Where to Start when Updating a Room

Hello, friends–happy almost March! 🙌Today I wanted to talk about finding the right inspiration to kick off a room update. (There’s that word-of-the-year again–inspiration!) If home style isn’t your strong suit (or even if it is), deciding where to begin when redesigning a space can be a little overwhelming. If you’re overwhelmed, well, you may just do nothing, right?! So…I’m here to simplify it for you.

This soap dispenser is just the look I was going for in our upstairs bath

Find One Object  

Let’s say you’ve decided to update a bathroom but you just don’t know what you want to transform it into. Here’s a little secret; just fine ONE object for the room that really speaks to you. Pick up something that catches your eye while you’re wandering the aisles of Target/Marshall’s/Home Goods, etc. For example, we will eventually gut and update our upstairs bathroom but until that happens, I wanted to give it a refresh so I could enjoy it in the interim. I was roaming the aisles of Home Goods and found this lovely soap dispenser and it went home with me. This single object became the inspiration I needed to start changing up the bathroom. From there, I decided on the color palette and the décor I would be looking for.

This is how it all came together–from a soap dispenser!

Build Around that Object  

Now that I had my inspiration, I could make a plan and move forward. I was going for a blend of French and Victorian to stay true to our old home’s personality. I updated the vanity with white paint and a very pale French blue on the walls. I found a great mirror (I believe from Marshall’s) with a lovely carved frame. I replaced the light fixtures, faucet and towel bars with chrome to play off of the soap dispenser. Lastly, I added a piece of art and a decorative wall sconce to pull it all together. Throw in a rug and towels and bam, done! (Full disclosure–it doesn’t typically look this clean…I share it with my son. ‘Nuf said! 😱)

A little paint and new hardware can do wonders without breaking the bank

There you have it–you only need one thing to build your dream space around and it can be as small and simple as a soap dispenser! I hope this helps anyone who gets overwhelmed or anxious about updating a space. It’s really all about finding a look you love and going with it! If you’d like more home style inspo, check out posts on our master bedroom update here or our sunroom update here.

Do you have one item that sparked inspiration in your home update? I’d love to hear about it in the comments!