Reader Design Dilemma: Is Phase One Decorating Worthwhile?

When Dana messaged me with her living room design dilemma I just knew this would be a great one to discuss here on the blog because her situation is just so relatable!

Here’s her conundrum in her words………

Those darn budgets are always holding us back aren’t they?!  😉  I have so been there Dana!  And while yes, these are first world problems, this is a design blog, so these are the issues we discuss here even though we know these aren’t legit “issues”.  I have to say things like that here on the blog or else I get emails from angry people who think I live in a bubble and don’t know what real world problems are.  Anywho.   That said.  Dana’s quandary is I’m sure one that many Our Fifth House readers can relate to.

When the “big vision” of what we want for a space isn’t within the foreseeable future ……should we decorate for the now…..even when we know that it’s only a temporary solution?  Should we spend time and money on “phase one decorating”?

How to Decide

My short answer, and I don’t think this will come as a surprise to longtime readers, is yes.  Definitely!  Your home should be your happy place – today!   And even if the big vision is going to take some time and resources to come to fruition, I see no reason why short term solutions can’t fill the space gap giving us something that will tied us over until our vision can come to life.

However, I think 2 things should be considered first:

1. How much is our big vision really going to cost?  So often I hear homeowners say they want to do things in their home, but they can’t afford to right now.  They say this having no idea what the actual cost of the project will be.  They’re basing their decision to wait on what they think or imagine the project will cost.  So I say, get the quotes first.  Every contractor will charge differently.  (I just got 2 quotes to have our home power washed and they were $150 different!)  Getting a real idea of the cost will help you to better determine if you can afford to take the project on now and/or how much you’ll really need to save.
2. Is there any part of the project you can DIY?  Guys, with so many great tutorials floating around on the web, even if you don’t have the skills or knowledge now, you could attain everything you need to know in a short while of reading and watching video tutorials.  On top of that, painting is time consuming for wood working contractors.  So you may get a lower quote if you tell your contractor that you’ll be doing the painting yourself.  Because it means less time on the job for them, and painting is the easiest DIY that anyone could knock out!

Phase 1 Options

If you’ve answered both of those questions and you still need to wait before you can make your dream vision for your space a reality, then I think you’ve got the green light to commence with the phase one decorating.

For Dana’s living room…..

1. In Dana’s living room I think the simplest, most logical thing to do would be to bring in a couple of freestanding bookcases.  For 2 reasons:  1.  This will allow her to  visually play with the idea of shelving flanking the fireplace, so she can see if built-ins are really what she wants the space.  and 2.  Free standing bookcases will easily translate to another space in her home when she’s ready for built-ins.  These white bookcases could work in a kid’s room, an office, a guest bedroom or even a closet.

2. Baskets will provide great texture and concealed storage!

3. A collection of cool vases on top of the bookcase will add some color and pattern, and will allow her to start collecting those things that she’ll want to display later on…..so when she does have the built-ins installed she won’t have lots of empty bookshelves.

4. Sconces over the windows will finish out the “meantime look” really nicely, but will have staying power once the built-ins are added in as the wiring can just be extended.  This could also be a nice phase 2 addition if that’s not in the budget for now.

5. I think every room needs some greenery.  A fiddle would work great here on this end of the sofa with all the natural light pouring through the windows.  I’m team real plants, but this fiddle looks like a fairly decent fake.

6. Last but not least, a round coffee table will add some nice contrast to all the angles in the space.  The hand embossed metal base is so pretty and will look great paired with the sofa and blues in the space.

One Other Option

While I think bookcases seem like the best fit for the interim, one other option would be to bring in a pair of long storage ottomans to flank the fireplace.  Creating a pseudo window seat look similar to what I did in this living room makeover from a couple years ago.

So what do you all think?  Do you think phase one decorating is a good idea or a waste of money?

Got a Design Dilemma?

If you’ve got a design dilemma you’d like me to cover here on the blog, send me a message with “Design Dilemma” in the subject line to Carmel@ourfifthhouse.com.  Or DM me on Instagram @ourfifthhouse.