3 Things To Do Before You Decorate

Home decorating and interior styling bring life, personality, and warmth to a home.  There are many different ways to decorate.

However, before you begin there are a few things you should do to ensure the best results.

If you start adding decor or furniture into a space before you address these 3 things, you may find yourself struggling to get the look you envisioned.

If you’ve ever found yourself decorating a space and no matter how many times you revisit it, something is just off; this post is for you.

Here are the 3 things everyone should do before decorating that will make all the difference.

1. Declutter Before You Decorate

Decluttering your space prior to layering on more items is incredibly important.

Consider removing items that do not compliment the home decor style you’re trying to create.

Remove placeholder items; those being temporary solutions you’re using until you find something better.  Remove unnecessary items or decor accents that just don’t look good in the space.

Clear out your space and leave only the things you absolutely love and want.

If you skip this step and go straight to the store, stock up on adorable decor, and then try to work them into your space on top of what’s already there it won’t work.

Always keep in mind that your desire to decorate or redecorate stems from the feeling you’re currently getting when you walk into your space.  It’s important to identify what exactly you don’t like or what you think doesn’t work before adding new items into the mix.

2. Clean Before You Decorate

Dust, vacuum, sweep, mop, etc.  A sparkling clean space makes a big difference in the overall feel of your room.

If you’re hoping for that “wow” effect when you walk into your newly decorated space, you won’t get it with specks on the carpet, foggy windows, dusty window sills, and grungy baseboards.  These things, while they may seem minor, make a huge difference cumulatively on a space.

So, always clean before you decorate.

3. Photograph Your Space

In an earlier post, we talked about the power for photographing your space in order to obtain an objective look or a 3rd person perspective.  This is really important.

Especially, if you’ve been looking at, planning, and working in a space for hours/days/weeks, etc.  We tend to zone in on specific areas and lose the ability to see the space in a comprehensive way.

Taking a photograph will show you your gaps, areas that appear cluttered, or elements with poor spacing.

Being able to identify these things is needed to create a cohesive feel within your space and your home.  A few quick snapshots will help direct you and identify where to start.  Plus, before and after photos are always fun.

Of course, if you’re working with a completely empty room you could probably skip this step.

Once you’ve completed these three steps, decorate away.  If you’re not sure where to start, I recommend checking out the post “6 Home Decorating Skills I Learned on Skillshare” to get started.

Do you have any tips you’d like to share about how you start decorating?  I’d love to hear them in the comments below.

If you enjoyed this post, please share it with a friend.  For more content from Dianne Decor check us out on Bloglovin’ and Instagram.