Do you ever feel overwhelmed with where to start when designing a room? If you want to give a room a refresh, here are the first four steps I usually take to get started, to organize my thoughts, needs and style preferences so I can move forward with a plan!
1. Assess the Space
First I look at the space I have. What do I like about it? What do I not like? Do I like the colors, the arrangement, the furniture? Most importantly, how does it feel to be in here? Consider the current mood and what you’d like to change about it. Are there any cluttered spots that need to be addressed? Are there certain corners or particular angles that don’t inspire you? Do any initial ideas come to mind? I don’t have to solve it all…I just use this time to observe what’s working and what isn’t. You can write down your observations in a notebook if you’d like!
2. Gather Inspiration
Next I begin to gather inspiration! I start by looking for anything and everything that inspires me. I don’t worry too much yet about the practicality of the idea or the why behind my inspiration…I’ll get to that next! If an image, idea or art or piece of furniture speaks to me in any way, I save it. If I use books I flag them with little sticky notes (I shared my favorite home design books HERE). If it’s online inspiration, I will pin them to a Pinterest board, or if it’s on Instagram I use the little flag button on the bottom right to save them to a specific folder.
3. Observe and Find Takeaway Tips
Now that I have some inspiration saved, I try to analyze my photos and take note of what elements I like (I’ve done several posts about this called Takeaway Tips, see all here!). Sometimes I find I will save an inspiration photo but don’t know why it was that I gravitated toward it. Look closely and observe what specifically you like. Maybe you saved a photo of a kitchen that looks nothing like the style of your home. Upon observation, you note that it is a bright white kitchen with colorful cookbooks on built-in shelves. The takeaway from that might be that you feel inspired by bright white spaces with pops of color on open shelves.
4. Look for the Patterns
Next I look for patterns in the inspiration photos I chose. It could be literal patterns (like stripes or plaid!) but I’m mostly looking for color schemes, furniture elements or room styles that I seemed to choose repetitively. Did I save lots of photos with moody dark walls? Do I seem to love the look of a room full of antiques? Do I like the streamlined look of built-ins? I also refer back to the takeaway tips, because that can help refine the specific elements I want to incorporate. I might have saved several photos of white rooms, but once I look for patterns I realize what I really was inspired by was the architecture of white paneling, or maybe I really like the way vintage wood furniture looks against the white walls, for example.
Also I find it helpful to ask myself honestly if any of the patterns are mostly driven by current trends, rather than what I actually like for my own home. I might save a lot of moody earthy toned rooms, but it’s helpful to remind myself that while I might love them in photos that doesn’t mean they will be the right choice for my home. It’s OK to discover that you love a certain look in photos and yet not choose it for your home.
After completing those four steps….I start to feel much more equipped to begin making the specific plans and design decisions for my own space!
In my next post I’ll share some of the inspiration photos I’ve started to gather as I brainstorm ideas for my new kitchen remodel!
I’ll also give you an update on my bedroom and plans for that for “A Lovely January”. If you missed the details about that challenge, you can catch up and join us here.
More inspiration on The Inspired Room:
How to Find Your Style (+ My Favorite Home Design Books) – VIDEO
How to Get Inspired and Find Your Decor Style
How to Decorate with Inspiration Room (Takeaway Tips)
More Takeaway Tips Posts

Find decor advice in my books The Inspired Room, Simple Decorating, and But Where Do I Put the Couch + Answers to 100 Other Home Decorating Questions.
Check out my “How to Decorate” page to find decor inspiration room by room.
You can also follow my new Instagram @theinspiredroomstyle for style advice and our thoughtfully curated selection of timeless furniture and charming accessories! More

