If you are just joining our How to Decorate {for the DIY’er} Series, welcome! Miss a post? You can find all the entries for our series listed conveniently on one page here.
Welcome to Day 15 of our How to Decorate Series! Today we have the frugally fabulous Melissa from 320 Sycamore here to teach us how to put a room together. I often joke that I can count on Melissa to tell me when all seasonal items at Target go on sale at 90% off! This girl is amazing at finding deals and ingenious at creating beautiful things on-the-cheap. She is incredibly generous in alerting everyone where to look, what to ask for, and how to land the best deals on home items!
Just look at the price breakdown for her recent kiddo room redo!
Melissa is an inspiration to me. She is a mother of 5 and yet manages to maintain a gorgeous home and share all of her organizing and decorating secrets with us! Teach us how you do it Melissa!
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I’m sooo excited to be here with Beth and you all today! I wanted to share my process of putting a space together. It can seem so overwhelming, so I broke it up into some steps:
1. Gather inspiration
If you have some vision in mind of what you want your space to end up like, it gives you somewhere to begin.
I have an inspiration notebook I gather paint colors, pictures from magazines, ideas, and sketches. Pinterest, blogs, and catalogs are fantastic online sources for inspiration.
2. Copy, Copy, Copy
You don’t have to know what you are doing or spend a lot of money hiring a designer. Find a look you love, look at the details and then copy. You may surprise yourself as you put your own little twist on things and end up loving it even more.
3. Gather
Anyone with money to burn can walk into a showroom and say, “I want this entire room. Have it delivered at 9 a.m. on Thursday. And send in the painters and interior designers as well. I’ll be at the dog spa with Fifi if you need me…” 
The rest of us have to be a little more creative and patient as we gather. You can keep your eye out for things that might work in that space. You’ll look at Craigslist and thrift stores differently. The Target clearance endcaps will suddenly have new meaning. The oops paint at H. Depot and Lowes will have a heavenly aura over it. It may take more time, but your room will have a more “collected” look instead of a living room in a box.
And did I mention it will save you a lot of money?
4. Ready, Set, GO!
You’ve found inspiration, copied, gathered, and now you need to BEGIN. Isn’t that the hardest part most of the time? Once you start, then you see a little bit of progress and it gives a little ray of hope, and courage to take the next step. Stop putting it off~block off Saturday afternoon, pick up the paint, move the furniture, cover the floor, and you will love that you took the plunge when you step back and realize you love the room you just created.
This was taken from a series I shared on my blog this year. I would love to see you over at 320 Sycamore if you want to come visit!
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Are you sensing some themes here at this point in our series? I sure am ;)! Gathering inspiration has to be your first step…always! And I couldn’t agree more with copying. My master bedroom is a total Heather Chadduck copy, and I love it. Gathering takes patience and can at times be the hardest part…but it’s also the most thrilling! And then of course you have to just go for it. If you’ve planned ahead of time, the plunge isn’t scary and it is exhilarating to see your room match your mind’s eye (or inspiration photo)! Are you inspired to tackle a project now? Thank you Melissa!
Thank you so much for your website. I am totally paralyzed when it comes from moving from my ideas in my head to actually picking and slapping on a coat of paint. I love thrift stores and am always afraid to just go for it when I love something and it may be “different”. Thank you so much for giving me the tools to go from “I think I would like to do ______ with this room, to knowing how to articulate my ideas and share them and just go for it! Love your website and have re-pinned several parts of it. Thanks for Austin!
Thank you so much for such a great article. We just moved and our living room is still empty…completely! I just didn’t know where to start! I guess I will start gathering my inspiration.
Great tips! I struggle all the time with putting a room together. I think it’s because I do too many little things over time and don’t have a general plan.
That $20 sun wall mirror seems to be popping up everywhere. I saw it on another blog post too!
These tips are awesome! I have been having the itch to redecorate some of the rooms in our home and this post got me excited to stop talking about it and get started! I’m off to gather all my inspiration photos now!
Great tips! I’ve never created an ‘inspiration’ book or board but that is SO great of an idea! I have learned not to grab things because they’re cheap or on 90% clearance but only if they ‘fit’ what I’m looking for. Getting ready to have a guest room for the first time in 27 years of marriage (my son is getting married) so I am definitely going to start an inspiration book or maybe use Pinterest (which I’m still struggling to figure out!). Thanks for all of the great ideas!
you are a wise woman. I have to really stop myself and ask, “okay, do you LOVE this, or do you just kind of like it because it is a really good deal?” Such a struggle for me…
copying is a great way to get inspiration and a similar look that you’d get by hiring a designer! I too love inspiration boards! Thank god for Pinterest now! It totally saves me tons of paper!!!
It’s so darn addicting. And has added a gajillion new projects to my brain!
Great post! I am enjoying trying to be creative and seeing just how cheap I can do things. My new favorite hobby! LOL
don’t you love it even more when it’s beautiful AND inexpensive?
Melissa is just the best. She’s such a beautiful woman, both inside and out, and she does a wonderful job of sharing great projects both large and small on her blog. She’s one of the loveliest women in the entire blogosphere (kind of like you!). These tips for how to pull a room together are great!
Richella,
Could you just sit on my shoulder and whisper encouragement in my ear all day? you are the best.
Such great advice, Melissa! I need to be more intentional about gathering my inspiration… I tend to be a little haphazard and so I’m scattered when it comes to completing a project or a room redo. Thanks for reminding me to FOCUS! 🙂
Thanks, Beth, for another winner! xoxo
Oh girl, I’ve got 5 projects going right now, I don’t know if I’d exactly say I’m focused.. 🙂
This is awesome. Thanks, Melissa. I first stumbled upon your blog via Home & Harmony. I absolutely love your ideas, your way of motivating, your candor. Well done.
thank you, Christan!
I’ve made the mistake of not gathering inspiration and the room still isn’t finished. It’s definitely worth it to take time and find ideas/ room you like before starting!
I love to gather until I feel like I have enough to “begin” Problem is, sometimes I gather too much 🙂