How many times have you been to the store and stumbled across the perfect side table … you know, the exact shade of aqua with antiqued wax to give it that perfect shabby feel, the adorable little drawer knobs that would perfectly match the lamp, the cute shelf, eight inches from the floor, you can already envision the cute vignettes you’ll design there …
There’s only one problem.
You aren’t sure if it will fit in the space you are planning to put it.
Or perhaps it’s a gorgeous painting of the perfect French village … one you’ve been looking for for years … but you don’t know if it will fit between the two windows in the dining room.
No one is home to call and ask them to measure the space for you, and the store you’re at just happens to be two hours from home.
I don’t have enough fingers to count how many times I’ve had to pass up these one-of-a-kind treasures because I just wasn’t sure that they would fit in the space I had envisioned for them.
This year I came up with a plan to put an end to this home decorating dilemma … my Home Decorating Planner.
(In the spirit of full disclosure, links in this post may be affiliate links. If you buy a product through them, I will receive a small commission at no additional charge to you. More info on my disclosures can be found HERE.)
I found a small notebook with grid lines on the left and a place for notes on the right. This notebook is the perfect size to fit in your purse or the glovebox of your car so you can always have it with you.
I started in the main living area of the house. The image below shows the layout of our Dining Room. The diagram itself is not to scale. It’s just a guideline to help me know where permanent items are like windows, light switches, plugs, HVAC vents, etc. Using a tape measure, I measured each wall section and then wrote it down in the appropriate place. I also added symbols to shows where the electrical outlets and switches are, as well as the vents under the windows. The round circle in the bottom left corner is a pillar.
This is the actual room from which the sketch was drawn.
Information you’ll want to add to your notebook …
– Window sizes and placement – this will help you when looking for window coverings and rods
– Paint colors – jot down the manufacturer and color name as well as the color number. Don’t forget to add if you had a special formula mixed. You can also tape in an actual paint swatch. Having your paint colors with you will help you when matching artwork or textiles.
– Textile swatches – Pictures or actual fabric swatches can be added to your notebook
– Any other pertinent information that you will need when planning your space such as metal finishes, etc.
Don’t forget to add rooms that you might not necessarily “decorate” … like the pantry or the master closet. I have dreams of adding built-in cabinets and an appliance center in our pantry. Who knows what might turn up on a trip to the Habitat Re-Store or even Ikea. I might see something that could work and instead of wondering if it will fit in my plan, I’ll have all the information I need to make an informative decision.
I keep my Home Decorating Planner in my purse, along with a couple of other necessities …
– a small tape measure
– a pencil
– a small ruler
It’s the perfect decorator’s toolkit.
Get one of these great notebooks, grab your tape measure and start building your very own Home Decorating Planner today. Next time you’re at the store and you see that great buffet table, you’ll be glad you did!
Do you have home decorating tips to share? I’d love to read them!
Sixteen of my friends have put together a great roundup of organizational tips and tricks. Take a few moments to visit their sites and say hello!
