How to Tackle Decorating an Empty Room

I have the privilege of working with a builder to choose finishes and decorate a model home that isn’t even built yet. Once the house is built, my team will bring in all the furnishings the following week. That leaves no time to shop after the house is built. You may be wondering where we would even start to decorate when we cannot even see the finished space.

To begin, I found a kitchen inspiration photo from Pinterest to guide our selections and conversations about the overall feel in the house. Each room can be different, but the kitchen really steers the ship when you want to create a cohesive home. I have five steps to help you tackle the task of decorating empty rooms.

photo: Pinterest

Step 1: Keep Your Hard Finishes Neutral

Your expensive hard finishes are not the areas where you want to start getting really creative. Keep these simple, and you will love your house a lot longer. We worked together to pick out all the elements that will actually go into the build - flooring, wall tile, countertops, cabinets, stone, paint, and the list goes on.

Step 2: Select a Pattern to Guide Your Color Scheme

One of the bedrooms in this model will be styled for girls. I chose a muted rug with tones of pinks, blues, red, and grays to give lots of options for the other pieces. To successfully pull a room together, choose a rug, printed pillow (other fabric), or piece of artwork to as inspiration for colors and selections.

Step 3: Choose Larger Furniture Pieces

To achieve a designer look, mix up the finishes on your large pieces of furniture. If this seems too risky, you can always choose matching sets, but taking a chance at least now and then is a great idea. Consider a side table, book case, or ottoman to bring a little surprise in the space. One idea here was to bring in green nightstands to add a pop of color. When you bring in color, the magic starts to happen.

Step 4: Put Everything Together on a Mood Board

Mood Board: Clover Lane Design

Plop your selections onto a mood board (as easy as using Google Slides or Power Point). Do not skip this step! Placing things together in one spot will help you see the overall picture, and allow you to weed out pieces that won’t coordinate. It also helps you compare things so that you pick what you really love! Continue to add the smaller decorative items such as pillows, artwork, mirrors, vases, etc. Notice how this mood board allows me to compare two different nightstands. Which one would you pick - the light wood tone or the green nightstand?

Step 5: Choose Your Paint Color

EVEN IF you have to pick a paint color before you start decorating, you must get everything on a mood board (or have samples with you) before you select a color. The best paint is the one that matches your finishes and decorating. Here we chose Sherwin Williams 6254 Lazy Gray. This color keeps the room looking somewhat grown-up and not too juvenile.

Creating mood boards and making color selections is a passion of mine. If you are ready to tackle a decorating project, use these five steps and you will find it easier to confidently move forward. If this is not your jam, I’m here to help! Happy decorating!

Until next time,

Shana