Hi!

I TRY to do one room at a time, but it seldom works for me! Right now I am working on new window treatments for my kitchen, plus some other kitchen accessories, while I am also working on ordering a new desk and credenza for our home office! So...I am currently working on 2 rooms, however at the same time, I have thoughts in my mind for some things that I need for my sons' bedroom and bath! LOL!!

I'm still renovating. The basement now. I'll be renovating for the rest of my natural life it seems. Can you tell I'm tired??

Triage. It seems to be the most humane way to decorate. :O)

My last big bug became no nightstands so this past month I actually found love, promptly ordered, and broke out the gold spray paint.

Triage. It seems to be the most humane way to decorate. :O)

My last big bug became no nightstands so this past month I actually found love, promptly ordered, and broke out the gold spray paint.

If it's a new area, say a remodel of several rooms, I'll plan all of them together. That doesn't mean that they'll all be finished at the same time, just that I know what needs to be gotten for them. I'm still working on rooms that were built a couple of years ago.

I will be so interested in reading everyone's responses to this!

We have been in our house for about 19 months and are just starting to paint/decorate. It is a very slow moving process since we are paying cash for everything and we don't have much cash at the end of the month.

Originally I thought I would focus on one room at a time and so far have painted the dining room and hung a new light fixture. But at the rate I'm going, it will be a year before this room is complete! I think I'm going to change my strategy and do Here And There Decorating.

Because why save up for new pulls and knobs for the buffet which isn't really an immediate need when we could REALLY use a wardrobe in our bedroom to get all the clothes/stuff off the floor, you know?

I think it's better to do one room at a time, but I seldom do it. It's easy to feel like you're getting nowhere doing little things here and there, (as I often do) but when you buy like me; CL, estate sales, consignment shops, sometimes the thing you MUST buy isn't the thing you need at the moment. If you're like me you buy it anyway. If you're a one room at a time person, you order things to fit the space you are working on. In reality I guess I'm a combination of both, with a bit more emphasis on the "here and there" (That's where the FUN is :) )

For my currently being restored house, I'm planning to use the "concept board" method and then just buy things that relate to the concept board for each space. So I guess that's a targeted, but still scatter shot method. My problem is that I often dream, dream, dream...see perfect piece...don't buy perfect piece because I'm not "doing that space" and then when I am doing that space the perfect piece is gone. I am a bit worried about the "getting away" issue right now as we are in a tiny apartment, our house is far from done, but perfect things keep presenting themselves for my "Early American Industrial Grocery Store" decor scheme.

I *try* to focus and do one room at a time, something entirely new for me! I moved into my new home a year ago, and had boxes stacked up, 3' deep and about 8' high~completely covered the windows in my kitchen! I would say I must have had 30-35 boxes of kitchen stuff, and that included the decor stuff I would be using. Within 6 days my kitchen was completely finished, as well as decor(old copper pots above cabs, trays/plate racks on walls, dishes on hutch, white platters hung, things on counter)and ready to cook a meal.

Ya gotta stay focused and that's hard to do when you have a million boxes all around you. The alternative is opening all the boxes and creating so much confusion you won't be able to do anything else but sit down and cry. ;o)

I felt like I couldn't relax til my new house was decorated- now I'm trying to refine what I rushed, lol---

It's been a long time since I've had multiple rooms to redo! These days it' usually just keeping an eye out for things that will enhance a room . . . any room.
But, in your case, I'd sit down and make a list ~ room by room~ of what needs to be done and what you need to buy. Then buy a small spiral notebook that'll fit easily into your purse and keep the front part as an ongoing "To Do List" with the most important ones first. Maybe leave a section for short, quick fixes that you can refer to if you have a spare hour. In the back half of the notebook, keep lists of things you need with details as to size, etc. I have a notebook like this that I keep for just this purpose. In the very back, I have room dimensions, etc. This way, when I'm out shopping and come across something on sale that may work in my house, my trusty notebook will help me figure out if it'll fit.
I suggest the notebook, because as much as you might want to get one room done at a time, you don't want to pass up a really good bargain if one comes along.

We've been in this house for 3 1/2 years. For the first year or so, we concentrated on the main pieces of furniture throughout the house. These included a sofa, several storage pieces and bookcases. Only a few pieces from our last house fit the style and size of this one. Then, I started focusing on one or two rooms at a time to finish them.

I find it helpful to write a list of what I want to do by room. With a list, it is much easier to prioritize and budget for decorating.

Here and there for sure!

I only wish I could stay focused to finish a room...

