Whether you’re moving into your first home or contemplating a complete overhaul, the decorating process can be incredibly overwhelming. In fact, it can be such a daunting task, especially when faced with an entire home, one can wonder, where do I even begin? We’ve covered a whole lot of ground in the past few weeks, so if you haven’t already, check out these posts to catch up- here , here and here
But for those who have been following along, come with me into our dining room in South Carolina. I’m going to walk you step by step through my process, not so you can replicate my room, but so you can replicate the outcome- a room you love.
Starting with an empty space? Or one that you’d like to completely change? No matter where you’re starting, the process is actually going to be surprisingly similar. So let’s begin at the beginning, and make our way through, step by step: (As usual, links can be found throughout and at the end of post. All links are affiliate unless noted. Not a sponsored post.)
Take Photos of Your Space
Taking photos of the room and putting them into an album on your phone is the first step for any space. Head over to my blog post here to learn why you should do it, and how. This will set you up for any shopping excursions or contemplating you need to do over items you’ve found online, in stores, or even around your house. Putting together a collage is going to be the easiest way to hone in on the items that will work best for your goals.
Take Measurements and Identify Focal Areas
The next step is going to be getting your measurements. The last thing you want to be doing is bringing in furniture that is too large or undersized for the space. Along with the measuring, you’re going to identify the focal points of the room. These are the areas where furniture or wall decor will make the most sense. Be sure to take note of what sized furniture that area can hold- be sure to have measurements written down for ceiling height and how far out a piece can come from the wall comfortably. Sometimes you can find the perfect length furniture, but it’s too deep. Or not the appropriate height for the area.
For our dining room it was pretty obvious a dining table will be centered in the room, and the only available wall for a server is the back wall. I will leave the wall of windows and the wall with railing free from furniture, giving proper pathways for walking to each seat, as well as to the storage server. This set up will create a focal point on that back wall with the server.
Some rooms give multiple options for furniture placement. My best advice is to keep your walking paths clear and defined and choose a general layout that doesn’t close off movement from room to room, space to space.
Some rooms may even have two focal points- maybe a fireplace on one wall, and another large wall that could use substantial wall decor or even bookcases. If it feels overwhelming to make decisions for two focal points, focus on the most obvious for your room and needs. Once that is designed, what the other area needs may become more apparent.
Assess The General Tone of the Space
This is also the point that you'll be assessing the general tone of the space and your home. My home has cool toned greyish-brown floors, a classic coffered ceiling and arches leading into the room. These design elements I either can't change, or don't intend to. This includes parts of your home that you may not be fond of, and might be changing eventually, but not in the immediate future.
For me the item I didn’t like, but didn’t intend to change right away, was our oversized orb chandelier. We did not design our new build, so it came with what it came with. I honestly wasn't a fan of this light fixture at first, but when it came time to start decorating, I decided to work with it rather than replace it. With all that needs to be done in a new home, light fixtures weren’t our priority.
The style of the light is Transitional, so identifying that, and knowing I was going to incorporate that style anyway, helped make that decision to move forward using it as part of my overall look. This could be flooring, mouldings or any other hardware for you. If it’s something you absolutely know you’ll be replacing down the line- ignore that element. Decorate for your future. If you’re in the fence, like I was with my orb chandelier, consider it in your decor design.
And who knows? Finding decor that pulls it together could even make something you really didn’t like not just tolerable, but enjoyable in the area. I surprisingly like the light in our dining room now that it all came together.
Identify What You DON’T Want
The next step is quite possibly the most important, and I went over it in last weeks blog about finding your decor style. That step is determining what you DON’T want for your room. For this room, I had seen a specific dining sideboard at a local furniture store that I just couldn’t get out of my mind. Knowing that it was what I wanted, and would compliment and fit well in the space, it became very clear what I did NOT want for my dining set.
I wasn't about to try and match a dining set to such a unique piece, so anything in a grey-tone was out of the question. In fact, it became clear to me that anything in a wood tone was not going to be an option since what I really wanted was contrast. I didn't want to hide the sideboard, I wanted to showcase it. Once I took away all stained furniture as options, it really left me with painted finishes, and knowing that my general decor theme was going to have pops of black, I set to task to find an all black dining set. Another thing I knew I didn’t want was a rectangular table. I knew I wanted a round table that extended to fit six. The one I chose was from Crate & Barrel, and sadly has been discontinued since I bought it in August. So unless you’re just buying a furniture set, take into consideration how the stains, fabrics or painted surfaces will play against each other. Do you want a monochromatic look? Do you want a certain piece to “pop”? These are the kinds of decisions that can bring a lot of interest to a room and give more of that “wow factor”.
