DIY Interior Design: Manage Your Project Like A Pro

It’s so easy to get lost down the Pinterest rabbit hole and imagine what a few new ideas could do for your DIY interior design project. Whilst even the smallest of additions, quick changes or a new splash of colour can really help to lift your space, if you’re looking to make changes bigger than a simple style refresh there is a lot more to consider than just the paint colour and finishing touches.

Regardless of whether you’re doing the tiny downstairs bathroom or the whole house, a bit of upfront preparation can really help your project run smoothly. So, before you get stuck in, why not hold your excited horses and check out our simple steps for managing your project like a pro!

Step 1. Assess The Current Situation

Let’s start by looking at what you already have. What in the space really works for you? What really doesn’t?! What would you like to get rid of, and what do you absolutely want to keep? What pieces of furniture will remain and which parts need removing or replacing? How does the flow and layout of the room work as it is? Is there anything that seriously annoys you about the space? Write everything down that is staying, that you love, that needs to go and needs to be added in so that you know the scope of what you are trying to achieve with your new design.

Step 2. Blank Slate Space

Next I always find it useful to create a to-scale drawing of the floor space without anything in it that might ‘influence’ how I see it. When you are looking at a room full of furniture it can sometimes be hard to see beyond what is already there, but by stepping back and working with the space and shape as a blank canvas, new ideas and solutions to all your points from step 1 can be much easier to find. This also allows you to ‘play around’ with ideas quickly and easily to see what might work and what may not, without the effort of moving furniture from place to place!

Step 3. Final Furniture Plan

Once you have had a good exploration of all your options, decide on a final furniture layout plan for the space and make sure that it ticks as many of your boxes as possible. Does it meet your requirements for things like storage, seating, table top space, room to move comfortably around the room, easy access to things like windows, cupboards etc? Make sure that the furniture set up allows you to move around the space comfortably and effectively. There’s no point having cupboards that cant be accessed, seating with no side tables for drinks or TV’s on a wall that will be walked past every 5 minutes.

Step 4. Electrical Pit-Stop

Now you know where all your furniture is going, you can make decisions on lighting and electrical needs. Do you need to have any sockets relocated? Do light switches need to be added, removed or relocated? Are you adding in things such as wall lights or extra ceiling pendants? You may need something as simple as an extension lead for repositioning a lamp but making sure that everything can be serviced in the correct places now is much easier than finishing the project and realising none of your sockets are in the right places or your ceiling light is no longer in the right place for the new furniture layout.

Step 5. Decor, Furniture and Soft Furnishings

Now that you know exactly what is going where, and your electrics are ready for the new design, you can finally start on the most fun part of the project! Whether you want to make a mood board first or have a certain colour scheme in mind, whether you want to design around a piece of furniture that you absolutely love – it is time to start bringing the look of the room together. Build on what you have gathered for inspiration  (be it in magazines, on social media, or with the items you decided to keep) and order plenty of samples of everything before making any final decisions. Don’t be afraid to take samples and swatches around with you as you shop (check out our new boutique) and always make sure you measure up, especially the bigger furniture items like dining tables and sofas! Take photos of things so that you can add them into your mood boards to make sure they feel right before making final decisions and bringing things home. And most importantly, don’t forget that things can always be changed if they don’t feel right….creating your perfect space is supposed to be fun, not an exercise in playing by the rules!

Did you find this blog helpful? Let us know in the comments below!!

If you’re about to start a project and think Mitchell & Co. Interiors could be the perfect design partner for you, please get in touch or book your free 15 minute info call HERE! We would love to talk to you about your project.