My Design Thinking Process At Work!

When choosing any element that I would like to add to my home I go through a process. 

Some might think it is too planned or calculated, but having been in this industry for over three decades I have learned that any good design needs a plan.

Often home decorators get so excited about something they see, or a new trend, and they go out and buy the new element without thinking of where it will go in their homes, or how it will marry to other pieces they already have.

If you are purchasing a little knick-knack it would be no great loss if it doesn't work. If you are buying something that is more costly or a permanent fixture then you really need to think things through.

Recently I decided that a very small area in my home needed a bit of sprucing up. It is an area most people might ignore, and to be honest it could be ignored.

The only problem is I sit and stare at this area ever single night when we are watching TV.....

To the left of our TV there is a little entry hall that leads to the master bedroom. It is a nice little separation area from the main living area and gives a bit more privacy to our room.

Things I need to consider before moving forward..........

The TV niche will have molding added to it in the very near future so it will look and feel more finished. The door opening will also be wrapped with molding.

In this little hall area I have room to put my antique table and mirror....

You actually only see this table when entering the hall or sitting at the far end of the great room.

You will also notice the horribly placed thermostat. If it had been place to the far right the wall could be addressed more easily.

(The thermostat is about a foot away from the door frame.)

So what do I want to do this time and what is my plan?

The first step is to I look at the overall area and I  take notice that the entire area visually includes the fireplace, TV and hallway. This whole wall reads as one unit and therefore must be treated as one wall.

REMEMBER!.....

 When making decisions on adding an element to a room look at the entire area you plan on changing and notice how your change will  marry to the entire design. 

I can not stress this one step enough!

A big mistake home decorators often make is to just think about the one area they want to change, and they get all excited and caught up in the moment. They quickly go out shopping and buy things before really thinking them through. Once they bring their new found treasure home they soon discover it does not work at all.

Think of it like this.......

It is like when we get dressed, we think about the main pieces we are wearing and then the accessories, shoes, purse and how we will do our hair and makeup. It is the whole picture we are thinking about. Just imagine if you chose a different look for each step I just spoke of. You would look like a hot mess. The same goes for your rooms and the areas you are decorating.

Since my small little hall is part of a bigger picture I need to keep that in mind. 

I like a simple look so I keep things a bit more minimal that some might think looks right to their eye. For me I must have a clean, fresh look and a nice easy visual flow.

So here is what I plan on doing.....

I would like to add a frame of molding on the entire wall similar to what is above the fireplace ......

This same frame molding will also be added to the TV niche so there will be a nice flow and continuity to the entire wall.

I would like to add one more element.....

A hanging light fixture!

 IMPORTANT!!

Now this is where I have to think beyond the one wall. Now I need to look at the lighting I have in this part of the house including the entry hall since there is a a visual flow from the entry hall all the way to the great room. It is somewhat of a shot gun house.

These are all the fixtures in the great room including the fixture for our entry hall which is pictured first.

My thinking has to go even a little further in this planning process. 

You can also see the dining area. I have future plans for that area, and I have a few fixtures I am contemplating when we address this area. However I need to keep them in mind as well when making any other lighting choices....

Choros by circa lighting

Ritz Natural Aged Brass

via

You can see I am adding some brass accents. This is all in the plan since you will see the entry hall first which has some brass fixtures, then you will see the dining room, and then the great room.

This is a mock up I did using the cohasset sconces.

Cohasset aged brass sconce by Hudson Valley from Bellacor

 I told you there was

 a lot to think about! 

Now that I have all my ducks in a row, so to speak. I can start adding some of the possible light fixtures to the whole picture.

I will be showing you some of the choices I have in mind in my next post and I will add my final three choices to a mock up so we can really see how it all plays out.

As always....