PROJECT CONDO: THINGS I'VE LEARNED DECORATING

You may have been following me since I first started blogging about my adventures in decorating. We moved here late July of last year and *sllloooowwwly* I've been working on decorating our condo and making progress. I completed our dining room in December and have finally moved onto the living room! Through this process so far, I've learned a couple things that I think might be helpful for you in your own decorating journey and for me as I continue truckin' along. :)

1. One Room at a Time - This was a "rule" I set for myself early on and so far it's been working out pretty good. I DO think it's important to make sure you have your essentials in your other spaces first. For example, our mattress is currently on the floor and has been for a couple months...time to buy a bed!! Even though we aren't working on our bedroom at this point, some would say it's *important* to have a bed. ;) This will put us a little behind on our living room progress if we decide to invest in the bed of our dreams OR we might decide to purchase a box-spring and a metal frame to use temporarily until we are ready to decorate the bedroom. It's important to look at your budget and look at what essentials are needed. Once you feel like you have the essentials throughout your space, I would encourage you to try out the "one room at a time" decorating method. It helps you to stay focused, put your entire vision together for a room and it really helped me to see progress and have something I could call complete at the end.

2. Budget - Decorating a space isn't always the most economical way to spend your paycheck. I would recommend setting aside a budgeted amount of money each month to dedicate to decorating your space. This will challenge you to really think about your purchases and feel good about not running up any debt. Every once in a while we will throw a little extra towards our home budget to make a bigger purchase, but we are always sure it fits in our budget and that we don't have any other pressing needs that month.

3. It's Okay to be Slow - I think I'm coming to realize more and more that I am a slow process kinda girl when it comes to decorating. I really like to take my time thinking through ideas, looking at all of the rug options available in the world, asking friends and family their opinions, finally making a purchase and THEN incorporating it into my space. I'm NOT naturally gifted in decorating. In fact, it can really overwhelm me. I have a vision, I know what I like...but I always have difficulties executing my vision and staying focused on one space. If you are a quick decorator, awesome! If it takes you a little longer to put everything together, no problem!! I think the main thing is to remember to keep perservering and stay inspired. It also helps to have friends who are good at helping you put everything together and bounce ideas off of! Just to note...I haven't made much progress in my living room! I'm a little stuck on the vision, but plan to take my time. There's no rush! 

4. Pinterest is AMAZING - Being able to collect pieces and ideas in one space is so helpful for creating your vision. It's important to have a guide so you can stay focused and see the whole picture. I did this with my dining room and it really helped me create a fluid space and hone in on the feel I wanted for that space. It's also helpful when making purchases! It's easy to buy something because it looks great, but it may not be the best piece for your space. Having an inspiration board will help you keep your ideas, colors, textures, patterns, and pieces in one place for a quick reference.

5. Stay Inspired - I've found myself loosing momentum when a room just isn't coming together as quickly as I would like. It's important to keep yourself inspired and excited about your project. Make a pin board, look through decorating books in the bookstore, visit friends homes who are great at decorating and get their advice, watch a little HGTV and my favorite, let the space you HAVE completed inspire you to keep going!

If you have any decorating tips and tricks, feel free to leave any resources in the comment section below!