Whether the New Year has you inspired to finally tackle the home projects you’ve been thinking about for a while or you’re a mid-year starter, planning is going to be your best friend when it comes to design. Sitting down and truly mapping out your project will make the difference between a home with some pretty accessories and a design that truly wows. If you’re planning an entire home renovation or just a couple of projects, these quick tips will help you plan and prioritize efficiently!

1. Make a List

Your first step should be laying out everything you want to do. This is the time to dream, look at inspiration photos, and write down every single thing you want to do in your home. When you have all of your wants written down, you can clearly see what should take priority and how everything will fit together. This step helps you have a big-picture mindset when it comes to breaking down things into smaller steps.

2. Measure Everything

This is especially important if you’re going to use SketchUp, our favorite 3D design software. Having measurements of all the areas you will be working on from the beginning makes it easy to make decisions in the future. Whether you’re designing built-ins or selecting accessories, having all your measurements ahead of time allows you to focus on the task at hand. Don’t forget that we teach our members the basics of using SketchUp on the Design Sessions. Click here to learn more about our amazing membership that teaches you how to be your own designer!

3. Prioritize What Affects Your Mood the Most

Because we believe a beautiful home has the power to change your life, we look at how a space affects you when prioritizing where to start or where to allocate your budget. Does the lighting affect how motivated you feel? Or do you feel cut off creatively when in a closed-off space? When you look at how the space affects you into account while you’re planning, your end result will be something you are TRULY happy with.

4. Assess Your Budget

Not many of us head into a design project without a budget in mind, so it’s important to have a budget and know it well. Next, you will want to measure all of your wants and dreams against your budget. When you add in what your priorities are based on your home’s effect on you, then you’ll land directly on the plan that will have the biggest impact on you.

5. Execute

Get to work! You want to break everything down into phases or steps that are manageable and fit your budget as you go. Having your timeline fit your budget and life is the way to go. If you can do everything in a short amount of time – great! But also know that making your steps manageable is an important part of the process.

For a more in-depth look at Project Management, Rebecca breaks everything down for you on the Design Sessions in Tool #25. She walks you through the 2 different phases of planning interior design projects!