Decorate a Room Systematically and Efficiently

Sometimes you can know exactly how you want a room to look but you don't really know how to make it happen. The key is to take it one step at a time and work in an efficient way. If you're going to decorate a room yourself and don't know where to start check out these tips for making over a room as quickly and systematically as possible. (Note: this is for people who have already picked out their color scheme, furniture, fabrics, etc.)

Order Everything
Choose all of your paint, wallpaper, fabrics, furniture and whatever else needs to be ordered in and call it all in at once. Some will take longer than others to arrive so it's best to get started quickly. There's nothing more annoying than being ready to get going on a project and having to wait for items to arrive. (Just be sure to measure appropriately so that you don't order too much. Excess fabric and wallpaper can be pricey.)

Line Up the Pros
Make sure you have a skilled electrician, painter, upholsterer, and whatever other pro you might need on hand. Get some referrals and do the research ahead of time so you're not scrambling at the last minute. You want to make sure you have the best person for the job and that rarely happens when you're in a rush. Of course, if you can handle these jobs yourself so much the better.

Do the Floors First
Always deal with the floors first. Staining or sanding a floor, or even taking up and putting down carpet will undoubtedly cause at least a little damage to the walls. Limit the number of touch ups you have to do by waiting to paint or wallpaper until after the floors are done.

Install Cabinets Before Painting
If you're doing a kitchen or bathroom you'll also want to hang cabinets before painting. It can also cause damage or accidental scratches. Once this is done you can paint the entire room. It's best to do all the painting at once so start with the trim and then tackle the walls (starting at the top and working your way down).

Hang Fixtures
Once the entire room is painted you can hang the light fixtures (such as chandeliers and sconces). It's best to do this before anything else goes in the room so that nothing will get in the way (such as drapery fabric). Once all the lighting has been installed you can go ahead and install the window treatments.

Arrange Furniture
Add the furniture according to your floor plan. It's always best to have an arrangements planned before bringing the furniture in, but if you find it doesn't work as well as you had hoped don't be afraid to move things around and play with the furniture placement.

Bring In Accessories
Once all of the furniture is in place you can add the accessories. Artwork, lamps, decorative objects like candlesticks, books, and statues and extras like pillows and throws are all important elements. They're what truly make a room personal and comfortable so have fun with this and use these items to show your personality.