Today I’m going to share four possible mood boards for a little bedroom project I’m going to work on for the winter months, featuring some inspiration pieces I found from Walmart. It’s so nice to find items that are affordable, accessible AND so stylish! Thank you Walmart for sponsoring this post.
As fellow homebodies, it can be so therapeutic to have projects or fun activities we are looking forward around the house in the upcoming months (rather than just dreading winter.) In my last post I introduced you to my favorite feature in my new bedroom (it’s a dream come true!) AND the new project I’m looking forward to!
I’m excited to be making a few simple updates to our new bedroom, not only to pull the space together and make it our own, but so we can enjoy it for the winter months!
Today I want to share with you four possible mood boards we created for the room. Perhaps they will inspire you, too! I wanted to put together some options that could be cozy for winter but also items that would feel right at home or easy to switch out in the spring, too! The items we used in these mood boards were all found at Walmart, so they are easy to find and are affordable, too.
Thankfully Walmart makes decorating or updating a home for the seasons so simple and fun! I love to shop online and Walmart has been doing a great job at not only having stylish items that I want or need for my home or occasion, but getting things shipped in a timely way is so wonderful (and rare!) these days! But if you need something right now or at the spur of the moment, stopping in Walmart to shop is convenient, too.
Take a look at the four mood boards below! Which board is your favorite? Or would you mix and match items in a different way? You can find me on Instagram stories, so I’d love to hear your thoughts on which items YOU like best! You’ll find the sources for each mood board linked below and in the scrolling bars.
LOOK ONE:

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Stormy Shore Framed Artwork
Nautical and Coastal Framed Ship Artwork
Decorative Throw Pillow with Stripes and Tassels
Cream and Navy Traditional Area Rug
Chunky Knitted Ivory Throw Blanket (multiple color options)
Linen Trim Light Blue Decorative Pillow
Green Ceramic Lamp with Oatmeal Lampshade
Gray Striped Duvet Cover Set
Rustic Pharmacy Floor Lamp Wood and Metal
Ivory Shams / Duvet Set

LOOK TWO:

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Botanical Art
Rustic Cream Lamp with Linen Shade
Round Gold Metal Frame Mirror
Ticking Stripe Shams & Quilt
Sweater Knit Ivory Accent Pillow
Traditional Black Area Rug
Faux Olive Branch Plant in Ceramic Pot
Antique Brass Pharmacy Floor Lamp
Chunky Knitted Gray Throw Blanket
Charcoal Gray Duvet Cover Sham Set
Velvet and Metal Gray Tabletop Frame
White and Brass Leg Tabletop Alarm Clock

LOOK THREE:

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Coastal Canvas Art
Distressed White Porthole Mirror
Navy Blue and White Textured Accent Pillow
Tonal Navy Plaid Flannel Duvet Cover and Sham Set
Navy Tabletop Picture Frame – Velvet and Metal
Antique Gold Brass and Glass Square Picture Frame
Ceramic Gray and Gold Lamp
Aged Brass Pharmacy Floor Reading Lamp
Faux Peperomia Plant in Basket
Gray Herringbone Throw Blanket
Natural Fiber Braided Area Rug

LOOK FOUR:

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Botanical Roses Artwork
Rattan Loop Round Wall Mirror
Chenille 3 Piece Duvet Cover and Sham Set (multiple colors)
Gray and White Patterned Sheet Set 100% Cotton (multiple color and pattern options)
Blue and White Woven Throw Blanket
Green Plaid Accent Pillow (multiple color options)
Linen Trim White Decorative Throw Pillow
Ceramic Aqua Lamp
Distressed Vintage Blue Area Rug
Faux Aloe Plant in Stone Planter
Wood Decorative Boxes
Bronze Floor Adjustable Pharmacy Reading Lamp

Did you pick a favorite? What elements spoke to you?
The reason I call these our “mood boards” is because they are more than just “design boards.” To me, designing a room isn’t just about showcasing a particular style (although that’s fun too!), it’s about how the room will feel to be in it. Mood boards help me to visualize the feeling of the room when all of the accessories will come together, which in turn helps me to focus on some practical ways I can uplift my real-life mood in every season!
I like to try out different colors, patterns and accessories or even bring together different styles to see what combinations speak to me. The mood of a space can also be impacted by the features of the room itself as well as what’s going on in my life, so it’s fun to pull all of those elements together!
When you need a new mood in your room (and life, ha), there are several options. You can shop your house to switch things around from room to room, add some new seasonal accessories or elements to give what you have a whole new look, or play around with different furniture or art arrangements and even paint colors.
I’m going to do all the above for my bedroom this winter! Our style is collected, which means we gather pieces over time (whether they are handed down, vintage finds or anything new to us that speaks to us or meets our current needs).
You can make mood boards with items representing things you already have, or just show new items that could help you create a fresh vision for your space! The items on our mood board are new possibilities for our room, which we will mix in with what we already have.
I can’t wait to show you more of our room and the design updates after Christmas.
We often make our room mood boards with Photoshop, but you can also make them with poster boards, bulletin boards or even online options like using Pinterest or Instagram to gather inspiration. Do whatever inspires you! Mood boards and room updates can be a fun winter activity.
By the way, I share more simple ideas for enjoying every day life at home through each season in my new book A Lovely Life, which will come out this spring!
I hope you enjoyed seeing these mood boards as much as we enjoyed creating them! Don’t forget to tell me which board is your favorite! Or how you would you mix and match them in your own way! That’s the fun of a mood board, you can create a look that inspires YOU!
Find more cozy winter finds from Walmart Home here! More

