How To Redecorate/Repurpose Your Space, Part 2: Create Your Canvas

I recently started a new blog series about redecorating/repurposing your space. As our lives change, so do our needs. And as our needs change, our homes need to change with us. It is one of the reasons I still love our Nottingham Model after over 15 years.

When Paul & I built our home, we didn’t think we would have children. Two years later, our first son was born, and 18 months after that, our second son came along. This home has changed right along with us, and when I say we utilize it all, I mean it. Especially after I recently repurposed one of the rooms that wasn’t getting the love (use) it deserved.

Do you have a space you want to transform either visually or for it’s functionality? I hope you will join me for this fun journey as I show you how I turned a barely used guest room into a space just for me. I’ll share my process, my tips, my favorite ways to shop, and more!

Next up, creating your canvas!

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Now that you have your redecorating plan, the next step is to create a blank canvas which is important, especially if you are currently using the space for another purpose.

Step 1: Take Inventory

Take inventory of the stuff you have in the space and figure out what you want to keep, what can be sold or given away, and what needs to be pitched. We had been using this room as a guest room that got very little use as a guest room. Instead it became a catch all for crap. And laundry…

Something to know about me is I’m not a hoarder or a keeper of things just because there is space to keep it. I love to purge, but somehow I still fall prey to keeping stuff I know I will never need or use again. I heard a tip a while back for how to determine if you should hold onto something. The first question to ask yourself is “have I used this item in the last 12 months?”. If yes, you might want to keep it. If no, ask the second question, “can I replace this item for less than $20?”. If yes, pitch it. If no, decide if it is worth the space. I think this is a great way to avoid a bunch of little things you don’t use from accumulating and taking up “big” space.

I only had two pieces of furniture I needed to inventory, and I quickly decided I didn’t have any use for them anymore.

We bought the dresser when Andrew was born and the daybed when he grew out of his crib. The daybed is an Ikea purchase. This has been a great bed because the twin can be pulled out and made into a king sized bed (perfect for guests!). It also has three large storage drawers, making it a great option for a small space. This furniture has served us well for over a decade but since we didn’t need them anymore, I quickly reached out to a friend and found a new home for both pieces (and that hideous vase went into the donate pile)!

Two days later and the dresser and daybed were happily living in their new home. It felt soooooooooooo good to get this room cleared out and cleaned up!

Step 2: Make Any Necessary Updates

Does your canvas need a fresh coat of paint or new flooring? Now that the room is empty and clean, this is a great opportunity to do any “messy” updates to your space.

When we first setup our space as a nursery, we had bead board installed and repainted. We didn’t find out what we were having before the boys were born, so we wanted something that work for both a boy and a girl. We chose this periwinkle color that definitely looks more blue in this picture than it did in person.

When we changed the room over to a second guest room years later, we removed the bead board and re-painted. Being the only girl in the house, I was intent on choosing something “girly”, so I chose Sherwin Williams SW 6043 Unfussy Beige. I call it blush, Paul calls it pink.

Side Note: If you will be purchasing a new rug for your space, let me give you some advice. Choose your rug first. Before you paint or buy furniture, decide on your rug. This will be the anchor for everything in your space, and it is much easier to plan around the rug vs. trying to find a rug that works with everything else. Choosing your rug first will give you much more flexibility in the overall design of your space. Trust me.

The nursery also had carpet which we ended up changing out for hardwood shortly after Nate was born (there was a nasty incident that required carpet cleaning and that was all motivation I needed).

All in all, once we cleared out the furniture, our blank canvas was set, so we didn’t need to do any other work. But if your room needs a fresh coat of paint or new flooring, my advice is to do it now. It can be messy and much more difficult when working around furniture!

The next step (and my favorite) in redecorating/repurposing your space is shopping! In my next post, I’ll share what you should buy first (always!), and some of my favorite sources for furniture and room décor. I hope you will join me!

Dream. Build. Live.