If you’re dreaming of a beautiful new space in your home, don’t neglect the planning! Here’s how planning your DIY room makeover effectively will save you time, money and stress.
Are you thinking about giving your room a makeover? Whether you’re looking to update your decor to suit your evolving aesthetic, add more storage space for the increasing demands of your family, or change the layout of your room to better suit how you use it, planning your DIY room makeover is such an important step.
After all if you don’t know your goals for the space, how can you achieve them?
It’s easy to decide to switch up some art then while you’re at it, move the dresser to another wall and find yourself knee deep in a room makeover. I love a spontaneous update (I’m an Enneagram 7, after all).
But if you want to make significant changes or if you’ve been feeling frustrated that those spontaneous changes never turn out like you’d envisioned… I’d encourage you to take the time to plan your next room makeover.
Even if you’ve already started and you’ve hit the ‘well, what now?’ point in your project. It’s not too late to take some time to plan!
Having done it both ways- I’m forever a planner now. I’m always SO much happier with how a space turns out when I take a little extra time up front to do some planning. Plus… the makeover almost always goes more smoothly.
Last year I offered room makeover consultations where I met with readers (you!) and went through this planning process, working together towards a plan. The feedback was been consistent- a plan helps you feel empowered to take on the room makeover you’ve either been putting off or that you’ve stalled at.
Honestly, friends… plans are golden and will help you truly love your home when you’re all done that well planned makeover.
So today, that’s what we’re talking about. If you’re currently sitting on the floor of your closet that you’ve torn out the old organizer without a plan… give this a quick read and get the push you need to put pen to paper and make a plan for how that closet will come back together in the very best way.
Here’s 6 reasons why it’s valuable to plan your DIY room makeover.
Plan your room makeover for a Clear Direction
When you take the time to plan your DIY room makeover, you’ll have a clear direction for your project. You’ll know exactly what you want to achieve with your efforts and how you’re going to do that before you swing a hammer.
You’ll have a pretty darn good idea of what you need to buy, so you wont waste time wandering the aisles looking for ‘inspiration’. This means you won’t waste money on pieces that don’t fit your vision or don’t work together with the rest of your decor.
You’ll have a clear idea of how to execute your vision.
Planning your DIY Room Makeover will ensure You Get BOTH Functionality and Style
Who wants a prettier package with all the same annoying issues as before?
Another benefit of planning your DIY room makeover is that you’ll be able to plan for practical needs just as much as the aesthetic goals. I know storage isn’t sexy, but it’s honestly key for a home that you will love to live in.
Take time to evaluate your needs and factor that into your plans instead of it being an after thought and I promise, you’ll be much more likely to LOVE your space. Take the time to decide what you really like and what your space actually needs to function well for your family.
You don’t need to sacrifice function for a look you love.
I say it all the time, but I believe your home should work SO hard for your family and look darn good doing it. Plan for both.
Other than creative storage, some other functional or practical elements you might want to plan for? Do you need more seating options? Does your kid spread markers all over the floor to create comics… maybe a desk? What about a surface near a plug for your diffuser?
Planning your DIY Room Makeover Will Help you Stay On Budget
Let’s talk money, honey. Even if you’re not on a *super* tight budget, we are all working within some kind of budget.
DIY allows us to stretch our dollars and make such a great impact in a room that we might otherwise be priced out of. Yay, DIY! But I’m sure we’ve all seen that meme that goes, ‘why buy it for $39 when you can DIY it for $476!?’.
No? Just me? It’s always showing up in my Facebook feed!
But really, it’s so easy to let that happen if you don’t have a plan. Price things out first. Chase those ideas down in the search bar with a post it noting prices or get *fancy* with a spreadsheet.
I actually share my own room makeover budgeting spreadsheet if you want to steal mine for yourself!
You can just plug in your numbers and it will calculate a reasonable contingency and total budget to plan for.
There’s also a section to help you track your spending as you get started so you can easily see how much is left to make that dream a reality!
This process will help you decide if you should really try that DIY, just buy, or maybe get brainstorming for a new idea. Planning your DIY room makeover will also help you evaluate what is truly needed so when you get to shopping you don’t start hitting ‘add to cart’ on items that won’t fit your space or your budget.
By making a list of the items you need and researching where you can save money, you’ll be able to stick to your budget without sacrificing style.
