If you're that overwhelmed, a designer might be a good idea. Hopefully he/she could give you tips on how to execute things, in addition to a color scheme.

I'm a lot like you in that I think about my house and decor all the time but don't spend as much time executing it because I get overwhelmed (or, just busy with life). As for where to start...I'd start with either the area that you spend the most time, or the area that bothers you the most. I started with repainting the bathroom after DH & I married because I couldn't stand starting my day with the busy wallpaper anymore. Next is the living room because it's where we spend the most time. Maybe you should start with a room where small changes will make a big difference to give you a boost of confidence in moving on to other things.

I just remembered one of my favorite posts from Thrifty Decor Chick that touches on this topic.

Here is a link that might be useful: From before to after: It takes time

I'm one of those people that has to have a plan. I love those large plastic envelope with the string tie. When I move to a new place, I'll set up one envelope for each room. In it, I keep a floor plan with all relevant measurements, a list of the furnishings I need, paint, wood and fabric samples, inspiration pictures, furniture tear sheets etc. In the beginning, I don't limit myself to a budget. I just try to get a vision for each room.

Once you have a vision, then you can begin the transformation. The shell of the room comes first...painting, flooring, electrical, any built-ins or trim...then draperies and rug. One note, you should know your drapery, rug and upholstery choices before picking your paint color. Paint can be mixed to coordinate with anything, but it's not so easy to find fabrics to match paint.

Next, you should place the large scale furnishings.

Lastly, place lighting and accessories.

I should add that once you've decided on a plan, you have to be careful not to get derailed. It's so easy to be out shopping and see a furniture piece or fabric that you fall in love with, but that doesn't fit into your plan. Of course, you can choose to scrap your plan and start over to accommodate the treasure you've found, but at some point, you must discipline yourself to go forward without distraction.

Hi Jock. First take a deep breath. You've made such great strides over the past three years, you deserve some time to just enjoy your space. I remember our earlier posts, and my advice is pretty much the same: get the best you can afford even if it means empty rooms for a while, consider classic used furniture (much better for the planet, your bank account and usually provides superior quality to what's currently mass manufactured), and simply enjoy the process of creating a warm and inviting home.

So glad you're refining your ideas about what makes your heart happy, and now realize it doesn't all have to come together at once. You seem to have accepted that fact intellectually, but maybe haven't fully embraced it emotionally. I know you won't be happy with this suggestion, but it may help to focus on another hobby for a while. Sometimes it's good to just take a break from the design shows in order to allow time to process what's important to you.

Buying what you love and the absolute best you can afford, even if you have to wait, is spot on. I've found that much of today's readily available furniture is vastly inferior to older pieces. Shopping ebay, estate sales, antique stores, even goodwill often yields better results. If I were acquiring new (to me) pieces that's where I'd start. I know light, airy rooms make me feel good, so I stick with what I love rather than what is current. Others prefer to switch things up and don't mind repainting frequently. Only you can decide which approach makes you comfortable.

Since you're feeling overwhelmed at the moment, before calling in a decorator I think you might want to list all the things you're considering, attach budget #s and then prioritize. If you're still contemplating changing your floor, updating paint colors, art, etc., think about where you really want to invest your money. One thing I'd caution though is putting too much money into upgrades as your home is already quite nice. Your LR before the new chairs, art, paint swatches etc was really lovely.

Sometimes it's hard to just sit back and relax as one can always want to refine -- there's always going to be a more expensive/beautiful something or other, but it can become a never ending and costly merry-go-round. I haven't posted recently, so sorry for the long post but I want to address a lot of your previous issues. Perhaps some have been resolved so ignore what doesn't resonate or is no longer pertinent.

Since you were torn about marble vs wood flooring, if you're still thinking about that, get estimates for both. I think you may be in the NOLA area. Floorcrafters on Carrollton did our wood floors. I don't know if they're still in business but their installation was terrific. We had beautiful white oak floors throughout except the foyer and baths which were polished marble (no grout) in that house. In another house we went with all marble throughout. Next house was all wood. Now it's marble everywhere except the bedrooms are wood. There are dis/ advantages to both. Upgrading floors is expensive so I'd concentrate on walls unless I was certain spending the floor money posed no problem in this uncertain economy. I'd rather put big sums to paying off the mortgage, but know that's questionable too as home prices will likely continue trending downward for many years unfortunately.