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Want inspiration for how to decorate your home for spring? Today’s post has lots of ideas to make your home oh-so-springy with staple spring accessories (that you might already have!). You’ll find lots of helpful tips and advice featuring pretty and practical ideas (many of which I’ve used in my own home over the years), plus a spring mood board!
Spring decor basics (a few ideas!): vessels, blooms, botanicals, throw pillows, spring mugs, light layers, candles, artwork, plants (real or faux), books, trays, baskets
Espresso Machine
1. Adds Sprigs of Spring Flowers in a Vase
Snip some flowers from your yard, or divide a bouquet into smaller bud vases. You can even use dried florals, like lavender. They last a long time so you get a lot of bang for your buck!
Patterned throw on back of sofa
2. Layer in Lightweight Throw Blankets
Change up your decor with a lightweight throw blanket! These mudcloth throw blankets are absolutely perfect for tossing over furniture as an added layer of texture, pattern, and color. They’re reversible, lightweight, soft, and machine washable! I shared about these last summer and still really love them, I got them in several patterns (grey/taupe and white Swiss cross, a blue and white geometric, a blue and white Swiss cross blanket, and this floral one. Read more about these blankets and see more photos here.

3. Spring Doormat
A fresh spring doormat can lift your spirits as you enter your home. You can even layer in a pretty patterned rug underneath.
Related Sources: Plaid Rug // Homebody doormat is from this shop–I don’t see the homebody design available anymore but here is a similar one! // Amazon Doormats // Amazon Outdoor Rugs

4. Display Tulips in a Basket
Treat yourself to a grocery store bouquet but instead of a vase, try setting the vase or a jar in a narrow basket! It adds a fun texture.
Related Sources: Baskets // Kitchen Details

5. A Simple Spring Mantel
Style your mantel or a shelf with a few simple spring accessories like birds, flowers and books!
Related Sources: White Faux Tulips (look and feel so realistic!) // Seagrass Vessel // Rattan Mirror
White Slipcovers
6. Spring Clean Furniture
Vacuum or spot clean (according to manufacturer instructions) your upholstered furniture. Dust wood pieces. Wash or dry clean slipcovers. I love furniture with washable slipcovers, so we got these affordable white washable slipcovers for our IKEA Ektorp chairs. We also have this sofa with a slipcover, too. Read more about these slipcovers here.

7. Style Your Coffee Table
Set out a book that inspires you (binding color, topic or cover photo!), display spring objects like shells into a pretty bowl, or add any botanical element like a plant or flowers. Use a large rectangular or round basket to corral items or create a firm surface on an ottoman.
Related Sources and Posts: Coffee Table Book – Island Whimsy: Designing a Paradise By the Sea // More Favorite Design Books // Similar Blue and White Centerpiece Bowl // Similar Basket Tray // Rug Source (machine washable) // How to Decorate a Coffee Table in Any Season

8. Make A Teacup Garden
Plant violas in wide mouth tea of coffee mugs! Water sparingly to keep moist without making them soggy. Bonus, you can use the flowers as garnish for food, too!
Related Sources: Mugs are from here // Rattan lampshade

9. Freshen Your Bedding
Say good-bye to winter layers, drab colors and refresh your bed! Wash all bedding, curtains and vacuum rugs, too! Swap out the bedding fresh patterns, lighter, airier shams and blankets! I love this white waffle weave blanket (seen above).
Related Sources: Similar Block Print Quilt // Blue and White Striped Sheets // Pom Pom Striped Tassel Curtains // Similar Pillow Shams // Wood Bead Chandelier

