5 Important Steps to Start With When Designing Any Room

Designing your dream home isn’t as easy as it seems. While checking out samples and searching for furniture might seem fun, you can get overwhelmed by your to-do list and miss the essential aspects. This leads many homeowners to make mistakes that disrupt a room’s functionality and aesthetics. If you want to design your room like a pro, here are the important steps to start with!

Consider your needs

Designing a room isn’t only about the aesthetic aspect. While your home should look nice and elegant, it should also fit your lifestyle and needs.

Some fabrics will bring an elegant vibe to the space, but cleaning can turn into a real hassle if you have kids and pets. In this case, opt for easy maintenance materials that make cleaning a less daunting task.

In addition, don’t forget about functionality and comfort. While that sleek sofa looks gorgeous, it might not be comfortable.

cozy living room with two white couches, wooden coffee table and accent chairs — Cozy seating area (from Unsplash)

Purpose

The room’s purpose will play a crucial role in defining the design. A family room should provide ample space to accommodate every family member while offering entertainment options for everyone.

A peaceful and quiet bedroom can become the perfect place to set up a home office if you don’t have enough space elsewhere.

modern bedroom with black patterned rug and workspace — Modern bedroom and working space (from Unsplash)

Find inspiration

Gathering inspiration for designing your room is crucial throughout the whole process. Whether you prefer design magazines or Instagram, make sure to pick images that align with your vision. Analyzing them can help you define your wishes.

In fact, designers will ask you to show your inspiration to grasp the desired style and mood. You might prefer dark and moody spaces, or light and airy Scandinavian homes. Don’t look at the specific features yet, but focus on the concept.

Identify the things that you love and take things from there. For example, say you saved a photo of a contemporary living room. Even if this isn’t your style, observe the features that caught your attention. Maybe you like the open plan space or the subtle mix of textures.

spacejoy-XQFAzjjjmbE-unsplash-1-98720 — Living room and working space (from Unsplash)

The right proportions

One of the most common mistakes homeowners make is picking the wrong furniture size. The wrong proportions will make a room feel off and disrupt its functionality. If you place a large sofa in a tiny space, the room will feel heavy and cramped.

In addition, large furniture can disturb the traffic flow. To avoid these issues, make sure to plan accordingly. Get a copy of the blueprint or take a measuring tape and mark the floor to see if the pieces fit.

Cohesiveness

Your chosen style and color palette should dominate your home so that all rooms will look cohesive. While the color scheme is the most important factor that connects the rooms, this doesn’t mean that you should stick with a uniform look.

You can vary the amount of color introduced in the space and your decor choices.

midcentury modern style living room with dark brown couch and white accent chairs against beige kitchen — Modern and organic living room (from Unsplash)

Don’t get too “matchy”

The easiest thing to do is get those matching furniture sets at your local furniture store. However, keep in mind that a matching set lacks personality.

Don’t limit your choices to one store just for the sake of convenience. Instead, explore different brands, thrift shops, and flea markets to create a curated combination with style.