Paint is much cheaper and can really make or break a room even more so than floors I think. Beautiful floors are wonderful, but a floor's impact can be offset by area rugs so take a second place to walls in my budget priorities. Picking a color can be difficult as it really depends on exposure. Although the tones have varied somewhat from house to house, I've kept pretty much the same look in our public space, even though we've achieved it with various grasscloth, strings, moire and other wall coverings as well as plain paint over the past 30+ years. Our walls are a backdrop for views and art, I stay with the off whites to bone range because it makes us feel good. While I love the look, picking a white with enough contrast with the trim is always a bit of a struggle because what worked well in one house may not in another. When I was staring out, I tried a variety of colors and learned what I like. I'm hardly color-phobic but prefer to use color in bedrooms and unexpected places like closets.

YMMV, but that is exactly the point. Enjoy learning what it is that makes you happy and don't stress too much as your taste evolves. Keep sifting through pics of the looks you love, and a pattern likely emrges. Then just do it, i.e, paint. In your house I'd probably use the same paint in the LR/DR/kitchen areas for flow, although I might consider an accent wall done in a matching tone on tone paper or very wide stripes of the same paint in flat/eggshell or a tone on tone damask stencil, etc., but would most likely use one of those techniques in the adjoining hall and keep the main space simple and airy. For more impact, if you haven't already, place some of your art in the hall, baths and kitchen. I'd add sconces flanking your tv. Check out simple alabaster cylinders on a dimmer for lovely organic light.
In any event, whether you decide to hire a designer or not, you'll need to wade through these issues first. I say trust your own eye; you've really have produced some good results already. Be patient and really enjoy the journey. Good luck!

http://www.christopherlowell.com/design/seven_layers.php

Over the years and three houses later, I have found that Christopher Lowell nails it when it comes to what order to use when putting together a home.

Having said that if you can find a good designer that will work well with you, it's worth it.

Ditto Colorwheel. That's the first thing I thought too. Here's a live link:

Here is a link that might be useful: CL Seven Layers of Design

We added on and did a home remodel also and I had so many walls to paint that it overwhelmed me. I knew the color spectrum I wanted, but I just couldn't nail one color.

I ended up hiring a Color Consultant from this board! I'll toot her horn since she's not allowed to. lol. It's Amy.

We did it long distance through mail and email and it was worth every penny.

My fear is hiring an Interior Decorator and having them come in and want to change everything according to their tastes, not mine.

Also, Color Consultants studies colors intensely, probably more than an ID. They see what we don't see.

I'm right there about loving interior designs. I don't have cable or I would probably be watching all the design shows too - its fun, but it may be what is confusing and overwhelming you. So many ideas and just one space to do. I have another take on buying things for my house. Probably not one many people here may agree with. I buy mostly from consignment and thrift stores because I don't want to tie up too much money in furnishings. Then I feel like they own me instead of me owning them. I have found that if you know what you are doing regarding balance, proportion, color, etc., you can make those items look good because you are keeping the basics of design in mind. My thought is that you don't need the best of things, just the knowledge of how to put them together. That is what I am trying to learn, and this site has been great for that.

Thanks so much for all the thoughts so far.

I guess it would be a good idea to list my main areas of concern:

-Lighting: This is one of my pet peeves! During the daytime with the natural light coming through, my house looks so much lovelier and the paint colors are great. At night however, is a different story. Most of the rooms are lit by ugly 4 light ceiling fans. These cast such horrible light. I hate the yellowish light and it makes everything look dingy. It is too bright in the middle of the room and dark and gloomy in the corners. I would love to add recessed or even track lighting so that I could use that bright clear halogen lighting. I just don't know the best way to do this.

- Color Scheme: As I have a small approx. 1350 sq ft home, I really want to come up with a cohesive color scheme. This is the current breakdown: LR/Dining/Kitchen - This is one big open space and most of it is in SW Ramie. I like this color OK, but I feel it is too dark, esp. at night. The back wall in this area and the kitchen is in BM Azores, a deep blue-green. This is a really lovely color and it is bold, but I think I want the whole room to be the same color so it doesn't look choppy. The MBR is SW Quietude which I also like but think is too dark. MBath is currently a hodgepodge of different samples, most in the blue green range. Guest bedroom is SW Jalapeno, a dark burnt orange which is definitely leaving! Other guest bedroom is now a library/office and is SW Comfort Gray. Like this color but wish I had gone with Sea Salt. Guest bath is an Olympic (Lowe's) color called Peppered Pecan, which is a pinky brown. Don't know what I was thinking! That needs to change! Laundry/pantry is white with different samples splotched. This one needs a good color as it is visible from the kitchen.

