Today I want to give you a glimpse of the design process I went through in creating the Patio Bath in the ASO Designer House. The process is similar to how I begin every project.

If you missed it, be sure to check out my previous post with more before pictures of the space!

The next thing after thoroughly documenting the space on camera is to document it on paper through measurements and more notes. Mine are always VERY rough sketches and scribbles, but it’s the numbers that count. When I get home and get all of the numbers and scribbles into AutoCAD (drafting software)….

… I can turn this (above)… into this (below):

My drawings are my maps. To start with an accurate, scaled drawing means I’m not going at this blindly. It eliminates so many question marks and protects from wasted time and energy during the selection process. They are the absolute truth that let me see how much space I have between point A and point B, thereby dictating what size light fixture, mirror, frame, rug, etc. I have allowance for.

I put that allowance together with the needs I’m trying to meet within that space functionally and visually. With that information I then know what I need to be looking for when I start selecting. When I select something, I draw it to scale to make sure it’s the perfect fit from a functional stand point, but also from a visual stand point of appropriately filling and balancing within the space

Switching gears from the technical side of the process to the creative!

I knew I wanted to create something fun and whimsical but at the same time calming. Like a little daydream of sorts!  Since designers are responsible for the cost of labor and materials for their rooms in the Show House, I wanted to keep the cost reasonable by using things I already had if possible. I had yardage of these Dwell Studio fabrics on hand. They are some of my absolute FAVORITES that I’d swooned over for years and purchased awhile back with the intention of using them in my Master suite someday.

Thus began my inspiration for the direction I wanted to take the room. One by one I started thinking of items that would work wonderfully with these fabrics, evoking the feeling I envisioned. Then I’d add the items to my inspiration board.

An inspiration board is the first method I use when developing a design scheme. It contains anything from general ideas to specific selections. The helpful part of this is getting everything on the same page – literally – so you can get an idea of how it all works or doesn’t work together. It can include everything from specific ideas (the custom shower curtain I designed) to general ideas (a geometric rug).

Another method I use besides inspiration boards to give me rough idea of what things could look like together is creating a mock-up in photoshop over an image of the actual space. It helps to see things  in context of the room.

As each selection checked out from every angle (budget, fit, scheme, deadline) I started ordering, scheduling subcontractors, and spending alot of time on site installing what I could as items arrived. My sweet family showed up time and again to help me out with the install at various points along the way where I could not have done it myself. They are my heros! 🙂

Before I knew it… it was ready!

Don’t miss the reveal tomorrow morning!!