If you’re finding you’re over budget, consider DIYing to save some cash, after all… you’re on a DIY blog full of tutorials ;) The internet is full of even more!
One quick tip from my personal experience, it’s important to prioritize your spending for your deal breakers. What does your room *absolutely* need to be a success in your eyes? A feature wall? A new sofa?
Then, start with the big-ticket items that will have the most significant impact on your room, like furniture or a new paint job. Then, move on to smaller items like decor or accessories that can be easily swapped out if you change your mind next fall.
Planning your DIY Room Makeover Will Help you Communicate Your Vision Effectively
This is maybe the biggest selling point of a design board for me. Even though I am a visual thinker and can picture pretty much any combination of furniture or decor in my head, I still make a design board.
My husband and I skip so many disagreements we might have had in the past with a design board in hand. He needs to see it to understand the vision.
This is super helpful if you have a team of sub-contractors or friends helping you as well. Planning your room makeover helps you communicate your vision effectively. By having a clear plan in place, there will be less confusion or misunderstandings about what you’re trying to achieve- the tile will be laid vertical stacked like you’d dreamed, not staggered brick lay. You’ll get chairs assembled in the proper room (especially for a larger scale project that more than one space is being worked on at once).
This will also prevent any last-minute changes or arguments about the direction of the project- it’s there, already planned!
Planning your DIY Room Makeover Will Help you Work Efficiently and Confidently
The amount of conversations I’ve had about room makeover dreams and plans that have stalled before they’ve started. If you’re frozen in indecision or not sure where to start, afraid to do it wrong… planning your DIY room makeover is key if you want to see it come to life.
Once you have a plan for how your space will look, function and the dollars that are going to that, you can put together an action plan. What do you need to buy? What do you need to DIY? What do you need to get quotes for?
Take that action plan and start taking action! Knowing ‘what’s next’ before you start will help you work efficiently and with confidence. When you have a clear direction, you’ll be able to enjoy your new room sooner, without stressing out along the way.
In my experience, it’s important to stay organized and check back in on your plan regularly. Create a schedule and a to-do list, and make sure to keep track of your progress along the way. This will help you stay on track and make adjustments as needed.
Speaking of time saving… if you plan really well and prepare yourself, you can even take on a whole room in a weekend. I’ve done that a quite a few times now and there’s no feeling quite like tearing it apart and putting it back together, better than ever all within 48 hours!
You can see this bedroom makeover and this deck makeover were both done in one weekend. This dining room was a weekend makeover too. And this bedroom for my daughter was pulled together while she was having a grandparent weekend. And this playroom just a few days.
Bigger project? This bathroom was completed in just one week! This entire home makeover was completed in just under 2 months. Not that I recommend that last one- that was tiring ;) But planning truly made it possible!
Planning your DIY Room Makeover Will Save You Stress
DIY room makeovers, DIY renovations, DIY Home anything… can be stressful. But IF by planning your DIY room makeover, you are able to confidently work towards your design and functional goals while staying within your budget… of course, you’ll be avoiding unnecessary stress.
I feel most stressed about a project if I’m not sure if we’re on budget or going to accomplish it in our time frame or if I’m not even sure if it’ll look good when it’s all done!
I’ve seen firsthand how planning can make a huge difference in the success of a project. So, take the time to plan your room makeover, and enjoy the process of creating a space you love!
Room Makeover Planning Tips
A few tips to leave you with if you’re ready to take on your own room makeover planning!
Most times, it’s important to involve everyone who will be using the room in the planning process. This includes family members, roommates, or anyone who shares the space with you.
Ask them what they would like to see in the room and take their feedback into account when creating your plan. I have a whole blog post on how to plan a room makeover for a kids space (and involve them!) here.
In my experience, a great way to get started on your plan is by creating a mood board or design board. This is a visual representation of your design ideas that you can use to get a better idea of what your room will look like when it’s finished and will help you communicate that to anyone involved in the project.
You can use online tools like Pinterest, Canva, or Adobe Spark to create your mood board or design board. I have a full video tutorial on how to create a design board right here.
How to Plan Your Room Makeover, Step by Step
If you’re thinking… this sounds great… but where do I even start?! I have a full course that will walk you through step by step.
With video tutorials, worksheets and resources to make it easy for you to hit the ground running, I know this resource will help you feel confident as you take on your room makeovers!
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