THE VERY BEST DECORATING TIP YOU WILL EVER GET
I’m just about ready to start decorating our Master Bedroom and Sitting Room! Believe me, this will be a long process just like all the reno’s go on all the other rooms at StoneGable. There will be lots of diy’s and long weekend projects and life in between decorating. Because Bobby and I do most of the work ourselves it’s a very long process… that is just how we decorate.
Did you know that I have already decorated the bedroom and sitting room over and over in my mind a hundred times? Yes! And each time I’ve honed the look and made changes and added and edited decor… all in my mind! Today I’m sharing MY VERY BEST DECORATING TIP! One that so many home decorators skip but really should not! ONE single tip that can go a long way to assure successful and beautiful decorating!
There are so many great decorating tips that will save us time and money and help us to create the most glorious rooms of our dreams… but we need to take time for those dreams to develop wings and fly!
We need to have time to do what I call “CREATIVE DAYDREAMING”. This process gives your mind permission to think freely and creatively and be inspired.
It is so so important to do this before you begin any decor changes! Many of us don’t take the time to work out the changes and details before we begin a project. We just begin! And that often causes us to make decor mistakes and end with decor that is not our hearts desire!
Beginning with a successful end in mind starts with a whole lot of thought and processing… and daydreaming!
Here’s how CREATIVE DAYDREAMING works…
I go into the room that I will be making any changes in, great and small, and literally sit. No technology, no music, no people, no pets… just me and the room and a pen and paper.
And I sit…. and sit… and take the room in. I don’t hurry this process! I take a good long, look at the walls and the doors and the windows and the shape of room! I get to know the traffic pattern of the room again and reassess them. And I make notes. Copious notes! You will be amazed at what you will be able to see and how the creative process will begin to work. When I am CREATIVE DAYDREAMING so many great ideas come to me… my best ideas come to me.
In our daily lives most of us don’t walk into the rooms in our home and really notice them… we don’t take the time to give them a scrutinizing look! When we are making decorative changes we really need to do this!
CREATIVE DAYDREAMING is a process! Don’t hurry it! I think the more time I invest in CREATIVE DAYDREAMING the easier my room will be to decorate.
Break CREATIVE DAYDREAMING down into a few sessions. I always do this! Sometimes I have pages and pages of thoughts and notes from my sessions!
Use CREATIVE DAYDREAMING to think about…
- color and the way the colors you chose are effected by the light in the room…
- styles, “feel”, tone, mood
- furniture, what kind you want and need, what finishes, what style, what size, new or will you keep what you have…
- where to put furniture, editing the furniture in a room, adding furniture to a room
- what kind of window covering would work in a specific room, shades, blinds or shutters
- fabrics, what kind, colors, textures
- changes you need to make, things you want to keep exactly like they are
- little details, big details
- wallcovering, paint, trim
- lighting, chandy, table lamps, floor lights, ceiling lights, light switches, outlets
- art, mirrors,
- inspiration for the changes you will be making
- vignettes, tabletops,
- carpet, hardwoods, rugs
- there are a lot more questions to ask yourself during CREATIVE DAYDREAMING!
Remember you are writing all your daydreams and thoughts down. You will never remember all the great ideas and thought that will pop into your head!
Here’s what you don’t think about…
- budget
- how long a project will take
- how you will get it all done
- anything negative
- anything that will squelch your creative thought and deflate your inspiration.
There will be plenty of time to be more practical as the decorative process moves along.
After a few sessions of CREATIVE DAYDREAMING you will have tons and tons of ideas and lots of notes! NOW is the time to look for concrete examples of the inspiration you have written down. I LOVE Pinterest and blogs and magazines for finding real-life examples of what I love.
Make a Pinterest board for every new project. Gather ideas in one place and MAKE A PLAN! Plan out every detail and every step. I love to make a checklist. This plan is not necessarily written in stone. As you go along leave a little breathing room for your project to grow and change.
Now you will be kicking your project into high gear… and you will be on such a creative high!
My next best decorating advice it to DO SOMETHING! Make sure you carry your inspirations and ideas and plans out in action! Don’t let all those beautiful decor ideas languish!