Started the kitchen-still not done (window treatments,paint window boxes)
Started the bedroom-still not done (wallpaper or re-paint...mmmm)
Started the family room...ok-made some progress here and just a couple of things left to do (paint staircase, new lighting for familiy room)

I now want to re-do my home office. I know thouhgt that I should finish the above and them move on to next. It seems like it never ends...but it is fun to look for the ideas etc

For accessories, I just tend to shop for 'whatever' and if something catches my eye, I try to figure out where I could use it.

A little of both depending on our needs at the time.

Lots of methods to our madness, I see...

DayDreamer: I'm on a limited budget, too, and I know what you mean. Every time one of my children has an expensive activity crop up, I picture my new light fixtures moving further into the future...you know it's bad when you're hoping your girls don't get asked to the prom because you want lights!

Lynneinnewmexico and others who suggested a list: Oh, I have got a list. Multiple lists, even. I'm a dreadful dabbler, and I can have things on the list for a year(like new knobs for the TV room built-ins) that would take a half-hour to shop for and another ten minutes to put on.... but I never get around to it because I can't decide on the light fixtures or curtains for the living room. Makes no sense!

I am going to try a room-by-room approach for the next couple of months. I won't let myself do the living room until the foyer is done, etc. Hopefully, that will move me along so that my bedroom won't be the same icky color at the end of the year that it is right now.;-)

I do one room at a time BUT I usually only get to about 90-95% done before I move on to another room. It's usually something either very difficult to find that missing or a very big budget item that I just can't do at the moment. I finally did finish the dining room and two spare bedrooms but, my living room still needs an area rug...and it's been a very difficult hunt. Just as well, now I can't really afford to buy one.

I'm doing my family room now and I did want to replace the ceiling fan in there. Unfortunately I just had a $716 vet bill so I'm afraid the ceiling fan will be that last 5-10% that doesn't get done until later!

All over the place... a real nightmare... Finished last Sept a major reno all over the house... (a lot DIY). I still don't have any door handle, nor light fixture... I have a dining room table, but no chair (we eat in the kitchen). I have a new carpet, sofa and loveseat in the living room, but am missing all the tables, chairs, lamps... We've started a slate walkway along the house (outside)... not finished... I have about 6 tons of slate piled in my backyard... And the list goes on and on...

But I made myself a promise... we won't touch the kitchen nor the drivay (the two big remaining projects...) as long as all the rest is not finished... and I really mean ALL the rest... to the tiniest of the touchup... even if it takes years, I'm willing to wait... I'm just not starting a new project...

I would have to quit my job to complete everything in a decent amount of time, but then I would not have the $ to do it.... C'est la vie!

DH and I were just talking about our electric bill last night - it's been going down but I suggested looking into solar hot water this year. I know, a little OT but his response relates - he said "We've got other things to spend our money on first." I wanted to know what was more important than trying to make the house energy efficient - he said "Finishing things!" (the master bath being totally nonfunctional right now we moved in 2.5 yrs ago). So I agreed that *if* the tile seems to be staying in place 3 months from now, I will fix the couple of loose ones we have now (ongoing battle, tile guy comes back once a year to replace 50sf or so) and *finally* get all the baseboard finished and up in the downstairs (DR baseboard is done, FR is done except for 1 wall that runs into the kitchen, but the rest has been waiting on the tile - every time I even *think* about getting the baseboard up I find more loose tile).

So I've been forced to decorate piece-meal b/c if I waited til the whole house was done we'd still be living with no WTs and no furniture downstairs except the DR!

I am a one room at a time girl, but it takes me FOREVER to get just the right things I want. But in time, I find them like magic.

....Jane

It's like I have Decorating ADD. I can have the intention of working on, say, the kitchen, but while shopping for kitchen materials, I'll get distracted by something that might work in the bedroom, and then if I get that item for the bedroom, well, should I get new curtains too? Oh, but wait, I was supposed to be working on the kitchen...

At the moment, I am working on 4 new bedrooms, 2 new bathrooms, and a new kitchen for our vacation cottage. None of these rooms actually exist yet! Construction is in progress, due to finish by June (fingers crossed), and I want to be able to move in with everything settled ASAP as soon as it's done. I don't want to spend my summer weekends shopping for rugs or beds! I have never had to plan for so many rooms at the same time before (especially when I'm 1.5 hours away from the project), so it's been interesting. I'm trying to find as much as possible on CL and consignment shops, for furniture, and shopping online for things like faucets and sinks and light fixtures. I finally had to sit down the other day and make separate file folders for each room and really organize myself, after I spend a fair amount of time browsing online for bathroom sconces, only to suddenly remember I had already ordered them about a month ago!

I think one room at a time is probably easier, but it never seems to actually happen for me.

Since I pretty much decorate from consignment shops, auctions, thrift stores, craigslist, garage sales and the like .. my decor 'evolves' as I find things I like.