I would like to come up with a good cohesive 3 - 4 color scheme to use throughout the whole house. I think I need a creamy neutral and I would definitely like a blue somewhere in there. Don't know what other color. Should I do a neutral in the main living area and the blues in the bedrooms? Can I use a blue in the living area?

- Flooring: Most of the house still has the builder grade beige ceramic tile with impossible to clean grout. I really think putting down a nice floor could elevate the whole house. I love the look of wood but I'm scared of scratches and dings. Should I use some type of stone instead?

I really think I know how to pick out nice furniture, art and accessories, but I don't know how to put everything together. I really struggle with figuring out the best way to hang art.

Code will require installing recessed lighting by an electrician, but handy folks do it all the time. Not difficult, will provide good overhead lighting especially on a dimmer, but what you really may prefer to use most often are lamps or a combo of sources. Don't forget uplights hidden in plants or by sculpture.

My preference in my home is a neutral in the main areas, different colors in private. You've posted some shots of tone on tone neutrals that I like, but you haven't tried to see if you can stand living with that understated elegant look. If you're painting yourself, there's not a big investment to try out. Find a piece of fabric, a dish, paper that is the exact color you think you may like, and have the paint store color match. Another suggestion: for colors you really like but are darker than you prefer, have a sample made at 50%; if that's too light, increase to 75%. Top of the line SW and Aura and great, but I've converted to Pittsburgh Paints Manor Hall. Lovely, lovely hand, coverage, durability thus far, easy to clean, plus it's less expensive. One of my favorite laundry rooms was a clear light blue; with the white W/D looked crisp and soothing. Walking into that room just made me feel good, although I could never be happy with that in my LR. Everyone reacts to color differently, so find your bliss.

We've had one or two dogs (20 lbs each) on white oak without a problem in various regions. Since you're on slab you'll probably need to stick with 3 1/2" boards. We've site finished and didn't have a problem, but pre-finished is usually touted as harder. Dunno -- the only time we had prefinished it was already in place and was red oak. Was not nearly as durable as our white oak. Red is not as dense and the PO had a 90 lb dog whose tracks were pretty bad, nor was that manufacturer's finish that good as it had flaked a bit in some spots from PO cleaning probably, but there are some good pre-finished products out there. I love stone, but in the winter it's tough unless you install radiant. In the summer, it does keep the house cooler also which translates to lower a/c bills. My DH loves the elegance the marble provides and it is not too much maintenance, but wood is probably my favorite. Its biggest drawback is water damage, but it can be repaired if necessary. Some caveats: make sure they test the moisture level of the slab and properly seal the slab before install regardless of method, acclimate the boards at least 2 weeks inside, and get a fabulous installer with years of experience. Go for it!

You've done a great job in putting things together. I liked the two over the sofa; the long single probably looks great too. One tip to hanging if you're unsure is to make templates from newspaper or crafts paper and try out your ideas. You have a penchant for symmetry. Try hanging a couple of pieces vertically or something unexpected.

From your previous posts, I think you have a better "handle" on things that you are giving yourself credit for. At least, you seem to know what DOESN'T work.

I too struggle with paint and lighting issues. Until you can make permanent light changes, switch to either Reveal bulbs or Daylight flourescent. I know lots of folks don't care for the flourescents, but I absolutely love the bright, white, clean look of the dayslights. Makes a world of difference.

Use lots of table lamps with light colored shades and daylight bulbs. As much as I love a red or black or brown shade sometimes, I refuse to use them because of the quality of light. I have a dark tan shade on a lamp on my dresser just as an accent piece - it makes the uglies light I have ever seen. Must change that one out.

DO NOT be afraid of wood floors. I have some that are 40 years old, some that are 20 years old, and some that are 3 years old. We live in our home and by that I mean we do not baby them. We take our shoes off if they are nasty - must, oil, snow, etc (we live in the country, are outdoor people, DH is in excavating business), but most of the time we are not afraid to walk on our floors with shoes. Of course, the finish on my floors is 3-4 coats of poly and it really is hard to destroy. Scratches are going to happen, but not bad if you put protectors under your furniture. And in spite of some floor specialists recommendation, I do mop with water (with some Bona cleaner or plain old white vinegar).

You are doing better than some of us! Hang in there.

Tuesday

Tuesday is right if you get a lamp, stay away from the dark shades. I wasted hundreds of dollars on two matching lamps with red shades and realized I'd never have good lighting.

For the time being, use table lamps which use a 3-way bulb. Some go up to 150 watts which really help at night.

A little accent lamp is great for small areas where you want some light. Corners are great places for those.

