my best diy design tip

March 6, 2014

I don’t often give design advice. I hardly feel I’m qualified. I’m no designer. I’m just a girl who likes to decorate and feather her nest. I’m certainly no expert. However, today I am going to share a little advice. I’m going to share my best diy design tip. It’s something I myself just did this past fall. And ever since I did I’ve been wondering why on earth I didn’t do it sooner. It’s made decorating my home such a breeze. It’s kind of like my own personal design secret weapon.

Are you ready for it?! This is going to blow your mind! My best diy design tip is to: Create Your Own “My Home” Design Notebook.

diy design tip: create a my home design notebook

Okay, okay, “blow your mind” was an overexaggeration, but I can’t help the excitement. I really really love this little notebook!

This tiny notebook fits in the palm of my hand and is always, always carried with me in my handbag. Always. I’m not even kidding when I say I never leave home without it. It has all the vital info about my home that I would need to access like say if I just so happen to stumble upon some amazing piece of furniture at a thrift store that I might want to use in the guest room. I can easily reference measurements, paint colors, fabric swatches so I can see if something will fit or mesh well or whatever.

I busted out my Zink hAppy to create tabs for each room of my home.

I keep paint swatches as well as the paint formulas in this book. Do you have any idea how handy it is to have not only have the swatches but the formulas in my handbag at. all. times?!

diy design secret weapon: my home design notebook

As you can see I also keep fabric swatches in this book as well. In times when it’s impossible to have a swatch of a fabric I’m using in a space, I take a picture of the fabric.

This notebook has made decorating such a breeze. As I’m working on the kids’ bathroom right now it has definitely been nice to have a reference on hand as I’ve been out shopping for decorative details. I’m easily able to see how the wall color and shower curtain will play with items before I bring them home.

I only ever write notes in pencil, so if I change my mind, as I often do, it’s easy to just erase.

I’ve even got a place to keep paint samples for possible future projects as well as coupons.

It’s all here in this one little notebook, and I use it all. the. time! It has made the decorating process that much more enjoyable. I only wish I had made a notebook like this sooner. Do you have your own home design notebook? Know what else I like to carry in my handbag? A tape measure. You know you’re a diy’er when you carry ___________ in your handbag?

Y’all fill that blank in!

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I always carry a notebook of my room's paint swatches with me. But your notebook is so much more detailed. I love the idea of adding fabric swatches and lists/ideas. Thanks for the great tip!!

That is such a great idea! I have files for my clients with all the same details but hey…I need to do one for me too! And something that I can always have with me…..

This is genius! I carry paint swatches with me all the time, but I'm always losing them, dropping them, etc. I never thought to create a notebook or to include pics of fabric in it! I'm doing this immediately…. well, maybe after my daughter's first birthday party is over. 🙂

As a person who's finishing up interior design school right now, I agree 1000%! Most people just can't match colors from memory, so having a little booklet to carry around is HUGE.

this is a really good idea!!!!

PS – i have a GIVEAWAY going on – stop by and spread the love if you can :o)

I remember you posting about this awhile back and thinking it was such a genius idea! I always seem to have a measuring tape with me. I whipped the sucker out one time at my last job and I got the weirdest looks, but I was able to answer the question!

I concur with everyone – so genius! I think this be especially helpful for me since we just moved and are deviating a bit from our last home's color palette. I do try to carry a little notebook with measurements for spaces I'm looking to fill and a mini tape measure is always in my bag too 🙂 But having it all in one (bound!) place would be awesome!

I have this in bits and pieces in my bag but this is exactly what I need to do. I carry everything with me but this is genius. And cute to top it off!

I love it! I just made one of these for myself a few weeks ago and will be sharing the details on my blog tomorrow. I'll send you a link once it's up… And I always carry a tape measure. I found a great little key chain one in the dollar bin at Target, so now I am never without it (and don't have to dig so far into the depths of my purse to find it).

That is awesome Carmel! I think I'm going to make one this weekend! I'm planning a trip to IKEA (it's over 2 hrs. away) this month for a bunch of things for our new living room and this would come in handy so much!

I saw your post about this on The Chic Site, and made my own too!!! Even shared it on my blog as well!! I'm still adding more stuff to mine, but you've inspired me to get on it!! And I need to add a small tape measure to my shopping list haha. Thanks again!!

I do have my own little notebook and a mini tape measure – both are so great to have on hand. I like your pockets that you have -great idea!

no!!! I do not. Why don't I? I am always pulling up photos of my rooms on my phone. So smart. I LOVE LOVE this. Thanks, friend. Now I know how I am killing an hour or two tomorrow! xo

this is a great idea – when you love design it is so easy to get inundated with ideas. great way to keep all of them organized!

That is the exact reason I decided to make this notebook! I was always losing them!

Love hearing that! Glad to have inspired you! Isn't it awesome having it all in one little notebook?!

This is such a great idea, Carmel! I, too, ALWAYS carry a tape measure. It has come in handy so many times!

I have a lavender notebook that I have all sorts of things in (though it's slightly too big for my purse). We are going to be custom building a home from the picking of the perfect piece of land to deciding on what style of light fixtures – there are so many things I didn't think of that go with picking every single item in an entire house, not just decor and floors! I keep everything in my notebook including 911 number to the builder, county permit office, and everyone in between. I don't know how I'd survive without it!

Yes, awesome idea and looks so good too.

This is amazing! Thank you for sharing. I have started something similar but not in this much detail. You have inspired me to do more.

I just wanted to pop back by to share my paint and fabric swatch kit that I put together a few weeks ago and that I shared the details of on my blog last week. If you are interested: http://www.blueistyle.blogspot.com/2014/03/OnTheGoPaintFabricSwatchKit.html

You can use chasing rope light to decorate your home!

After we got some general knowledge of the LED color changing strip light ,we want some to decorate our house .And we will know the LED strip light how to color changing !
There are two or more dies inside the LED to control the different colors . In the backside we could see some control circuit ,sometimes there are two ,three ,four and five ,we called them leads .The multiple leads within the package control turned on and off by supplying power to the die. For example, a tri-color LED will have four leads: one to supply power to each of the three LEDs and a fourth common lead.

We could sent a series of color changing way into the controller, a simple circuit might turn on just one color at a time for various purposes, and a more complex circuit can combine colors. This allows for greater control over exactly what color is displayed by the LED package.

The user could control the color changes or the frequency of the color changes, so a color-changing LED is primarily used in novelty lights, decorations such as color-changing LED holiday lights and other such uses.
After we got some general knowledge of the LED color changing strip light ,we want some to decorate our house .And we will know the LED strip light how to color changing !
There are two or more dies inside the LED to control the different colors . In the backside we could see some control circuit ,sometimes there are two ,three ,four and five ,we called them leads .The multiple leads within the package control turned on and off by supplying power to the die. For example, a tri-color LED will have four leads: one to supply power to each of the three LEDs and a fourth common lead.

Cool Stuff. Interesting to read.
Builders and Promoters in Chennai

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