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Tackling an Unfinished Room

How do you start your projects?  Do you choose your palette and go from there? DIY Blogger Stefanie Schiada of Brooklyn Limestone tells Glidden® how she tackles her DIY projects planning and how picking your colors may be easier than you think.

Deciding what to do with an empty or unfinished room is often daunting and sometimes overwhelming. While I’m still very far from mastering the skill, I do have a few simple tricks I like to use to help me in my design adventures. 
Tackling an Unfinished Room
I always like to start with an inspirational piece that helps guide all of the following decisions. Using a central point of reference makes all of those other little details flow a lot easier for me, whether it be some detail in the room that I have to work with or something I love that I can base the whole room’s look around. In my master bedroom, that existing detail was the original tiling in the fireplace surround. Since I knew that wasn’t going anywhere, it made it easier to decide what to add or keep out based on how well it worked with the tiles. 
INSPIRATION 

Unfinished room

INSPIRATION 

I always like to start with an inspirational piece that helps guide all of the following decisions. Using a central point of reference makes all of those other little details flow a lot easier for me, whether it be some detail in the room that I have to work with or something I love that I can base the whole room’s look around. In my master bedroom, that existing detail was the original tiling in the fireplace surround. Since I knew that wasn’t going anywhere, it made it easier to decide what to add or keep out based on how well it worked with the tiles. 
I always like to incorporate a bit of myself into every space. If it’s a little unexpected, that is even better. A room never looks lived in to me without something a little bit odd. There are so many ways this can be done, but I find it’s the most often overlooked element in most people’s décor. In my master bedroom, I created some artwork to hang, put up some of my favorite photos and added a bit of quirk with a jewelry display.

PERSONALITY

I always like to incorporate a bit of myself into every space. If it’s a little unexpected, that is even better. A room never looks lived in to me without something a little bit odd. There are so many ways this can be done, but I find it’s the most often overlooked element in most people’s décor. In my master bedroom, I created some artwork to hang, put up some of my favorite photos and added a bit of quirk with a jewelry display.
Personally I find selecting a color palette to be far too difficult to do cold turkey. That’s where the inspiration and personality items I’ve already selected come in. Chances are those items have already decided the colors you have to work with. You just need to select one or two of your favorites to draw out into the rest of the room. It took me a long while to get going on my master bedroom because I struggled with the color palette. It wasn’t until I realized I had already had it narrowed down that it became clear. Now wasn’t that easy?

Visualize Your Project
COLOR

Color in unfinished room

COLOR

Personally I find selecting a color palette to be far too difficult to do cold turkey. That’s where the inspiration and personality items I’ve already selected come in. Chances are those items have already decided the colors you have to work with. You just need to select one or two of your favorites to draw out into the rest of the room. It took me a long while to get going on my master bedroom because I struggled with the color palette. It wasn’t until I realized I had already had it narrowed down that it became clear. Now wasn’t that easy?

Visualize Your Project
Once I have that decided, I pull together all the other elements in a single place. In my case, I do it digitally but you can also do the same thing in a notebook. Either way, I can see how all the pieces work together. If something doesn’t seem to flow right, I swap it out. I may change things up later but having it all down in one place keeps me focused on the room and on track.
PUT IT TOGETHER

Completed and furnished room

PUT IT TOGETHER

Once I have that decided, I pull together all the other elements in a single place. In my case, I do it digitally but you can also do the same thing in a notebook. Either way, I can see how all the pieces work together. If something doesn’t seem to flow right, I swap it out. I may change things up later but having it all down in one place keeps me focused on the room and on track.
And now the final step—DO IT! I make a list and check it twice. What projects do I want to undertake? What items do I already have to work with? What pieces do I need to buy? Even if I’m still feeling a little shaky, I just get up and get going, starting with the projects I’m most sure about and seeing how the room comes together. I add and take away as I progress until it’s where I want. Of course, this is the most time consuming part, but it’s also the most rewarding.

That’s my process. It sounds simple but it works for me.

Find Your Favorite Paint Colors

DO IT!

And now the final step—DO IT! I make a list and check it twice. What projects do I want to undertake? What items do I already have to work with? What pieces do I need to buy? Even if I’m still feeling a little shaky, I just get up and get going, starting with the projects I’m most sure about and seeing how the room comes together. I add and take away as I progress until it’s where I want. Of course, this is the most time consuming part, but it’s also the most rewarding.

That’s my process. It sounds simple but it works for me.

Find Your Favorite Paint Colors