Marker Girl 2024 Make Your Mark

Welcome to Marker Girl 2024, where we’re gearing up to fill your year with inspiration on how to truly Make Your Mark with your home. Our commitment is to educate and guide you through the exciting journey of home decoration, offering insights into investing in tradespeople for your projects, revealing how we create our design projects, and sharing the latest family-friendly home products.

Is your goal this year to have the home you truly desire? I wanted to start 2024 by sharing my top 5 must-dos when beginning any home project.

#1 Personal Style  – Kick off your project with a clear vision. Create a vision board, either digitally or on a memo board, using words describing how you want your space to feel. This personal touch ensures that your home reflects your unique style and personality, making it a meaningful and inspiring environment for you and your family.

#2 Declutter – As the saying goes, “Let it go.” Clearing out unnecessary items creates a fresh canvas for your project, allowing your vision to shine without distractions. A clutter-free space promotes mental clarity and sets the stage for a fresh new space.

Are you holding on to items that were passed down to you, feeling an obligation to keep them? Remember, your home is your personal space, and you have the right to surround yourself with things you genuinely desire. If it is an item that doesn’t work with your preferences, consider returning it to a family member who might appreciate it or simply letting it go. Prioritize creating a home that reflects your tastes and makes you happy.

#3 Plan Your Layout – Plan your layout with each room using software or good old-fashioned graph paper. While aesthetics are essential, it’s equally important to consider the functionality of your space. See how each room will be used and design accordingly. Think about storage solutions, traffic flow, and the day-to-day activities of your household. 

This is where you want to make sure the furniture you desire will fit and see what layout best suits your tasks in the space. 

#4 Budget – With your budget, set your goals of how much you want to spend. Once you have a clear vision of your style, it’s crucial to establish a realistic budget for your project. Determine how much you’re willing to invest in each aspect of the design, including furniture, decor, and any professional services you may require. Allocating your budget wisely will help you make informed decisions and ensure your vision aligns with your financial resources. 

I highly recommend creating a spreadsheet in Excel and using your favorite store’s online pricing to guide you. Please note that some stores will have fabric choices that start at a price and then mark it up with better fabrics called performance. Make sure you have checked the price of that type of fabric to understand the cost.

#5 Working Within A Process – I find that most people don’t plan the process and make costly mistakes! It becomes “the shiny object syndrome” (SOS). Something has caught your eye, like a great new accessory. You get distracted and end up not completing your project. So now you have a lot of accessories that don’t have a home. 

It’s the excitement of finding the bargain or pretty thing that can affect the success of decorating. It will leave you unhappy in the end and thinking, “Why did I buy that?” This is the reason I see most people not finishing their decorating project. 

I decided early on, when I started my business, to create a simple formula to help me stay focused and get through each design in a simple way that was easy to follow for my clients and me. Always start with construction first, then move on to furniture. Once furniture is selected, go in this order: rugs, windows, lighting, paint, art, and accessories. By keeping things in order, you won’t get overwhelmed and make costly mistakes.

Having a nice home goes beyond aesthetics; it encompasses physical and mental well-being, personal expression, social interactions, and having quality time with family. It’s a place where people find comfort, build memories, and experience various aspects of life.

I hope these tips help you Make Your Mark with your home this year. If you need help achieving your design goals, check out our services here, where we offer different levels of assistance to help you. 

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