Before You Buy Remember all that measuring you did before? It’s now going to get put to work. Before buying anything, take those measurements and map it out with tape on your floor. For myself, the sideboard I wanted was final sale, so it was especially important to get the size right.
I was already eyeing up that dining set, which was round, and extended to seat six. So this sideboard was the perfect size for when the table seats four, so I can put one of the extra chairs on each side.
Now in a living room, I would highly recommend putting sofas first. But in a bedroom or dining room, it is possible to choose a dresser or sideboard/server first, although it might not be AS easy as getting the table or bed first.
Just focus on your “main” item- which should be the sofa(s), table set or server, bed or dresser. Then, like I said, narrow down your choices for the other big pieces by ”crossing off” what you don’t want or like. Always try to have an open mind, though. If things aren’t falling into place as far as stain or fabric colors, step outside your box a bit. It either will clarify something you weren’t sure of, or open a new horizon of options that are better.
Onto The Decorating
Once you’ve settled on your large furniture pieces, you’re ready to start choosing the other decor pieces. By this point you should have your general “tone” and decor style for the room chosen, but that doesn’t always make this last step an easy one. And I can’t help you make the decisions on what to put in your room, but I can give you some guidance on what to look out for and where to begin.
A rule of thumb is to work from your biggest items down to smallest. Generally, your area rug(if needed) and window treatments would come next, followed by wall decor, lighting and small decorative pieces. These are honestly the pieces that can take a room to the next level, but this is also the area where I believe you should give yourself the most grace.
For area rugs- if you’re buying online, try and find any photos people have in reviews to see true colors. It’s amazing how different a rug can look once it’s in your home compared to the professional photos online. This goes for anything purchased online, but since rugs can have so many variations in them and you often can’t see them in a store, this is especially important. If you are buying a rug from a store that hangs their rugs up to display, take up close photos of it, but also have them take it down and lay it flat. Rugs, like hair or fur, have a directional pattern. It also has a pattern that is greatly impacted depending on which way you are looking at it. It is not going to look the same laying down as it does hanging up. Nor will it look the same from one side as it will looking at it from the other side. Another important rug tip is that you can easily save money on a rug that isn’t in a high traffic area- like a dining room that doesn’t have a pass through. Save those coins for another area of your home, rather than sinking it into a high end rug that will rarely see foot traffic.
As for wall decor- you know that I’ve talked about size and proportion. Well, I’m about to give you an “out” to get around this. Wall decor can get pricey, and sometimes finding that “perfect piece” can take awhile. In the situations where I haven’t found the right piece yet, I buy a “placeholder”. It’s a piece that is “big enough”, albeit probably not as big as it needs to be, but has the general tone and feel I want for the room. This could also be something you already own. For myself, I picked up this wall art from Kirkland’s during a sale. I bought new buffet lamps and a battery operated art light to “fill-in” the area more, the horse statue I had for years and also helped take up space, so I could hang the art a bit higher than usual.
Ultimately, it is something that is adequate enough for the time being that adds more to the room than staring at a blank wall, but isn’t going to break the bank(especially if it came from your decor stash). This is where Burlington, Homegoods, Kirkland’s and Hobby Lobby can really come in handy.
As for curtains, if you’ve been following me for awhile, you KNOW how I feel about curtains! If you want a fool-proof combo- head on over to my curtain blog here. BUT- there are absolutely times when a heavier drapery is appropriate for a room. If you feel what you are choosing and going for with your furniture is too airy or “light” feeling and need something to ground the space, check out these Velvet Drapes I found on Amazon. They come in a gorgeous London Blue color, along with a ton of other very rich tones in neutrals all the way to dramatic jewel tones. However, I still stand by my go-to curtain combination, if you’re just looking for a solid, tried and true look.
And that’s the general “how-to” when putting together a room. It really doesn’t have to be as scary as it feels. It does, however, take time. I put effort into not being hasty. And dealing with extra-long delivery times or product availability can also add more challenges to this process. But if you just stay true to course, and practice being discerning and intentional with your choices, you’ll have your
”perfect for you” room sooner than you think. Just be sure to keep your mind open just enough to pivot in your plan, if needed, but not to lose course altogether. One of my favorite quotes is from G. K. Chesterton, and he said “Do not be so open-minded that your brain falls out.” I’m not sure he intended on his quote being used in regards to home decor 😂, but, you know what? It totally applies.
~Jill
Dining Sideboard: Lasalle Sideboard
Buffet lamps: sold out, similar lamps here
Art Light: Battery Operated Art Light in Antique Brass
Sunburst Mirror: Sold Out- similar here and here
Curtain Rings with Clips:
Curtain Rings with Clips in Satin Nickel(I used these in my daughters room)
Tree Artwork From Kirkland’s (not affiliate)
Area Rug from Boutique Rugs (not affiliate)
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