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

New England Home
I love most styles of homes but my heart is drawn to the architecture in a Cape Cod style home. It’s fun to analyze photos of rooms, by paying special attention to design elements I love. It helps me to think more creatively about my own home.
As I study a photo, I always ask myself questions about what I’m drawn to, such as how I could incorporate that architectural detail? What are the colors are represented in that space and would they be pretty in my own? Even if you’re on a tight budget or your home is a different style, there are often ideas you can take away from any home you love. If not, the best the take away tip is that it might be best to just appreciate or admire the look from afar or save it for the future!
I was scrolling through the photos of this lovely Cape Cod style house from New England Home and thought I’d share some of my take away tips with you! Enjoy the house below, then you’ll see my tips at the end of this post.

Here are 5 Take Away Tips from this Charming Cape Cod Home:
Add character with architecture
Box beam ceilings, wood wall paneling, and substantial molding and trim add a sense of history, warmth and character. Open shelving in the kitchen and living room provide a more laid back, casual feel and allow display space for personal collections such as books, mementoes, accessories and personal touches.
Create a cohesive color palette
This home used a cohesive color palette both inside and out, keeping the look simple and classic with white wall backdrop with neutrals, blues, and warm accents.
Incorporate many types of textures for a warm and cozy feel
Incorporating many different types of textures throughout is what creates a warm and cozy atmosphere. If you were to take away these textures, the feeling in the space would be more cold or sterile. Notice the warm wood floors, woven baskets, cozy throw blankets, woven mirror, fabric roman shades, rattan, glass hurricanes, warm metal lighting, warm woven chairs in the kitchen.
(See my post on texture: The Secret Ingredient Every Home Needs)
Mix patterns
Mixing patterns is a fun way to add unique personality to your home! You can use a combination of patterns in a cohesive color palette (try two colors!) for a more restrained look. I love the mix of larger scale geometrics, small scale pattern, subtle stripes, and solids in this home.
(See my blog post on pattern: The Best Secrets for How to Mix Patterns in Your Home)
Use wall lighting for ambience
Sconces make rooms feel extra cozy and charming! They spread light around the room, making a whole space feel warmer and more inviting. This home utilized wall sconces by the fireplace, and by the built-in bench in the dining area. I’m sure it looks so cozy at night!
(See my blog posts on lighting: Adding Character with Wall Sconces, and The Light-Changing Magic of Rechargeable Bulbs for Sconces + Lamps, and Charming Inexpensive Decorating: Non-Electric Wall Lights with Battery Candles)

More Take Away Tip Posts on The Inspired Room:
6 Take Away Tips from a Beautiful New England Home
5 Take Away Tips from a Charming Home on Martha’s Vineyard
A Memorable Kitchen: 4 Take Away Tips
17 Take Away Tips from an HGTV Dream Home
5 Budget Friendly Take Away Design Tips
3 Take Away Tips: Make Home Your Coziest Place to Be More

I always love how just a small change can transform the whole look and feel of a room!
We made 3 mood boards (in a similar style of our dining room) below. In each mood board, we swapped out only the dining tables and rugs! Which look is your favorite?
LOOK ONE:

Sources:
Round Rattan Mirror
White Oval Extending Dining Table
Wicker Dining Chair
Blue and White Patterned Rug
Ship Art
Banquette Dining Bench
Whitewashed Wood Bead Chandelier
Rattan Bookshelf
Black Star Candle Holder Sconce
Aqua Taper Candle
Blue and White Chinoiserie Vase
Blue and White Striped Tassel Pillows
LOOK TWO:

Sources:
Round Rattan Mirror
Wood Oval Dining Table
Wicker Dining Chair
Pink Patterned Rug
Ship Art
Banquette Dining Bench
Whitewashed Wood Bead Chandelier
Rattan Bookshelf
Black Star Candle Holder Sconce
Aqua Taper Candle
Blue and White Chinoiserie Vase
Blue and White Striped Tassel Pillows
LOOK THREE:

Sources:
Round Rattan Mirror
Black Dining Table
Wicker Dining Chair
Blue / Multicolored Patterned Rug
Ship Art
Banquette Dining Bench
Whitewashed Wood Bead Chandelier
Rattan Bookshelf
Black Star Candle Holder Sconce
Aqua Taper Candle
Blue and White Chinoiserie Vase
Blue and White Striped Tassel Pillows

Fun, huh? Which look is your favorite? I hope this inspires you today to think about simple swaps you could make in your home! You can ‘shop your home’ for something you already have, or mix in a new piece you love to create your own unique style and space! More

This Post May Contain Affiliate Links. Please Read Our Disclosure Policy here

I love to play with various textures, shapes and patterns in a room as they add a lot of interest! The scallop has been having a moment in the design world, but of course it’s a classic shape so don’t be hesitant to bring it into your home. The possibilities are endless for how to incorporate them, these days you’ll find scallops on furniture, accessories, dishes, wallpaper, napkins, lampshades, mirror, trim or backsplashes, fabric and linens and more.
Here are some whimsical scalloped design pieces we found online and some inspiration photos below to show you the fun they add to a space!