Wood floors. By all means get them! We have dark hickory which is the strongest wood out there, and my Grace, who is a runner and slider, hasn't done a thing to the floor. I've seen a few small scratches though, but they sell felt pens just for floors to hide scratches. Our's hardly ever gets scratched. Metal is about the only thing that will really scratch a floor, but even that can be cleaned up with a felt tip pen.

If you want a light room, don't get dark floors. No matter how much daylight comes inside. While I love mine, the dark floors along with the plantation shutters makes the room much darker than I like. It's fantastic at night though when I want to "nest."

Yes, I really want to get wood floors. Unfortunately where I live in south Louisiana, just about all of the homes are built directly on concrete slabs. From what I understand, you can't use solid wood on slabs and have to go with engineered. About 5 years ago I got engineered Tigerwood in my bedroom and it has scratched and dented horribly. Admittedly, I didn't take the proper precautions and protect the floor properly under furniture legs, but even so there are tons of scratches and knicks. I don't know if engineered is worse that solid in this regard. I used to really like the dark dark wood, but I know that I am going to go with a medium toned wood in a solid brown tone --- no orangey or red! Been there, done that with the tigerwood that has turned red, red, red in the light! Can anyone recommend species of wood to look at that are in the medium brown range and hold up pretty well?

Regarding lighting--I have found the absolute brightest lightbulb I can find is the 70watt Halogena bulb that is carried by Home Depot. It has kind of a squared off shaped and emits 1600 lumens. Installing these everywhere has helped considerably, but it is still too dark and I crave that really crisp light from true halogens. I know that fixing my lighting issues and the floor will help to make everything else in the house look better. Maybe I should concentrate here first?

I have to agree about being careful with bulbs. I would avoid "soft white" ones and stick to those that give purer light. I put bulbs in 2 matching lights recently, without paying too much attention. When I turned them on, the soft white bulbs looked downright yellow and dingy while the daylight ones looked amazing.

I disagree about darker floors. If your walls and ceiling are light, you can do a darker color for the floor. It makes it recede a little. If you do darker for the walls, then you need to make sure you have a lot of natural light and good lighting no matter what the floor color. The walls and ceiling are more along sight lines than a floor.

Part of why your light on the ceiling is not spreading is you probably have flat paint there. If you use the eggshell finish, the light will make cool patterns and spread out some.

Hi Jock. I have watched you navigate the decorating waters here and I think you have a very sensitive eye. In a way, that is a challenge, because you do need it to be just right to feel right!

Before I got into the responses, I was going to suggest working with a good color consultant, someone who can work with you there on site. I see someone already made that suggestion. (Thanks, Oakley!) A really good color person should be able to address the lighting issues in a thorough manner. Color is light and no color consultant worth his or her salt will not discuss lighting with you. (Note to readers: If you are working with a color person and they are not discussing lighting...you need a new color person!)

I also really think you need to work with someone in person because you are so sensitive to the subtleties of color. We here on the board can only go so far with photos and text. In the end, there is no substitute for having an expert standing in your space with you.

I am always thrilled when I can be part of the flooring decision for my clients. Too often, we are doing "corrective" color work when the existing floors are too orange/red/yellow...whatever. People tend to feel that wood is a neutral, but the undertones can make or break the color equation. A good consultant will be able to guide you through the wood selection process with an eye to your overall color goals.

Yes, you could hire an interior designer, but as Oakley suggested, Color Consultants think about color first and foremost. We make our living talking color, not selling sofas or window treatments. IDs are probably far better at picking sofas than I am, but if you want help with color, that's when you want to think about finding a specialist.

(BTW, I am not doing long-distance projects at the moment, so this is not a pitch for my own work. Just an argument for zeroing in on exactly the kind of help you need to move forward.)

Amy, your idea sounds like a good one. Can you recommend a way to find a good color person? I really would like someone to come to my house for a couple of hours and help me to develop a cohesive set of colors to use throughout my house and to help me decide on a floor. A few years ago I wouldn't even be thinking of doing any of this due to finances, but I recently inherited from a beloved family member that passed away. I am in the process of selling the home that I inherited. The closing is on July 15 (fingers crossed) and I will have enough money to pay off my current house, put a good bit into my investment account, and have a nice chunk left over. I was planning on using about 15-20K to put in new floors, possibly some new lighting, and then put in new cabs and counters and maybe change the vanities and add some tiling in the bathrooms. I know that sounds like a lot, but my house is only about 1350 sq feet and my kitchen is very small. I was thinking about 3K on floors, 5K on the bathroom, maybe 6K on the kitchen.

