Tips for Design Success
By Yvonne Gregory Interiors, LLC
Mount Pleasant, SC
www.yvonnegregoryinteriors.com





Designers can not help you if you don't know what you want!

Here are some tips to help you determine how to effectively organize your room. Purchase graph paper; make sure you get a grid that is ¼" equals 1", sticky notes and removable tape. Sometimes it is easier for beginners to do one room at a time. If you wish to do a whole house, you will need 11" x 17" grid paper or larger depending on your floor plan. Carefully measure your room and draw it on the grid paper, noting all the windows and keep the space where the doors are open. It is very important that you also include the door swing, unless it is a sliding door.

Measure the size of your existing furniture - or - the furniture that you hope to purchase. Using the graph paper as a guide, you can create "sticky notes" that reflect your pieces and identify the pieces and the measurements on the notes. With the semi-permanent tape, you can easily move the pieces around the room to find the best possible placement. One thing to note is that in ideal situations a traffic pattern should be 36"; however in certain circumstances it can be narrowed.

Now that you know what you need to purchase, you need to determine your budget. This can be one of the most difficult stages, but you really need to know what you want to spend before you start buying anything! Here are some tips to organize and catalogue your likes and dislikes. Purchase a sturdy notebook, tab dividers and zippered pouches. Make a separate section for every aspect of your project and be very specific: Dining Room Furniture; wallpaper for Powder Room; Sofa for Bonus Room. Take a photograph of the rooms you are working on from every angle. Purchase as many home and/or design magazines. Carefully go through your magazines and cut out anything that appeals to you. If you like the color scheme of a room, but not the style or furniture, cut it out and mark it as such. If you like the style of the furniture but not the color scheme cut it out and mark it as such. After a while you will see a pattern emerge of the things you enjoy.

Keep this notebook with you whenever you go shopping. It will help you in your search. Don't be afraid to hire a qualified designer to help you with a little or a lot. Designers can help you make sound decisions and avoid costly mistakes.

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