{ where to start when designing a room }

one of the main issues i see my friends and family have when designing a room from scratch is not knowing where to begin. an empty room is one of the most glorious but intimidating things on earth. (alright, probably not on earth, but just go with me here.)

most designers have their own process that they use when starting from scratch, so there is no end all be all method. i read a great article the other day on a designer that i really love who always begins his designs with the walls, which i found really interesting. i absolutely love shopping for fabrics and textiles, and since that's where i'm most inspired, that's typically where i begin. one of the BEST pieces of advice for those who are trying to decorate their own home though, is to begin from the ground up. many times a rug will give you an instant color scheme to pull from, which takes the guess work out of figuring out what goes with what. 

here's a simple little doo dad that i put together in photoshop as an example...

now that's pretty basic - it's got just the essentials for the most part so use your imagination and build in some art and accessories, but you get the gist. 

so i started with the rug, and when i came across that peacock blue sofa it was all over, y'all. it perfectly picks out the deeper blue tones running through the carpet. the pillows and lamps were colors that i took from the rug as well, and the chair, tables and ivory paint are neutrals to keep things feeling grounded and sophisticated (though now that i'm looking back at the room i'm thinking crisp white paint would work nicely too).

another key component to take into account are the shapes in the room. the sofa and side tables are all square and streamlined, so i wanted to be sure to add in some curves with the coffee table and chair. if you were to put in a square/rectangular coffee table instead, it might look more like this...

while i love the coffee table itself, it all feels a bit too boxy for me. which look do you prefer? any tips for others on how to approach the design process? do tell!