!