When it comes to home decorating, you are provided the greatest opportunity to truly personalize your living space and create an environment that showcases who you are and what you love.
Perhaps you have a specific design type in mind, be it modern, contemporary, minimalist, traditional, coastal, Bohemian, shabby chic, Scandinavian, French country, or industrial. Or, perhaps, you are not even sure how any of those are defined and you just know what you like and do not like.
Regardless of your understanding of home décor jargon or level of expertise in interior design, you likely have a desire to make your home a reflection of who you are and what you love. You want to feel fulfilled and inspired by your living quarters, so whether you have a firm idea and the know-how to get you there on your own or you need to seek out professional help to pull it all together, the investment is worth it to have a space that is wonderfully and uniquely yours.
Space, line, forms, light, colour, texture and pattern are all elements to be considered when designing your space. Starting with an empty space is the best way to establish an understanding of what elements are naturally present in the space.
How is the window placement? What natural light occurs and how does it change throughout the day? What shapes and angles are existing that need to be worked with? What colour are the walls and the floors? What textures are present?
From here you can decide what base elements require revision in order to make your desired final product possible.
Also of great consideration is the furniture and items you are using or reusing in your newly designed space. Are you starting with a blank palette or wanting to refresh an already furnished space?
Maybe you have acquired a sentimentally valued piece and it has inspired a reworking of your space. Whatever the motivation, be sure to have a clear understanding of what your base is before you get started; whether that’s an entirely blank slate, a rocking chair from your dearest grandmother, a furniture set you need to reuse and possibly rework, or a piece of art work you acquired that simply spoke volumes to you for reasons you have still not fully understood.
Starting from what you have and allowing that to navigate you toward what you want is the best way to truly create and execute your vision. This process is the longest part of the transition but the most important. You will spend many hours and days watching the light in your space, considering what needs the space is intended to meet, then measuring and re-measuring for perfect placement and flow.
You may find yourself digging through your attic or shuffling through your basement looking for those treasured things that never quite fit your space but you’ve always wanted to find a home for. You may hunker down for an HGTV marathon, seeking inspiration and knowledge followed by hours of google searches finding just the right design that feels like you.
Or maybe it’s all too much to wrap your head around and you opt to walk into an interior designer’s office, share all the seemingly random bits and watch in amazement as he/she brings it all together in a way you could not have even imagined, but absolutely adore.
However you decide to get from point A to point B, let the end result be the greatest possible reflection of all things that inspire you.
Maggie Ellwyn is a Powell River resident who recently built a home and personalized its living space with her husband David and children Sidney, nine, Riley, five, and Ezrey, three.
