Oct 8

Written by: Home Improvement Bids
Wednesday, October 08, 2008

Get Organized With a Decorating File
Put it All Together - Get organized and improve your skills.

When you're getting ready to begin a decorating or remodeling project it's a great idea to get everything together. And keep it together! Any building, remodeling, or decorating project will be easier if you get organized before you start with a Decorating File.

Your Decorating File will hold everything you'll need to coordinate the project. Include carpet samples, fabric cuttings, paint samples, floor plans, wallpaper cuttings, photos, and pictures of inspiration rooms. Having everything in one place will help the job go more smoothly from conception to completion.

You can choose any style of file you want. The choice is yours. A small canvas tote bag, briefcase, notebook with file pockets, expanding envelope, or file box works well. Be sure you select a container that will be easy to carry from store to home and large enough for all your items.

Probably the most convenient way to keep everything together, and your hands free, is in a tote bag with shoulder handles. Interior pockets are helpful, too. Be sure to have a container for pens, your cell phone, tape measure, scissors, and tape. A wonderful choice is the Villager Bag made by Vera Bradley. The pockets help keep everything organized. (Of course, if you're a man reading this, you'll have to find something else, as you might not be attracted to the floral prints.)

Place an expanding folder with pockets and divider tabs into the tote. These pockets will keep projects and items separated and organized. You can keep several projects separate by labeling the folders for each.
You'll save time by having everything together wherever you go. Instead of wondering whether a paint chip coordinates with a fabric swatch, you'll know right away. If you're shopping for a lamp, you'll know if the lamp shade is the right color. If you happen on a wonderful flea market, you won't have to pass up a great bargain on an antique bureau because you don't know if it will fit in your space. With everything together,-- colors, fabrics, measurements, and ideas,-- you'll always be ready!

As you work on a project, you'll think of things that would be helpful to have in your own Decorating File. The things on the following list are just a start. The most important thing to remember about a Decorating File is that you should have it with you at all times.

Pens and Paper
There's nothing more frustrating than finding a perfect paint or carpet and not being able to write down the particulars for ordering them. Have several pens and pencils tucked in your file and a pad of paper or spiral notebook for taking notes. You may want to make notes of a furniture arrangement, trim detail, or window treatment that you see.

Tape Measure

Try to find a lightweight measuring tape if you can, as a builder's tape measure can get heavy if you're carrying it around all day. A 10-foot tape is usually fine for shopping trips, but you'll want a 25-foot measuring tape to measure rooms, windows, and ceiling heights.

Floor Plan
If you're doing a room decorating project or a whole-house remodel, you'll need a drawing of the rooms with measurements. A scaled drawing on graph paper is most useful, but you can have a simple sketch for a smaller project. Be sure that you take accurate measurements of walls, window dimensions, and distances between doors and windows. You'll find that the more information you put down on this floor plan, the more helpful it will be as you're working.

A drawing of each wall will come in handy as you select fabrics for windows and wallpaper. This sketch should show the placement of windows, doors, and architectural details with accurate measurements. To get the proper drawing, look at the wall from across the room and draw in the details.

If you're not up to drawing your floor plan by hand, you might want to check out some online help from   SmartDraw or Arrange-A-Room from Better Homes and Gardens. Once you get a Decorating File organized, you'll wonder how you ever got along without it. This file will hold all the information you collect to get a decorating project put together.

Photos of Your Room
Even if you can't stand how your room looks now, take some "before" pictures. Get all the angles and details. These will be helpful when you're working on your plan or when you need to talk to a salesperson about your project. They'll help remind you of details as you're working.

Calendar

As you proceed with your project, you'll undoubtedly have schedules to keep. Note when the floors will be measured for carpet, when the plumber is coming, or when you have a date with the painter. You can use your personal daily planner if you have one or keep one separate just for your decorating projects. Just be sure to have it with you!

Magazine Photos
Magazines are a great source of decorating inspiration. If you see a color you like, a fabric print that is just what you love, or an arrangement of accessories that would work in your space, tear the page out and keep it in your Decorating File.

Find pictures with ideas you can incorporate into your own decorating project. Get helpful hints on how to make the most of what decorating magazines have to offer in the article, "How to Read Decorating Magazines". You can also get great ideas from decorating books, but don't tear the pages out!

Samples of Fabrics, Colors, and Flooring
As you shop; you'll want to collect samples of carpet, tiles, flooring, fabrics, and paint chips. The more you have in your Decorating File, the easier it will be to put your project together when you get home. Add more samples with every shopping trip.

You may not be replacing everything in the room you're decorating. Be sure to take a sample of anything that is staying in your room, including carpeting, upholstery fabric, paint samples, tile, or wood. For an upholstered piece, it's ideal if you have a piece of the fabric. If not, take an arm cover or cover of a pillow. If you just don't have a suitable piece of fabric to include in your Decorating File, try to get a good color picture of the pieces you'll be saving.

An 8" square of carpet will fit in your tote. If there's just no extra carpet, trim off some tufts of carpet fiber from an inconspicuous place and tape it to a piece of cardboard for your Decorating File.

As you decide on your decorating scheme, you'll put together all the elements, first in your mind, then in your Decorating File. Coordinate fabrics with paint and paint with flooring by testing combinations of samples you've collected. Or use the resources of professionals who have put together collections of fabrics, colors, and wall coverings for companies such as Waverly.

Whether your "decorating file" is a notebook, a canvas tote, briefcase, or large purse, be sure it is comfortable enough to carry with you. Here are several additional items that are useful to include in your decorating file.


Add these final items to your decorating file and you'll be ready to go at a moment's notice.

Phone List

Have a handy list of phone numbers for your carpet man, plumber, painter, upholsterer, or contractor. Keep the list in your Decorating File for easy reference.

Scissors and Tape

When you find the perfect paint chips, you might want to tape them together with fabrics you've chosen. Also put together fabric samples and carpet tufts.

Envelopes or Zip-Lock Bags

You never know when you might find some small piece of information, color, or pattern that could get lost if put in the bottom of a tote. Have a few plain #10 envelopes or zip-lock plastic bags in your Decorating File.

Post-It-Notes
Simple post-it notes are great for marking pages that you don't want to lose in a book or magazine. Or use them to mark possible choices in a wallpaper book. If you're looking at paint chips, block off shades that you don't want, using a post-it note.

Color Board

Once you've made all your choices, put together a color board. Use a piece of mat board, foam core, or cardboard, cut to fit into your Decorating File. Paint the board in the color of your chosen wall paint or just leave it white. Attach all fabrics, trims, inspiration photos, and drawings to the board. You can have the mat board cut to fit into a standard or legal size file folder. When you've completed your project, put the color board away in a filing cabinet for reference.

You'll find that it's fun to put together a Decorating File for your decorating projects. It's a useful tool to keep you organized.

Article Courtesy of Coral Nafie | About.com

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