Welcome to Day 4 of our How to Decorate {for the DIY’er} series! If you’ve missed out on any days, you’ll be able to find them all here. The line up for this week is goooood peeps and we’re starting it off with a bang. Sarah, Thrifty Decor Chick, is the Queen of DIY. She makes wielding power tools look like child’s play. Like….for real. She makes power tools look so fun, and easy, and attainable, and doable! I hope to be Sarah when I grow up, but until then I will be content to call her friend and glean all I can from her brilliance.
I can’t imagine that any of you are unfamiliar with Sarah’s work, but just in case you were abducted by aliens for several years or living under a rock (without internet) I’ll share with you two of my latest favorite Sarah posts!
You all know I love a good mantel and Sarah has quite a few of them to decorate. In her Mirror Over the Mantel post, she explains step by step how she created this mantelscape and gives tips on working with corner fireplaces. See that mirror? Yeah, she just whipped up a frame for it. Mmmm, hmmm….all in a day’s work for Sarah!
And my all-time favorite Thrifty Decor Chick space to date is this adorable book nook! Ack! I love it! Sarah generously shares how she turned a plain closet into this masterpiece.
This girl has skills! Mad ones. So let’s grab our notepads and get ready to learn how she does it!
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Well hello there! My name is Sarah and I’m Thrifty Decor Chick! I’m so thrilled to be guest posting at my friend Beth’s place today! I just love her to death – and appreciate her having me here with one of my favorite decorating tips…one I’m trying to be better about following myself. 😉
If you’re considering reworking the decor in a room, or even starting from scratch, there’s one piece of advice that I find helps immensely. It’s really, really, deep, so listen carefully…
Start with some inspiration.
I know. Duh, right? But I’m not just talking a picture out of a magazine, I mean a piece of art, a photograph, a pillow, an accessory or fabric. Anything!
I say this and don’t always follow my own advice, but when I do, it makes the whole process go SO much smoother!
When I started a redo of my office (uh…a year ago?) I waited until I had found JUST the right drapery fabric to inspire me:
Because I was starting all over with the room, I knew the window treatments would make a big impact, so I searched and searched for something that hit me just so, and those sure did!
They’ve inspired the whole space:
It’s still not close to done (hangs blogger head in shame), but it’s going to be gorgeous when it is! I pulled the colors for the ceiling, walls and accessories from that gorgeous fabric.
I think it’s WAY easier to start with an item you love than to pick a wall color and work backwards.
Ask me how I know. And then ask me why I keep doing it. I think I’m a sucker for paint chips.
Case in point – our master bedroom:
I ALWAYS fall in love with a paint color first and then get all giddy and gung ho and start painting…and then try to find drapery fabric or pillows or any kind of accent color and it’s always a major pain to find items that work.
I painted a lovely grayish green color in our bedroom, then I started looking for bedding and couldn’t find anything that worked with the color.
I kind of gave up and went with a white duvet with a chocolate brown accent, which we liked – but last year I found a Target duvet that works with the room that we LOVE. It took me months to find something that worked with the wall color.
The only problem with taking my own advice that it takes major patience — it takes time to find that perfect item that sets the tone for your room.
I’ve been planning to redo our guest room for years – really. I started out my old way, by picking a paint color first. But none of the colors I considered felt right. I knew I had to start with fabrics, and I finally found them (in the form of bedding) a few weeks ago at TJMaxx:
I LOVE them!
The best part? The paint color is picked out for me – I found one that works perfectly with the new bedding! You’ll just have to stay tuned to see what it is. 😉
So how do you do a redo? Do you start with a paint color or with a piece of inspiration? I do both…but find it far easier when I take my own advice.
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Okay, start with something that inspires you and work from there if you want your project to go smoothly. Fantastic tip and I couldn’t agree more! And wow, isn’t that bedding gorgeous? I can’t wait to see what paint color she chose! Thank you so much Sarah for being such a great teacher and friend! You’re da bomb diggity dot come :).
Tomorrow we hear from another decorating and crafting genius, Stephanie Lynn from Under the Table and Dreaming! Tutorials & Tips party and review will post tonight. See you then!
Could you please give me the name of the bedding you found at TJ Maxx. This is exactly what I have been looking for but the TJ’s here doesn’t have it. I love it & love reading your posts!
Oh my goodness!!! I want that book nook!!! For me!!! Just lovely. Everything!
It’s amazing the places we can find inspiration. Unfortunately, I too am guilty of falling in love with a paint color then realising it’s just not quite working. I also love too many kinds of fabric. Oh the torture of having too many choices!
Sadly… I’m totally a sucker for paint chips too! Wish I had started the other way, with the inspiration piece, that is!
Oh Sarah! I could write page after page of lamentations over how many times I have started with the paint color and then struggled to make everything else work. For example: every room in my house. Without exception.
I like to think I’ve finally learned my lesson and would do it right the next time, but let’s be real. Probably not. 🙂
Beth, this series is GREAT!
Loving this series girlfriend! And Sarah was my very first bloggy crush… but not in a weird way! I love all of the things she shares and does and makes, but most of all I love her openness and transparency. She makes you feel like you are having coffee with a friend when you read one of her posts:)
As someone who has had the privilege of hanging out with Sarah I can say that she is just as real, and warm, and hilarious in person as she is on her blog :).
This is such common sense but like you said, it’s so easy to not do it! Thank you for giving me this bit of reminder advice that I hope I never again forget. Fabrics make everything else easier. I am still looking for a new duvet after almost a year. Haven’t seen quite the right thing yet and I know it’s going to determine everything else. Ah, you’ve really encouraged me to do this bedroom redo right. THANKS!!!
Great ideas and beautiful home! Thanks Beth for doing this series!
Debbie
Excellent advice! I find it so much easier to buy the fabric first. If I try to find the paint color first, I end up with a multicolored wall (with all the paint samples) and a frustrated husband (who just wants me to decide).
i have the VERY same bedding I got not long ago from TJ MAXX, so I am curious how you go about decorating the bedroom around it. =)
Lucky girl! That bedding is gorgeous :).
This bedding is delicious… how long ago did you get it!
Great ideas! Especially love that Mantel. Looks so fresh and Spring/Summer like! Great tips, thanks for sharing.
I have GOT to do a book nook! How adorable is that!!! My girls LOVE to read for quiet time, so we got them these mini recliners for kids, but our oldest is just about out of it. A book nook would be perfect for her!
I can soooo identify, Sarah! I used to be paint-happy and then my rooms would be unfinished for YEARS (yes, YEARS) until I could pull it all together. And often I ended up re-painting to work with a favorite fabric, piece of art, or accessory. Trial and error is my decorating style. 🙂
Thanks for sharing– the book nook is precious; makes me long for a little one to create it for, but my teens would never agree to read in a cozy little closet. 🙁
Kudos, Beth, on another great contributor!! xo
Beth, I just love this series your having! I find myself anticipating each post…and having a hard time waiting for the next one!
And Sarah…I love your inspiration advice. I, too, lose my head when I see a whole wall of paint chips…! I’ve learned also that finding the fabric first speeds up the whole process (and it seems to work well for Sara Richardson!:)) That said, though…I confess to sometimes painting the “perfect color” on a whim…and then waiting and waiting for the “perfect fabric”!
I’m loving this series too and am having trouble not posting early when someone sends it on over! So fun!