Sources for above:
Scalloped wall mirror
Scalloped pillow sham (color options and comes as duvet as well)
Rattan scalloped pendant light
Scalloped basket
Scalloped seagrass tapered hand-woven lamp shade
Navy pillow with scallop pattern and tassels
Scalloped teak wood round serving board
Scalloped edge planter
Round scalloped bone picture frame
Scallop woven side table
Scallop wooden plant stand
Brass sconce with scalloped shade (also has a woven shade option, and comes as table lamp)
Wicker weave photo frames with scallop edge (set of 2)
Capiz shell scalloped hurricane
Round marble petal shaped scalloped tray
Framed green artwork with scallop waves
White scalloped bone and wood picture frame
Tall scalloped woven basket (great price!)
Scallop edge jute rug (also has a navy trim color option)
Scallop woven tray
Woven scallop baskets (set of 2)
More inspiration for scallop design:

More scallop decor (click images below for details) More

This Post May Contain Affiliate Links. Please Read Our Disclosure Policy here

Sources: Similar Ottoman // Blue Glass Lamp // Rattan Daybed // Rug // Plaid Pillow // Similar Turquoise Animal Otomi Pillow
Today let’s talk about 5 Stylish and Practical Reasons To Have Ottomans in Your Home!
Ottomans are Versatile
I love using my ottomans in my home because they are so versatile. An ottoman is used as place to put your feet up, an extra seat, and they are handy in place of a coffee table, too!
We have had a leather ottoman in our home for over twenty years (and have moved it with us to five of our homes now!). I’ve used my teal ottoman in so many types of rooms and several homes as well, it always seems to work somewhere! Right now it’s in our upstairs room we use for guests and my office. Everyone loves it. We can pull it up to the daybed or sofa for the ultimate comfort while relaxing or watching TV, or use a tray on it for serving snacks!
Sources: Similar Leather Ottoman // Wall Candle Sconces // Battery Taper Candles
Ottomans are Classic Furniture Pieces
You may wonder if certain styles of ottomans are in style. If you choose an unusual shape or certain trendy fabrics they can feel dated, so I’d stick to classic shapes and fabrics. Leather (or faux leather) and tufted ottomans are both classic home furnishing staples. They don’t really go out of style!
I think the addition of tufting on an ottoman adds a little more sophistication and flair to a room, but they don’t have to feel fussy or too formal. I certainly use them in casual rooms. That’s what I love about classic pieces, they are a good investment if you want a style that can endure for decades and beyond.

Ottomans Add Softness to the Room
Ottomans come in lots of pretty fabrics and textures. Those fabrics and the padding will add softness that will enhance the coziness of a room. One wonderful thing about ottomans is that they comfy for your legs and feet (and won’t hurt if you or your littles run into them!). The softness of an ottoman means they can easily double as seating, much like a bench but without the discomfort of a hard surface. I also love to tuck small ottomans around a room, too, for these reasons!

Ottomans are Simple to Use as a Coffee Table
Tufting tends to give them a slightly more firm surface than some ottoman styles, but with any ottoman you will still want to have a tray or solid surface you can use on top. That way they are also functional as a coffee table for decor, or serving food or drinks. Of course, there is a risk of spilling on the ottoman if you use them as a coffee table, so take that into consideration.
Some fabrics will easily wipe off or repel spills, but a large tray (perhaps try a tray with sides!) will also help minimize that risk. Like I said, I’ve had my ottomans for a very long time with kids of all ages (my youngest was a year old when we got our leather ottoman!). We’ve also had many dogs (and one who especially loves the ottoman!) and these ottomans have held up well to daily use.

Ottomans can be fun to style, too!
If you’re hesitant to try an ottoman in place of a coffee table because you feel it would limited your decor options, I don’t think that has to be a deterrent. You can use blankets, trays, baskets, books and other decor elements to style them for every season. I’ll show some simple ways to style ottomans for fall in an upcoming post (so stay tuned for that along with my simple decorating formula!).
Related Post:10 Tufted Ottomans You Could Use in Place of a Coffee Table!
Get more decorating and style tips here
Subscribe to get pretty emails with home decor inspiration! More