CREATIVE DAYDREAMING +PLANNING +ACTION= FABULOUS DECOR!
This is your formula to a beautiful home… one project at a time!
Remember to pin this to your Pinterest HOME DECOR board. You can follow me and see what I’m pinning every day HERE.
Great tip! I love to envision the way I want something, and taking notes is a great way to remember what you are thinking about, when you think of it. I’m constantly daydreaming and planning something!
That’s awesome, Karen
love the herringbone fabric on your chair. can you tell me the manufacturer of the fabric? Thanks
Hi Paula, The houndstooth chair came from Lazy Boy. They have amazing products!
Great advice. In a way I wish I could empty the room and just sit there and think about what I’d like for it. I think it may be the clutter that is giving me negative thoughts. There are things I like — perhaps I should then bring in a few of the items I really like — for instance I love this painting we have in the living room. I think I’ll go through your ideas one by one. Thank you Yvonne you are an inspiration.
MARISA, That painting could be the inspiration for your room! USE what you LOVE!!!
Oh so true, Yvonne! I am planning my sitting room right now. It’s painted a dreamy light aqua and now I do a lot of sitting and looking and taking notes. i do the same for my outdoor gardens. (My neighbors must think I’m crazy!)
I love this tip and I hope you include it in your book! (Can’t Wait!)
Linda
I have to remember to do some CREATIVE DAYDREAMING for my outdoor spaces. Thanks for the reminder!
I love to daydream about decorating! My only problem is that I daydream for so long I’ve changed my mind about the decor before the actual decorating begins. Daydreaming is indeed a very valuable part of planning any decorating project.
BTW I always enjoy the bible based lessons on your blog…
Daydreaming was meant for mind changing! That’s a very good thing!
So very true Yvonne! It just takes time. I have one room right now, well nothing is coming to me! How often do we rush in without the creative daydreaming thinking who has the time!
Great idea! With the redo of my kitchen, living and dining rooms, I only have a large hutch and dining room set in the space. We are painting next week. Windows are bare as well. Struggling lately with what to do with them as we have full south sun that includes a patio door. Can’t wait to try this process.
june
Great advice!
GREAT advice and this is pretty much what I do and I also use to do it with my client because the practical decisions sometimes will paralyze a project and make you feel defeated before you ever begin. I have two list a someday list and a dream list, the dream list will most likely never happen, but the feeling or the mood can be accomplished in other ways and that is what becomes my someday list. I am a major planner and you are so right about seeing it complete in your brain before ever beginning. I wrote a post about looking at the big picture and how important it is……http://goodlifeofdesign.blogspot.com/2015/07/looking-at-big-picture_12.html
YBest tip EVER! I volunteer at a small local thrift shop that helps to fund our local food bank. I take great pride in the displays I create and get many positive comments from customers. One day a co-worker was staring at me while I was working on a display, and she said “I would just love to know what is going on inside your head right now”. Little did she know that what she was watching was me putting a plan into action. I had already spent “creative thinking” time at home, It gets quite challenging in this environment where your whole display can sell overnight. But very satisfying!
Great tip! Daydreaming doesn’t cost anything. Love, love your beautiful house pictures!
Please, can you tell me where your dinning room chair above came from? This is exactly what I want for my kitchen.
Hi Laurie, I got them from a company called Hooker. They have gorgeous head chairs! Find them on line
Great tips, I tend to brain storm and that doesn’t always work out. I can pick out great things but they might not be the right thing for my space. I need to learn scale a furniture placement. I have a small bedroom and can’t have all the things I love. Sitting in that space visualizing are great ideas.Do you start the process by picking paint color?
Hi Ellie! I’m not that great at scale either! Start with what you love and edit. I’m getting very good at editing! As far as the paint color… it’s one of the LAST things I choose! I don’t necessarily have to have all the pieces in a room, but at least all the fabric. Now paint IS the hardest thing I choose. Here is a post ~ SIX TIPS FOR FINDING THE BEST PAINT COLOR…https://www.stonegableblog.com/tips-for-interior-paint-colors/
Hope this helps! Happy decorating!
