Refresh Series 01: Begin With the End in Mind
Welcome to the MHI Blog - a project that has been in the making and is finally ready to make its debut. We are super excited to kick off the blog with the Refresh Series. After what the year 2020 put us through, I am sure we all could use a little freshening up.
A new year and so much to look forward to...right? With some hope on the horizon for things getting back to a new normal, I have expectations of getting back together with friends and family and entertaining in my home.
Does that thought make you gasp a little? Me too.
In the year that you have been somewhat homebound, what have you done to freshen up your space? Have you had to re-organize your spaces and give up your living room for a home-school? Has your kitchen table become your office? Are you noticing things about your space that you’d like to change? Do you feel you need a fresh new start?
If so, I would like to take you through these fun and productive steps to freshen up your spaces, so when the time is right, you can be ready to welcome friends and family into your home.
Welcome to Refresh 2021, a series I have put together to help you design your new space, edit and organize, make repairs, and install the new and improved look. As a bonus, one of my friends, MK Hennigan from @inthecuriouskitchen, has volunteered to allow us into her master bedroom to give it a refresh as you follow along.
Just like any class you’ve taken before, you will need a few supplies to get started.
Ready to get started? If you are not changing the layout of your room or modifying any of the furniture placements, step one may be arbitrary. However, it is a very useful resource that you will wish you had on hand sometime in the future! Trust me on this one.
To quote John Maxwell, “Begin with the end in mind”. This might be the most common mistake people make when trying to update and freshen up. I know this because in my retail store, customers want to select rugs, bedside tables, lamps, lighting and all other things and they have no idea what size is appropriate for their space. Buying incorrectly can be a frustrating and costly mistake. I am going to show you how to avoid this mistake, that way this never happens to you again!
It is important that you truly “know your space”. The very first step I take with a new design client is to discuss the scope of the project and to draw out their space. Yes, you absolutely need to get your measuring tape and some paper ready (preferable graph paper-½” scale). If you don't have this, click here and print your own. Each ½” grid will equate to 1 foot! For this first series, we are going to attack the master bedroom. Of course, you can apply this same process to a guest bedroom, children’s bedroom, guest room, etc. Many of these steps will be relevant to various rooms in the house, however those are designed with a different end use in mind, so stay tuned for that later in the series.
Let’s get started!
Drawing your floor plan by hand is the quickest and easiest way to get started thinking about your design! However, If you would rather use an app to draw out your floor plan - here are some that I suggest!
For your Computer:
For your Phone:
Remember that refreshing a space takes time and patience! Each step I share is only to help guide you through a process that can oftentimes feel overwhelming!
Stay tuned for Step Two and be sure to subscribe to maryhawthorneinteriors.com if you do not already!
Tag us in your floor plan sketches on Instagram so we can keep up with your design journey!!
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