10. Spring Door Basket
Make a spring door basket with branches or other botanical elements. Hang the basket from a hook on the door or a ribbon secured to the top of the door.
Related Sources and Posts: Similar Door Basket // Similar Faux White Spring Flower Stems // See more photos of our spring entry here
Bunny Salad Plates // Blue and White Floral Dinner Plates // Woven Charger // Napkins // Bunny Napkin Rings // Appetizer Plate // Bamboo Detail Flatware // Blue Vintage Etched Goblets (color options) // Linen Round Tablecloth // White Bunny Mini Candy Bowl // Famille Rose Egg (tiered treat dish)
11. Set a Spring Table
Have fun styling a spring table with a mix of dishes, linens and accessories. Find table setting tips and all of the sources here.

12. Update a Lampshade
Lampshades can be gently vacuumed to dust them or even covered with fabric or a new look! Or start fresh! See more pleated lampshades in my home, more inspiration photos and sources here.
Related Posts and Sources: Pleated Lampshade // Similar Lamp // Tulips // See more of my bedroom here

12. Spring Statement Pillows
Make a spring style statement with color and pattern!
Related Sources: Hydrangea Pillow // Floral Pillow // Faux Hydrangeas (in door basket) // Ceiling Lantern (color options)

13. Spring Mugs
Put away your winter mugs and swap for your favorite spring looks! Find some of my favorite mugs here.

14. Rearrange A Shelf
Swap out dishes, accessories, books for spring colors and style!

15. Change Your Curtains
Take down heavy or winter fabrics and replace with lighter, airier, and fresher colors and patterns
Related Sources: Similar Curtains // Woven Shade on Door // Rug (machine washable) // Similar Tufted Ottomans

16. Hang Plates on the Wall
Plates can add style to your walls! See how we hung these plates here.
Related Sources: Blue and White Plates // Striped Banqeutte Bench (fabric options)

17. Spring Bunnies
Hippity hoppity! Easter bunnies make adorable spring accessories and centerpieces.
Related Post: Bunny Accessories and Easter Decor

18. Swap Your Rug
Fastest way to update your style for spring? Add a pretty rug or runner to the kitchen! These are washable rugs so they’re perfect for messy areas and pets, too.
Related Sources: Rug // Blue Pan // Kitchen Details

19. Add Spring Style to Your Brunch Table
Make spring FUN for the whole family by baking something yummy with spring cookie and pie crust cutters! This strawberry crisp was so delicious and simple to make (an so adorable with those Easter shapes!).
Related Post and Sources: Simple Strawberry Crisp Recipe // Bunny, Egg, and Chick Easter Pie Crust Cutters // Alphabet Cookie Cutters

20. Faux Tulips
If you love tulips but want them to last longer and to be able to use them all season, invest in some faux! These ones look and feel SO realistic! I have them in light pink, coral, and white.

21. Fun Taper Candles
Candles don’t have to be limited to winter decor, look for fun colors and shapes for spring! These twisty taper candles are so fun (they come in multiple colors), and there are even battery operated twisty taper candles like these!
Similar Botanical Framed Art // Similar Floral Botanicals
22. Change Your Art
Hang botanicals, seascapes, landscapes, whatever your favorite spring scenes are!

23. Add Charming Vintage Pieces
Spring is for yard sales and antique shopping! Pick up vintage pieces that not only add character to your home but give you simple options for display and creativity, too! I love this fisherman’s basket I found at a thrift shop (here’s a similar one on Etsy).