I am currently wanting to redecorate the downstairs family/guest room. For about six months I have been choosing colors, fabrics, curtains, etc. It seems that I have always done the process you describe and it has paid off every time. When we were building our current home, I lived in it (unbuilt) for a complete year before the design was complete. A wall was taken out there, a closet put in here, colors were coordinated in the way I like. I thought about how I drive up to the house with a car full of groceries, where I enter the house and put in a pantry. My husband likes to work outside so we put in a half bath across from the laundry room so he can come in without going through the house to use the facilities or needing to change clothes in his bedroom. We put in a window over the sink and one over the stove so that I can look outside at the greenery while washing up dishes or cooking a meal. When guests come to visit they always exclaim about how well it’s laid out and wish that they had done the same in their homes. Good … no, great advice. Keep dreaming, planning, writing, sketching, living your dreams in your mind first.
i love your new header page. Your website is the first one I open each day. I am in the business so I am working on a website.
Yvonne,
AM A Z I N G advice, dear friend!!!
I agree with physically “sitting” within the room!!!
Too many times, we take photos then head off to a home office or creative space,
but don’t stay within the realm of the space to be designed.
I physically “sit” in the room at different times of the day, as well.
Lighting changes during the day and evening bringing a change in
hues of paint choice, fabrics and accessories!!!
My main obstacle in re~designing our Master Bedroom
is the lack of local bedding selections!!!
Thank you for sharing!!! Looking forward to some progress reports!!!
Fondly,
Pat
I love online bedding options!
Love your blog, I too analyze. Sometimes it’s hard to go to other homes and not jump up to “re-do”! Can you tell me where you purchased your angel wings? I have a large pair, but love the gold on yours. Thanks for all your inspiration!
Hi Candace,The angel wings came from Decor Steals. I hope they will bring them back soon!
Mine are from there also, but not with gold. I’m definitely changing mine! Thanks
How about trying to paint what you have, Candace? I’ve successfully used the inexpensive (gold) craft acrylic paint that comes in the little plastic bottles. Since it’s acrylic, if I don’t like the look of it in a certain spot, I simply wipe it off with a damp rag or paper towel as I go along until I’m satisfied. Sometimes a gold paint will be too vivid or bright for the look I’m after so when the gold paint is dry, I apply an antique glaze (again, available in those same inexpensive plastic bottles) available at Walmart or Michael’s. I can’t count the number of things I’ve changed with cheap acrylic paint from small decor items to ceiling fans to furniture!
Very good suggestion! I guess I kinda do that at times. I plan to remodel by master bedroom the first of the year. I want the walls to be painted in one of the pretty shades of gray – light blue-gray. My bed is dark and fairly new so I will keep it. I was looking at the mirrored end tables and thought that would look glamorous on my side of the bed and really pretty. However, just like my touch screen computer, I could so many
fingerprints all over it. I knew that would drive me crazy! So now I am rethinking that decision. 🙂 I get sooooo many ideas from your blog and always look forward to your Sunday devotional. God is good. Thank you for sharing your faith. Your faithful reader!!
Thank you for sharing that decorating tip. I love to do that and I do take my time, but hubby always wants to just jump right done. He has learned to wait and then we are happy with the results. Your advice really helped me confirm it’s the right thing to do. I love the quiet, the creative process, but I haven’t taken too many notes, this I will do now from now on, as your so right, one just cant remember all of those great thoughts! Love your home and I so enjoy reading you blog. thank you so much.
Good info to know and refer back to often.
Do I remember reading on your blog that you might be providing design services in the future? If so, any updates to share? I love your style.
Thank you.
I go thru the same process you do to decorate. It can take a long time but it’s all part of the fun. Another great website for decorating ideas is Houzz. I have shamelessly saved hundred of pics in numerous “ideabooks” that I refer to often. Zillow also has a similar website (separate from the real estate listings) that show beautifully decorated rooms for inspiration. Like Pinterest, they should come with a warning that you can lose yourself for hours without noticing!
Yes, Houzz is a fabulous decor site! Thanks for the reminder!
Would like to know where you purchased the beautiful houndstooth fabric on the chair.
The houndstooth chair is a recliner. Yes, it is!!! We got it from Lazy Boy!
