Home: A Guide To Transforming Your Space

PART TWO

In the first part of this two-part article, we examined four topics that can create a comfortable space and provide an inviting home environment for all who enter.

Now, we will discuss HOW to achieve your dreams and desires by making your list a reality. If you don’t know what I’m talking about here, read part one of this series and download the free PDF printable that goes with it.

Be sure to have your printable guide with you, and let’s get started.

Identify the first space you are going to work on.

The first thing we need to do is identify the area of your house we will tackle first! Transforming your home will take time, and we want to alleviate as much of the overwhelming feelings associated with such a large task as possible. There are a few methods we can use to identify where you will begin.

Tally Method

You can identify which room you will start with using the tally method. To use this method, go back through your list and put a tally next to each room that was mentioned for lack of comfort, visual interest, or where you said it caused stress and anxiety. The room with the most tally marks is the room you will start in, then the next room, and so on.

Least Amount of Work Method

If you lack time or energy right now, you can focus on the areas of your home that require the least amount of work. Or maybe you want to see if it is worth the investment, so you want to start by spending as little time and money as possible before diving into bigger projects; that is fine. Choose the area of your home that needs the least amount of change and see if it is helping your mood and stress levels by adding a throw blanket and some extra pillows to the couch. This will be low cost and low time.

In your printable or on your notepad, write down the areas that need the least amount of work and describe what you will do to improve them.

Category Method

Another way to identify where you want to start is by choosing the most important category. Maybe it is really important for you to change your home to become the most comfortable place for friends and family to gather. Perhaps you want the stress gone ASAP! Or maybe you want more quality time with your kids, so you start by adding more things to your home to create bonding experiences and lasting memories. Write down the categories for how you want to work through your space.

I Know What I Want Method

If you know how you want to start and have your own method of madness, go ahead and write it down! You know your home, and if you have an ideal way of working, use the space on your printable or notepad to create your own method.

Fill In the Blanks

After choosing the method you want to use to tackle your space, fill in the problems you are trying to fix. Be very specific in the areas you want to change. Let’s take a look at a few examples below.

Dining Room: I want a larger table for my family and friends to gather around. I also want a cabinet to hide all of the hosting dinner items and a feature wall behind my table for visual interest.

Entryway: I want a hall tree (coat rack) for my guests to hang their belongings on or my kids to hang their backpacks up to clear the floor of clutter. I also want to see a mirror in the entry to add visual interest and to check our lipstick before walking out the door. A console under the mirror will add more visual interest and can be a place to set keys or mail.

Bedroom: I would really like for my bedroom to be a peaceful and calm place to retreat to at the end of each day. I want a paint color that will make me feel relaxed when I walk in. I would also like my bedding to look like a luxury hotel.

Do Your Research

Now that you have a few examples of how to fill in the spaces, depending on your method, you’ll need to start finding pieces to purchase online or at the store. Write down the links, add up the cost, get a few paint samples, and find the type of accent wall feature you want to recreate. Get all of this together BEFORE you begin so that you can complete an area before moving on to the next space. You want to see a finished look, not a partially done area; this can create more stress and cause you to give up altogether. Pinterest, YouTube, and Google are great places to start.

There you go! You are on your way to transforming your space and creating a home you love.

If you struggle with indecisiveness when picking out furniture, check out my article “Overcoming indecisiveness when choosing home décor.”