Furnishing and decorating a room from scratch has its upsides and its downsides. On one hand, you have a clean slate to work with, giving you endless possibilities! On the other, you have so many decisions to make and things to purchase which can become overwhelming and expensive! Although I’m usually really impatient and want everything to be completed immediately, I’m slowing myself down with my home office project and making sure that I love everything that goes into the room. The following steps will help you {gradually} achieve the look you want when decorating any room.

Step One:  Close your eyes and try to create a vision of your ideal space, from the colors and patterns, to the furniture and lighting. If you’re having a hard time, browse websites such as DecorPad, Apartment Therapy, HGTV, and Pinterest for inspiration!

{Color inspiration for my home office…gorgeous!}

Step Two:  Assess your space. Pay particular attention to the wall color, the flooring, and the lighting you are working with. Adjust accordingly to match your vision…now’s the perfect time to paint (if you need to) and install a new light fixture.

{Here is what I was working with…gross!}

{Much better with the paint and rug, don’t you think?}

{I added this chandelier, which I absolutely love!}

Step Three:  Determine the type of furniture you will need for your room and then draft a layout of where you’ll place everything. You want to create a livable environment that will be comfortable and meet your needs.

{I’m no artist but you get the idea!!!}

Step Four:  Purchase your furniture. If you are unable to purchase everything at once, that’s okay! You already have an idea in your head of what pieces you want and where in the room you’ll place them so just add when you can. Get creative by stealing items from other rooms in your home, browsing thrift stores, checking out Craigslist.org, or hacking Ikea furniture. Look past fabrics and colors, as long as the piece is of good quality you can always reupholster and/or paint it.

{I chose this white Ikea Desk sans glass. The glass top was temporarily pulled from shelves due to safety concerns.}

{I bought the Ikea Dressing Table to serve as a console.}

{I hacked this Ikea chest! You can’t even tell it’s the same piece of furniture!}

{I also hacked this Ikea Shelving Unit after seeing some Pinterest inspiration! Super easy DIY, can’t wait to share!}

{I’m totally loving my Ghost Chair! Not authentic, but looks incredible for the price!}

Step Five:  Now that the furniture is in place, it’s time to decorate! Hang curtains, add that chic area rug, and start styling! {I’m currently working on this step!}

XO, Louisa

{Source: Inspiration Photo}

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