I seem to remember reading on your blog that you might be offering design services in the future. Did I read that or was it wishful thinking? If so, any updates to share. I love your style. Thank you.
Yes, I am! Would you like me to put you on my list?
We aren’t settled into our new home quite yet, five months past closing. A lot has to do with creative daydreaming. I always allow myself time for creative daydreaming.
Lots of things to do, even though our home is a new build spec home. Lots of changes over the past 5 months. We are unable to do our own work now. We did up until our mid 60’s. Then one thing led to another, so it is necessary to have help. So far we’ve been delighted with our crafters. Our step grandson was here this morning, doing a little work with a wall sculpture I sort of dreamed up. He and some of his friends built our deck and pergola. They are pro carpenters who do side jobs.
When it was necessary to have help with our projects, we were lucky to find people we’ve known for years. Another bit of advice I would offer is to recognize when it’s time for assistance and choose wisely.
Great post with good advice, Yvonne.
I notice you do not have family photos around. I have them all over my house. Is there a such thing as too many or a correct way to display them?
Of course not. I have many upstairs. Because I blog, I like to show my home without personal photos.
Well…I have to say this is the exact process I’ve gone through for the last six months. I went to our cabinet maker and got the leg of the bathroom vanity and the Quartz counter backsplash. I ordered all the bedding online. I had EVERYTHING in front of me before I chose my wall colors for the master bedroom and bath. My poor husband had to drag our new area rug into the bedroom so I could see everything in the various light hues throughout the day. Poor guy stubbed his toe on the area rug several times as I had it partially unrolled for several days. Our contractor is ready to begin our remodel in one week. I’m so ready to see everything come together. Keep offering your great advice, Yvonne. You are my go to blogger!
Great advice Yvonne. I normally just dig in and start decorating. I should stop and evaluate.
I love this so much! As we’ve moved into our house and made it our home I’ve definitely seen the value of just letting myself DREAM about a space without worrying too much about the details. It’s such a fun and healthy way to let creativity flow without the logistics part of my brain getting in the way! Thanks for this encouragement that sometimes it’s okay to just let creativity flow!
Hi Yvonne,
Thank you for all of your wonderful and creative decorating tips. I look forward to each and every new creation or idea you share. I do have a question pertaining to your laundry soap. I’ve made a batch and absolutely love it!! However I just purchased a new washer that requires HE detergent. Can I use your recipe without harming it? I love how it cleans and the fresh scent on my bedding and towels.
Hi Jan, I have a HE washer and use the Laundry soap. It works fine in mine. Hope this helps.
I wish I read this sooner. I just redid my living room and yes it is nice but it isn’t exactly what I wanted?? My husband loves it and I do like it but I don’t love it. I could have used a little daydreaming!
Wendy, I’ve make that mistake so many times! You will know for next time… and there will always be a next time for us who love to decorate!
Those are are great tips! That is what I do before I make a project for class a few set of thumbnail, it gets discuscd and then I refine the project and then I put it to paper or the computer. But I usually see the finished or closely finished in my head first. Then I follow the process above.
Have a great day.
I couldn’t agree more! I often can be found just sitting in a room with my eyes darting about. My husband takes one look at me and says “ok, so what are we changing?!”. It’s the best part of the decorating process! Love Love your blog and pinterest board!
Very cute!!!
I have 4 (grown) children. I nursed each one of them. Because I was just sitting and holding them, it was a great time to daydream. I would intentionally change up the room I was going to sit in. I came up with some of my best ideas during those quiet, daydreaming sessions.
I love your blog Yvonne! And have enjoyed many of your recipes!
Can you just start writing my blog for me?
You are so right….I daydream a lot!!!….you are the best!…
I so enjoyed this post! This is pretty much how I decorate, thinking things through as I spend time in the room and then starting a board on Pinterest for each project so I was glad to hear others do the same thing. I actually started doing this while our home was under construction, so I’d sit and look through photos of the room from the model then brainstorm on how I wanted the space to function and once I had a basic plan I’d find visuals to match (and make sure my hubby understood my ‘vision’ LOL) on Pinterest, where I could collect my ideas for easy reference when shopping or traveling! So by the time construction was done and we moved in I was ready to put the plan into action for each space. I will admit that most have been tweaked in the year and a half since as I adjust for things I couldn’t have thought of until we were actually using the space each day, but overall it was a great system! I hope it works for others too!