I really really want to do things once, and do them right. Due to the neighborhood, I don't want to overimprove, but I plan on staying in this house for a while and I don't live my life to please realtors! I honestly would really love to sell both houses and build a new house from scratch exactly how I want it, but that would be fiscally irresponsible right now. I have been given an amazing gift and I plan on using it responsibly!

Jock you sound very level headed. I'm sure you will make good choices - I don't think you give yourself enough credit design-wise. I think your decor is very well done. It would be nice to hire a trusted professional though when you are investing your time and money, if for nothing else than to confirm your money is being well spent in the areas you are considering.

I hired a color consultant - for my new homes and she did give me alitle help w/my hardwood and tile choices.
I hate everything but my bedroom color!
The grey that is in the majority of the house is horrible. The green is too pastel...

I have started to look at furniture and I certainly cannot work w/my current paint colors when choosing the furniture pieces.

So, I will now pick my furniture, fabrics, etc. and then have the house painted again!

I apparently did not pick the Right Color Specialist.

What Amy said about the color of wood flooring is so right. My floors are all red oak, but they are unstained with clear poly finish. THe original part of the house was done that way, so as I added new flooring to the kitchen and an addition, I felt that I needed to stay with the unstained look. There is a lot of orange tones which makes it difficult to choose paint colors. Greens look best, but I don't want every room in the house green. Most beige tones don't look good, but I am working on finding a beige that has green undertones (which some folks are trying to avoid).

If I were to install new flooring in a different house, I would definitely go with an oak, but would use a stain. Bronwynsmom, a poster on here, uses English Chestnut - love that color.

jockewing, this post really speaks to me as I am struggling with my home. I did have two designers come out and do you know what? I was even more confused. They had two totally different ideas and I didn't really love any of them. I can't afford to buy new furniture, but I did order a new rug hoping that it will inspire and lead me in some better direction. I wish you the best of luck.

WannBeHome, I am worried that the same thing will happen to me if I hire a designer or consultant. My tastes are so specific now that I would have to make sure I was hiring someone compatible with my taste. If I could do it all over again, I really think I would go to design school myself as I am so passionate about it. Getting a new piece of furniture is really like Christmas morning for me!

I think you should trust yourself a bit more. I think you have a good style and one of the only things I think you could is to take more risks.

It's great that you're so passionate about design. While design school has taught me a lot about the foundation of design, I have learned a great deal through shelter magazines and first hand experience. When you're working on a part of the room, seek out images of similar spaces and analyze what works in the room and theoretically duplicate it.

Here's what I do... Google the heck out of stuff. My favorite thing to do is do a google image search. See things that other's have done. I also like to look at the interiors that are done for movie sets.

I look at:
www.hookedonhouses.net/
www.houzz.com
www.decorpad.com
http://www.google.com/advanced_image_search?hl=en

Also, many places have free design advice. I recently contacted Potterybard (just the other day) because I am having a heck of a time with my dining room. They are giving me great advice via email.

As far as where to start, I'd say start small until you get the confidence.

No offense to AZ Wildcats, but Jock is way beyond starting small at this point! He is well into this process and has probably hit the limit.

Jock, I think I was where you are now, back in 2005 when I tried to hire a designer or color consultant to work with. I knew an awful lot about what I liked, but I felt I needed the extra edge from a professional to get me the last few yards to the goal.

As for finding someone to work with who has compatible style...you need to find someone who does not insert any of their own style into your process. That should be one of your first questions when interviewing people. Make sure you are not getting a look or a package or (heaven forbid) a formula. You need someone to help you find your home's own best design potential....a facilitator.

I'm not sure where you live, but I would start with the IACC-NA.

So Amy, did you actually go through with it and hire a designer? If so, did it work out for you? For some reason I had the impression that YOU were a designer yourself? Or are you a color designer maybe?

I looked for a color consultant and couldn't find one in my area. My builder "gave" me ten hours with a local ID as a part of the remodeling project. It was one of the most disappointing aspects of the renovation. I had high hopes for this woman, really liked her work, wanted to spend the big bucks, etc. I could barely get her to return my calls. It was a joke.

That was when I started going to IACC seminars and reading everything I could about color. Yes, I am a color consultant...you're right. And that is where my story began.

Jockewing, I was reading Apartment therapy and came across this post about when to hire an Interior Designer. I think it's a good read and one part especially reminded me of you and the way that you seem to know what you like and don't like.

Here is a link that might be useful: A.T When to hire a decorator