Do you plan your rooms before you begin a renovation? Or do you you jump right in and choose items as you go? A key point in good design is a solid design plan. A single board that shows all of the materials, colors and decor choices. This helps to visualize how each piece goes together, you can then easily switch pieces out that you don’t like, rather than painting a whole room and deciding the paint doesn’t go with the wallpaper accent.

To make a good design plan you must first know the style that the client is looking for. Sharing photos on Houzz and Pinterest are great tools that I use in my business to help the client communicate to me what they want. A picture is worth a thousand words so I always make sure I ask what specifically they like about a certain room that they have shared.  A board can consist of a computer generated version or a large board with actual tile pieces, fabrics and paint swatches. Most designers include a guide with the price, brand and item info for ordering (items can be numbered to go along with the guide). This helps to decide if what you see matches what you want to spend and you can then make adjustments as needed.

Hiring a pro to create a design plan for you is an inexpensive way to use a designer if you then want to complete the project yourself. It may seem like a luxury to hire a designer but the time and money they can save you is well worth it, no time wasted on the wrong paint color or paying top price for furnishings. If you choose to hire someone for this make sure they are a reputable designer and that what you want matches what they can provide for you. The exact position of an accent piece or wallpaper wall can make a major difference in a room, it can bring it from average to upscale with a single finish! The value is in the result and most designers offer these small project plan options for clients on a budget.

Looking back at my old design plans is like looking through a book of art! Colors, layouts and textures are abundant and I can’t help but feel inspired for the next project!

**Design plans were used in various past projects I have completed for clients.