Great post….your daydreaming has paid off in your house.
If the pix that were in this space are examples of your creative technique, you are truly talented. And obviously know what you are talking about. I have used your technique of just sitting in a room to get the “feel of it” but I thought is was just me wasting time. Thank you for your input. Now I know that my sitting and thinking has more value than I was aware. I thought I was just having a hard time trying to figure out what I wanted. I am single and I would have an easier time if I could bounce ideas off of someone that was sitting in the room with me.
Yvonne, you really did call it, this is the most important decorating tip! Just today, my mother saw the swatch of paint we have tried on our wall and said she wished she had gone with that color. ” I did everything too fast, didn’t I?” she asked my sister and I. Yes, she had, she hadn’t taken the time to really visualize what she wanted. My husband and I bought our new (to us) home the end of May and just this weekend began our first project. I can’t wait to share it with my readers, but I know that it is the right thing because we have sat and stared at this ugly fireplace for months now! I love this tip and I have shared it on FB and Twitter and G+! I always enjoy reading Stonegable posts!
HI, I have to tell you that your home and your new Fall tour is By far my favorite!
It wAs a true pleasure! I am looking for a Louis bench
On cAsters. Please let me know where you goT yours.
Thank you
Janet
Janet, I am so happy you love the tour! What a sweet and thoughtful comment!
I have a question; did you put a rug pad under the Ballard rug in your dining room? I bought the rug in the 8x 11.2 size and did not use a pad. I like how it lays flat without one, but will I be sorry I did not use a pad? It is on a hardwood floor as your appears to be. While your colors are all whites/creams mine are gray/brown with a touch of gold. The rug really works with my colors too! Thanks for giving your sources.
I love the paint color in your dining room! Could you tell me what it is? Thank you and you’re work is beautiful.
Hi Resa, Thank you for your very sweet comments. You can read all about the paint color you are asking about here…. https://www.stonegableblog.com/tips-for-interior-paint-colors/
Love the lamp in above pix. Where did you find it?
Hi Cindy! I found it a few year ago at my local Pottery Barn Outlet. Hope this helps.
Just love your posts and appreciate your ideas and advice. I spend a lot of time thinking about each room as I decorate…it is like a little therapy/meditation session. I find that planning it out in my head as I sit comfortably in the room is my best first step. Then I check the blogs and Pinterest before coming back to sit again and evaluate my original ideas. The most fun…shopping (or creating…I am an artist and do it yourselfer) and putting it all together. Keeps me sane…wellllll…maybe.
Great post!
Pinterest boards are done, main furniture purchased and I know what decorative touches I want in my new home but I haven’t a clue as to where to buy anything. THAT, is my frustration :/
Hi Jennifer, I know what you mean. It’s that layer of accents that bring real life and your personal identify to a room! Great idea for a post. Be looking for it soon!
I’ve pretty much done that same thing, Yvonne, since my 30’s – when there were very few decor magazines around, however, I would save pages of rooms that appealed then much, much later, look to see what it was that I liked. I still have some of those clippings & am now in my 70’s. Sometimes, it was just a table, in another, perhaps, the color & so on. A pattern soon emerges. Of course, today, all one needs to do is browse through the very addictive Houzz – no paper to deal with (lol)! To me … the best way I can describe my thought process is …. what kind of a “feel” do I want in the room.
There’s one thing I place at the top of my list, though, is practicality (especially regarding the male species)! A room may be just lovely but if a man (or two) can’t sit comfortably in a room (or feel comfortable), place a drink & snack down, etc. the room has failed.
There are those beautiful tulips again. I checked with a local florist as you suggested to locate the tulips. They ordered them….a small bunch of 8 with small flowers for $30.00! Any other companies you can suggest would be appreciated.
So enjoy your ideas & house.
Oh Veronica! How expensive!!! I go to the grocer’s or to big produce markets to get my tulips. So much less expensive!
