Your Room as a Canvas

Sometimes the hardest part about beginning a room renovation or decoration is actually starting.

“What do I start with? What should I make my first priority?”

When I am approaching a room I like to think of the room as a canvas. Every aspect of the room is part of one picture. The ceiling, the rug, the chairs..it all adds to the beautiful painting that is the final product. I find thinking of the room this way helps to flatten the space so that you can mentally really see all aspects together. Having the big picture of a space will help the room feel more cohesive when you have the end result so, here are four easy steps to get you on the right path to a beautiful room.

1. When you approach decorating your room, start with the area rug. The area rug is a good “base color” for your canvas. It is an important piece to set the foundation of a room. If you are working on a new build and are adding carpet, of course think through that decision first, but keep in mind the area rug for decorating in that decision. Each room can (dare I say should?) have an area rug, even on carpet. If it’s in the budget always have an area rug! They frame your space and give visual depth to the room. If you start with choosing the area rug you can pick out a color pallet. Which is so important for the feel of a cohesive space. You can add in colors that aren’t found in the rug if it doesn’t have a ton of variation in it, just make sure those colors complement what is already represented. Thinking through the pallet in this step is so important to know the direction you are going in, and stay on track. Planning a space takes time, unless you have unlimited funds, so having a pallet will bring your space together, no matter how long it takes to finish your room. If you were to start with a bold couch instead of a rug, the couch has now hijacked the room and it is so much harder to choose a matching rug and come up with a scheme from there. So, starting with the rug gives a beautiful base for the room, and think of what the cohesive feel you want for this space.

PRO TIP: ALWAYS go as large as possible with your area rug. If it is a living room the front two legs of every piece of seating should be on the rug. The biggest mistake when choosing an area rug is choosing one too small. Aim for the biggest size that will fit in your space.

My Living Room- For my space, I started with the idea of what kind of rug I wanted and knew I wanted greens to be present, because we didn't have the funds to buy everything at once. I picked out this rug from Ruggable. Since our living room is actually quite large I choose a 9X12 rug to really frame in our space. From the rug, I picked out this color pallet to work with as I continued designing the space.

2. After the “base layer of paint” we look at adding “shadows” to the painting, which would be furniture. Here we look for statement pieces that fill out your room. Like the rug, try to find pieces that fill your space as much as possible. This will actually help your space feel bigger! It will visually bring your eye across the room and help the space feel more snug and cozy. For example, if you are in an apartment do not go straight for an “apartment-sized” sofa (width of 72” or less). Instead, measure your space and try to find the biggest piece that will fit in that space; a standard sofa measures 84-88 inches wide and a grand sofa is anything over 96”. Many people don’t realize the actual size of their space while the room is empty, so it becomes difficult to properly fill it in. In a bedroom, go for the biggest size bed that will fit. Even if your room isn’t huge but a king bed will fit, go for it. Your room will feel bigger, and more luxurious, plus you will sleep much better. This principle goes for guest rooms too. Make sure you have the biggest that will fit; we want our guests to have the best sleep possible! Having a properly scaled room to furniture will bring sophistication to your space.

My living Room- We choose a HUGE sofa for our living room since our space was so large. We went with a modular sofa and two accent chairs. The space feels so much more complete and you can appreciate the size of the room with it properly filled in. I love the idea of a modular sofa because it can bend to fit your current seasons' needs, or if you move it will be more likely to fit in your new space as well.

3. Next we will add “mid-tones” to our painting by thinking of the decor. The decor would be anything like lamps, art, knick-knacks, etc. It is so important to think back to your color pallet from your area rug when it comes to decor. Decor is such a fun step because you can take the craziest color and find a clock, throw blanket, or pillow in that color. Adding accents here and there will balance each other out and bring that pop of color to keep the viewer’s eye moving around the room. You want that kind of “movement” in your space or else it can appear dull and boring. Pairing those accents with a less dramatic color from the pallet to add in other pillows or plant pots will then create depth. Decor can make or break a space, so don’t just buy things to have them or because of their price point. Make sure you love them and make sure they add to the cohesive feel of your room. This is also a wonderful place to reflect on who you and your family are in your home. If you have knick-knacks from travels, family photos, or personal artwork, these can all make your home unique and best represent YOU.

PRO TIP: Bringing plants into every room gives the room life! Green is neutral, so even if green isn’t in your color pallet it will help the room feel more complete. If your room doesn’t have enough light for a real plant consider investing in a faux plant.

My living room- Since green is a neutral, but also the color I wanted to add to the space I choose lots of plants to fill the bookshelves and sideboard, and I picked up two green cushions for our couch. The rug had hints of a light terra cotta so I choose an accent blanket with a similar color pallet and used some terra cotta planters. The fireplace, coffee table, and side tables in the room also complimented the terra cotta color, in the rich wood tones represented. Finally, the deep blue of the chairs was complimented on the couch with deep blue/almost black large cushions. The neutral walls and couch brought airiness, even though there is so much visual weight from the scale of the couch, coffee table, and chairs.

4. For the last layer of the painting we add the “highlights” by picking a paint color. Paint is easily changed- it is the cheapest way to make the biggest impact on a space. Because of this if you opt to pick your color last you can really see how the room is shaping up. Is it turning into a dark and moody space? Should we lean into that with a dark color? Or do you want to counteract that with bright white walls? The paint becomes a way easier choice when you end with that decision. Otherwise, it can feel really really overwhelming when you are trying to start with a paint color without knowing what the room is going to be. I realize most people reading this post aren’t planning a whole room out at once to do one big makeover. Picking the paint last isn’t always the most practical order depending on how you are decorating your room. Sometimes getting all the pieces takes time and paint is easier to do when you don’t have any furniture in it. For this, I have two suggestions: 1. Pick your area rug online and a general idea of the room before you pick the paint color. This will allow you to have an understanding of the color pallet and feel you will be going for in the room or 2. Pick a neutral color. The “in” neutral right now is “Griege” which is a mix of beige and grey. It warms up the grey and cools down the beige, and is really beautiful in the light of all times of the day. If you do your room this way maybe think of a more bold accent wall as the last step if you will want more personality in the room as it has come together.

PRO TIP: Think of the room as 5 walls. All four walls and the ceiling. The ceiling is so important and often neglected. If you have vaulted ceilings, how do you make them stand out and be beautiful? If you are renovating an old home, maybe it’s time to give the ceiling a fresh coat of paint? All 5 walls need to be addressed as you look at the space.

My living room- I was part of the grouping that did not have the funds to do the entire room at once (this is mostly a reality when a designer is hired for a space). I choose a BEAUTIFUL greige color called "Authentic" by General Paint. I love it so much that you can find the color throughout my home and some of my past client's homes as well. It is a really nice warm white without lending itself to beige too much. I love that I can see the warm tones even on a cold winter's day.

It is so important to try to see the big picture when designing your space, even from the very beginning. This is not everyone's strong suit and some people will really have to work to see their space, but I hope that these tips of thinking of your space as a canvas can help! When you take a large 3D project and bring it down to a 2D idea sometimes it can feel so much more manageable and will help you have a more beautiful, cozy, and put-together space to love and live in for years to come.