What do you say to a naked room?

Sounds like a funny question, but whether you have a new room or one that you want to re-do the first thing you have to do is literally strip the space down to examine what you have to work with. Once the room is naked you can analyze the space and determine a plan of action.

But many people feel overwhelmed with a blank canvas like an empty or “Naked room”. The important things to remember are that this is a chance for you to make a space be whatever you want it to be. Just because the floor plan from the builder or landlord says its a dining room doesn’t mean the space has to be used that way.

Homes should be a reflection of the user so as you stare at the nakedness of our space and panic over where to begin start by asking yourself how will the space be used, what am I missing, what are my needs? Don’t just follow the ordinary uses but look at an empty room as a chance to give it a new identity.

Start with what you need it to do, consider giving the room an job interview so to speak. What do you need to store in there, what activities will happen, how many people will use the space, is it public or private? Will it be used for more than one purpose or activity? Once you have established the function look at the architecture of the room.

So many people make the mistake of ignoring the actual “space” of a room. For example, instead of focusing on two rectangle walls, a square floor, and a slanted ceiling, the normal person focuses their attention on the fact that the room is cold, empty, and has funky angles. With that attitude the decorating result is usually a cluttered space that has no real function or character. Just as we embrace our own body shapes, sizes and differences we must embrace the architectural aspects of a room in order to really appreciate it.

So remember to speak nicely to your “naked room” and use the space wisely while highlighting the architectural features instead of fighting them much like embracing our own bodies in front of the mirror!

Once you have analyzed the space and have noted its function, purpose, and features you can better prepare a list of furnishings, accessories, and colors to use the space in a whole new way. So stay tuned for more articles to come on great new topics.