So the whole house is in a constant state of .. FFE. ( 'Flux Furnishing Evolution' :D )

Sueb, you took the words right out of my mouth....totally ADD!! Maybe I'd lose more weight if I took the ADD meds!! Just kidding....okay, maybe not:)

I have always had to work around something I already owned - either b/c I couldn't afford to replace it or it was something sentimental. So, I have never started a room from scratch. It's all a hodge podge of things. I also go in spurts.....sometimes obsessed with decorating - hitting all the antique stores/fabric stores - and other times in a lull - not thinking about anything decorating related.

Smiles:)

Let's see:

"Catch Is as Catch Can" means that I have to deal with the in-house furniture, artworks and things -- no new stuff ...

"Rotate and Re-organize" means that I have a sudden inspiration or change in season -- and that decorative items get rotated around the house ... or we finally have the money to do one change

"The Domino Effect" -- I do happen to find something on sale etc. -- bring it home -- and the one change sets off a number of changes or shifts ....

Jan

Yes, mostly because cash and priorities become a limiting factor. We need to remodel our family room and kitchen for which I need to save money to do. I have the dining room living room "done" in my head but don't want to do it until the kitchen family room are done. We are just finishing up a bathroom remodel and I'm doing little things here and there (new drapes, tablecloths,etc).

Like most here, I focus on one room to try to complete the main work. However, there is always something going on in all the others rooms too. I am inches away from completing my Laundry Room (I have the wall paper border, so just need to have the paperer put it up) and determine what decorative items to place above the cabinets. I am also inches away from completion of my Powder Room...may throw a few other items on the upper walls, but will wait till it feels right. My Tiki Lounge will be years in the works, but the major furniture pieces are in place and it is functional. My Master Suite is also almost inches away from completion, just need to do some major cleanup of stuff I have crammed in there as storage and a few more decor items need placement and may find more wall decor in the future too. In the process of getting the Guest Bedroom wall papered, so close to done, but have to do the bath there...oh my I could go on and on...but the inches are adding up. :-)

We just moved into a brand new home, and being that it's our first place, we moved in w/ NOTHING! I had an 'idea' of what I wanted to do in the rooms since I had a bunch of time to think about it while it was being built, but no absolutes.

Once we moved in, I did one room at a time pretty much. Since I had an idea of what I wanted to do in each room, if I found something that was just perfect for a room, i'd buy it, but I woudln't attempt to 'decorate' with it. Instead it would just sit in that room and wait until I was ready for it :)

We finished the kitchen first, then the family room, and now I'm almost done the master bedroom. We've been in the house 2 months.

I have purchased the furniture for the 'formal' living room, but haven't done much else in there. The only reason I have already bought it is because it was on sale BIG TIME at Macy's and I had been eying it for months.

My mom on the other hand decorates all rooms at the same time. I think it discourages her though since she doesn't get to see the final result of anything for a long time.

GOod luck decorating!

I do what Lynne does--notebook--but I also keep photos of my room on my cellphone, if I need a quick reference. (I don't have an iPhone, but there's probably an app. for decorating). I also have tiny little swatches (paint and fabric) pasted into my notebook.

My colors are pretty consistent all over the loft, and since I believe in using colors that flatter me, I can tell pretty much at a glance if the item will coordinate with what I've already got.

I "was" decorating the livingroom. So I brought home "2" wingback chairs to try them out. Too formal and not a good mix, so I put them in the master bedroom, took out the benches, put the benches in front of the fireplace in the livingroom. Viola! Then I needed to slipcover the wingbacks to match the rug in the master bedroom and upholster the benches to match the livingroom. :0) So then I had 2 rooms I was working on. :0) It sorta spread....:0)

I also have Decorating ADD. Well probably just ADD in general, but we've been here three years and I would not say that any single room is 100% done. My list of projects is a mile long and so many things are in the works. My DH told me I should concentrate on one room and I tried that for a little bit but got distracted again.

We try to do one room at a time, however, we usually get the major parts done but fall short on the accessorizing part. Mainly because I can't find things I like. So in the meantime we start the next project and before you know it months or yrs. have passed and we are still looking for those accessories. Right now I am concentrating on finding a cocktail table to go with my camelback sofa I got from Ethan Allen about 5 yrs. ago.....see what I mean. In the meantime we remodeled the kitchen, finished the basement and have moved on to the master bedroom....still no cocktail table. Anyone have any suggestions for a table?

I use the buckshot decor method. Get all excited, aim at a target, let loose a huge burst of energy, but end up scattering buckshot all over the house and never actually hit the target...

It works for me :oP Eventually if you miss enough rooms you'll hit one of them that needs help.