Introduction to the design process

Introduction to the Design Process

Every designer will have their own slightly unique process when it comes to decorating. In this lesson, I'll be talking through the way I approach designing a room, as well as my top tips to get you started.

My Professional Design Process

1. Floor Plan

Every great room starts with a great floor plan, and this is a really important first step in the design process. A floor plan is invaluable, as it will help you work out exactly how much space you have to play with, and can be a tool to see how the scale of furniture items might look in a room.

2. Palette

When thinking about what colours and materials to use in a room, I like to work from the ground up and often will build an entire scheme using a rug as a starting point. Try to get the largest possible rug that you can so that it fills a room.

3. Sourcing

Make sure to order items with the longest lead time first – these are often things you are getting custom made. Visit auction houses and antique shops to source unusual pieces that will give your room character.

4. Installation

Once all your plans have been finalised, and every element of the new room has been purchased and collected, it's time to enact your vision and see everything come to life. I like to do this all in one day, where we bring everything in and set it all up as a complete room.

Designing for Yourself

If you're undertaking a project in your own home, organising a big installation day is likely unrealistic. However, it's still important to be mindful of the bigger picture and to keep a strong sense of how the room will look in its entirety, even if you are slowly adding things piece by piece.

Consider the House as a Whole

The scheme of each room should be viewed in relation to how it sits next to, and within, the other colour schemes of the house. For example, rooms that are full of pattern and luxe materials should be balanced with other spaces that are more centred around block colours and chalky matt textures. Similarly, a room decorated in rich hues could be balanced by decorating a neighbouring room in a much cooler and calmer palette.

You are trying to orchestrate a push and pull between disparate elements, to create tension and excitement within your decorating schemes. In order to execute this successfully, you always need to think of how the whole house will look, and not just consider each room as a separate entity.

If You're Designing for Someone Else

When working for a client, it's important to work out exactly what their likes and dislikes are. Ask them to look through magazines and social media to find pictures of styles and colours that really appeal to them.

It can also be helpful to look at a client's wardrobe for inspiration. This will tell you whether they like pattern, whether they're confident with colour, and the sorts of materials they are drawn to.

Where to Find Inspiration

Start a folder or box of images you find that you love, and add to it continuously. For digital images you find online, Pinterest boards are an enormously helpful way to collate these.

From these images, you can start to pull out specific elements you like, or observe common themes that run through multiple images and earmark these to include in your scheme.

Your Assignment

Begin to get organised, and think about how best to arrange your inspirational images. Perhaps find a box file or folder to house your physical tear sheets, and either start a Pinterest board or create a folder on your phone in which to place your digital images.