Getting Started

Have you gotten started yet?

PLANNING & DESIGN ~ Getting Started



where to begin

~ How to begin decorating. Analyzing your home, your style, how rooms relate, colors. Part 1 Part 2

~ Four questions to ask yourself before you start decorating your room.

~ Here's where you can download Matt & Shari's decorating worksheet, from Room by Room.

~ A very good glossary of decorating terms. You might want to print this one out.

~ Arrange-a-Room - online tool allows you to arrange your furniture and save your layout.

~ Start with a workbook. - I personally have a 6 x 9.5 spiral notebook that has pockets on the dividers. I staple fabric, wallpaper and paint samples in there, and have my measurements written down for each room. Pictures from magazines and notes and business cards go in the pocket. I even have gone so far as to use a zip-lock baggy with all the above in it, and keep it in the pocket, so when I run into a store I can just grab it and stick it in my purse. You never know when you'll find that perfect piece.

~ Working with your room shape - shows 8 different room layouts, from L shaped, long and narrow to Box and more.

~ You might want to read these articles about Feng Shui before you do anything else!


choosing a theme or style

~ Here are some of the better places to get ideas for theme rooms.

Better Homes and Garden Decorating Gallery - The BHG site is full of useful information, but all the ads and pop-ups are quite annoying.

~ Nursery Deport - This is a great site for researching baby room themes. For example: Under the sports theme category, they have 16 different designs to choose from, Nursery Rhymes and Fairy Tales has 18, and Animals and Nature has over 30!

~ Decorating Kid Rooms - Decorating ideas and resources for the baby's room to the dorm room.

~ Style, Theme, Inspiration - This site has over 2 dozen themes or styles with many photos and each style is broken down into basic design concepts that will give you a foundation to help you get started. There are also several tutorials, but you have to become a member to access them.

~ Defining Your Style - Who are you? What appeals to you when looking at rooms in magazines? Getting to the bottom of it.