24. Collect Spring Statement Pieces
I don’t have a lot of seasonal specific pieces (I don’t have room to store much) but I do think having a few statement pieces you can bring out (or even use year round) can be so fun to show your personality!
Related Sources: Brass Bunny Candle Holder // Faux tulips in light pink and coral,
Sources: Green Stoneware Vases // Rattan Bar Cart // Cement Bunny Planter (I have this!) // Windowpane Pillow // Sailboat Watercolor Art // Bird Art Print // Green Woven Plaid Pillow with Tassel Zipper // Blue and White Floral Lamp // Faux Ranunculus Flowers
Find more spring decorating inspiration posts on The Inspired Room here! More

Source (20% off EVERYTHING with code! Click HERE to shop!)
What’s your decorating style? Do you feel at home where you live? If you ever feel conflicted about your style or the next decisions to make in making your house your home, you’re not alone! Maybe you’re just feeling stuck, or your current style isn’t working for you. Perhaps you’re living in a home that wasn’t custom designed for you or even close to your style to begin with. Maybe you’re wrestling with how to update it. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by all of the options, especially with the abundance of ideas and inspiration online!
So how can you find your style when there are so many directions you could go? What if you feel limited by the current style of your home or your budget?
Here’s the secret: finding your style takes patience and experimentation. It takes time. You don’t have to have a perfectly designed home to love where you live. You just have to find ways to feel more at home! I don’t think most of us can make the best decisions until we’ve had a chance to get to know the home we live in over several seasons. You need time to learn the quirks and personality of your home so you can play up what you love about it and learn to minimize, downplay or fix what you don’t.
It takes time to gather style or remodeling inspiration specifically for your home over a few seasons. Once you’ve collected ideas you can start to narrow down the options that not only consistently speak to you, but also make the most sense for your budget, lifestyle and your house.

It’s easy to lose our focus when we get swept up by a new idea, or if we are looking only at current trends or just following along with what everyone else is doing right now! Impulse decisions or following the trends might bring some immediate joy through a those indecisive seasons, but it’s a wonderful feeling when you are finally able to settle into your own style with confidence.
Your style is not just the one you like the most online, but it’s what makes you feel the most at home where you actually live. That’s how you’ll know you’ve found your authentic style.
When I’m struggling with my own style, it can be helpful to collect inspiration photos of rooms or features that I really love, such as the images I share in my posts (these photos in my post today are from one of my favorite shops for furnishings and style inspiration for my home, Serena & Lily. I’ve written about it before in this post).
But I don’t want to rush permanent or expensive decisions or make a lot of changes based on an inspiration photo until I’m certain that look or item will feel right in my own home. I like to take a bit of inspiration from dozens of rooms and ideas I’ve collected over time so my style won’t be an exact replica of anyone else’s style.

It can be a slow process to figure it all out, but it’s worth it to me to be as authentic and comfortable in my home as possible.
Sometimes to move forward you just need to make ONE design decision you know you feel good about. That decision will lead to the next. We remodeled our kitchen four years ago and the decisions we made during that project continue to inspire me to make our little house all she can be 🙂 I’ve often said the old house I live in was ready for a new spring in her step. She may have been born in the 1950s but she doesn’t have to stay there.
You don’t have to stay stuck with what you have! I’m so glad I didn’t let myself be discouraged or swayed early on by voices that told me this house had to stay in a certain era or style. I didn’t want to feel limited in what I could or could not do to make it my own. It’s certainly helpful to ask for opinions from trusted sources when you’re in doubt (or if you’re dealing with an historic home that needs to be preserved), but often creating a home you’ll truly love means you have to be brave enough to listen to your own voice so you can design a home that will feel right to you. After all, it’s your home and you’ll be the one living there!
Lastly, it’s OK to make mistakes along the way. Rarely is a decorating mistake fatal! In fact, in some cases what might appear to be a “mistake” can actually give your home and style more character and personality. Other times it confirms for you what your style ISN’T. But even if it is a big mistake you need to correct, just learn from it and move on.
You’ll never feel truly at home with your style until you get to know yourself and your home better. That process takes time, but it is all a part of the journey to making a house truly feel like home.
Speaking of Serena & Lily, they have an amazing sale on right now, but it ends today!
Scroll down for inspiration, sources and ideas for this fresh breezy look!
20% off EVERYTHING with code! Click HERE to shop!

How cute is this bench! You can customize the fabric–there are so many cute options! I love this toile.
Nautical Round Rope Mirror Source // Toile Wallpaper

Everything at Serena & Lily is 20% off! Click HERE to shop the entire sale with discount code!
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Everything at Serena & Lily is 20% off! Click HERE to shop the entire sale with discount code! More