You don’t have to be a designer to have the coolest pad in town – you just have to begin to think like a designer, with all the tips, tricks, tools and insider knowledge. Luckily you’ve got me and if you can’t make it to one of my Design Schools, I can (I hope) set you on your way via the blog.
ASSESS YOUR SPACE
So lets start at the beginning – write down everything you love about your space and then the opposite everything you hate. Need help putting your finger on what’s not working? Try running my super-duper patented design-o-meter.
BUDGET
Next up, what’s your budget? If funds are limited work out what is going to have the biggest impact – you don’t have to do everything in one go. Maybe stagger your makeover into an ASAP, 6-month, 1-year, or even 5-year plan. We’ve been here for almost 17 years and I’m still gearing up to a bathroom revamp. It’s not finished and never will be.
CHEAP TRICKS TO STYLE YOUR PAD
FORM & FUNCTION
What’s the primary function of your space? This is handy to pin down at this stage but (super important) consider introducing other nooks and areas too, where you can cozy it up and hang out so it’s just not a functional space. Every room should have somewhere you’d be happy to curl up with a good book if you ask me – bathroom, kitchen and hallways too!
RIP UP THE RULE BOOK
The first thing I encourage you to do is let go of all the rules you’ve ever heard about in design – i.e. you can’t paint a north facing room in a cool tone, or you should mix prints with large motifs with similar prints with large motifs. Ignore all that stuff.
DESIGN RULES TO BREAK
GATHER INSPIRATION
Start a moodboard. It’s how I design every collection for my own label and how I design rooms. Your choices HAVE (repeat have) to be based on an immediate emotional response. When you’re pulling images and creating a moodboard do not think practically on any level. This is the conceptual stage. It’s where we can pull a tear sheet of a home in the Hollywood Hills with a lush tropical garden and use it as inspiration for let’s say our bedroom or bathroom, even if we live in rainy Dalston. You can be inspired by anything and everything at this stage… the desert, the ocean, textures and colour palettes and any styles of furniture you wish.
HOW TO CREATE A MOODBOARD
Good luck, and check in later for the next stage!