Ms. Yvonne, I am new to Stonegable and LOVE everything about it! Thank You for what you do. Can you tell me about the scrolled rug in your dining room, what the colors actually are and where you purchased it?
Hi Yvonne, Great name! Welcome to the StoneGable family. You can find out about the rug here: https://www.stonegableblog.com/new-dining-room-rug/
Again great inspiration! We purchased a getaway condo. It is freshly painted with new carpet. I happen to like the carpet even though I would prefer a hard surface (wood or tile). But we will live with the rug until the budget will let us change it. The rug is a med brown and walls are a very like almost white beige color. So as soon as I saw the Condo I can see shades of white and natural colors! As you said I have been decorating in my mind! Oh has my mind been busy. I have a beautiful drop leaf table stained top and cream base, with latter back chairs. As I said I a not her post we are shopping our home first before we buy. We do have to buy a mattress and box spring and a sleeper sofa. The sleeper sofa is going to be a slipcover. I have found one! Everything else will go around these items. We have a sunroom! I have always wanted a sunroom
I can go on and on. I won’t I jus want to that you for your great blogs!
Thanks Denise
I have been doing this daydreaming for decades now, my problem is I don’t put legs on them. But you have inspired me to get busy. What a busy summer I will have. Thanks, love your style and blog. Also yesterday’s blog someone had interest in where your white spinal chairs came from. I saw a very similar chair on Birch Lane.com.
Thanks, Gretchen
This is a fantastic idea. I am glad you suggested it now since we moved to a new home last August and I am getting ready to paint, backsplash for kitchen etc. I try to include some scripture, hymn, Godly saying in each room of my home. Some are just very small like a little plaque that says Prayer Changes things to a book of beautiful pictures that includes scripture to a calligraphic rendering of scripture, hymns etc
Great advise!
Love your blog! Would you mind sharing the source for the blue/cream striped lamp…I absolutely LOVE it!
Great tip for daydreaming before action…I do it all the time!
Teresa
Hi Teresa,
The lamp came from the Pottery Barn. Hope this helps!
This is perfect Yvonne ~
We are starting a big redo for Pete’s office/TV room.
We start next month – from floors to ceiling ~ I’m so excited to redo this room –
And, it gives me lots to think about.
Have a wonderful day
Rose
I’m gonna have to give this a try! Me a pin and a pad-no distractions. Wonder what will want to come live in my room? It’s a thought!
I’m just starting out in a new apartment and am ready to decorate. I moved across country from Connecticut to Oregon, whew! I left almost everything there and decided to start anew. It has been fun! Your blog has helped me know where t start. Love your decorating tips!
That sounds like so much fun!!! Blessing in Oregon!
Need to do this with the extra bedroom. Need to spend more time in thinking things out. I want to change it into a room for my 4 grandchildren to play and sleep in when they come to visit.
I have to include both boy and girl elements. This is a big challenge!!!!
I just found this wonderful article about daydreaming! I have been daydreaming for months, collecting paint chips and fabric samples, and changing my mind a dozen times. I never thought about just sitting and letting a room speak to me. I am getting ready to go SIT for a while and start taking those notes! BTW: Your angel wings are the most beautiful ones I have ever seen!
Thank you for your timely and wonderful blog!
Have to try this!
I should have read this earlier. I impulsively bought something for my house. Now I realize it’s not going to work at all.
I love this idea! I kind of do this already, but your article will allow me to really hone and develop my ideas, allowing my daydreaming to reach a more productive reality.
I love your advice about taking your time and daydreaming your room before making major changes.
I do appreciate all your ideas for decorating your home. These ideas are great to use with any decorating project. It is fun to read how you accomplish your goals to decorate your home. Thank you Jean
I love the starfish pillows on your dining room chairs! Would you share their source?
Gosh, every “where did you get that” question today has the same answer… Pottery Barn. But I have not seen them this season.
I love how you sit and look at a room and get ideas to decorate or change a room. I have found that by looking through a camera lens is a great way to see things objectively. I just scan the room and pause to see angles, color, lighting, and dimension. It is a live picture, I don’t always take the picture but just move around and get different views. Thanks for all your decorating ideas, Susan