Get a sneak peek inside my Decorator’s toolbox with everything I use to begin a room rescue. Let’s get to it!
Did you know I am a decorating consultant? I have been consulting for four years now and love every minute of helping other’s create spaces they can feel good in and about!
In that time, I’ve curated my must-haves when I head to people’s homes to begin gathering information to help them plan the perfect room rescue.
Here’s what’s inside!
Table of contents
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Inside my Decorator’s Toolbox I have…
Laser Measurer & Measuring Tape
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When you begin tackling room after room, you realize that the quickest way to measure all the things is to use a laser measurer.
You still need a standard measuring tape for areas that aren’t so straight forward, such as measuring the depth of a couch or the fireplace mantel.
The laser measurer and measuring tape are two items I never leave home without.
Undertone Color Wheel & Color Pairings Wheel
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When you start a room makeover, one of the most important steps is color.
Not just paint color, but your overall color aesthetic and the undertone color of your existing finishes and furniture, too.
I love the color wheel shown above because it lets you move the top piece around to show analogous color options, complementary, split complementary, etc.
And this undertone color wheel by Maria Killam is also a great tool for the toolbox.
Disclaimer: This post does include affiliate links for your convenience. This is at NO additional cost to you but earns me a small commission. To read more, check out our disclosure policy. As an
Paint Deck & Paint Color Wall Stickers
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I love using Samplize to help me get a better idea of what paint colors will look best in my home. You shop all the paint brands below and read our review for more tips on how to make choosing paint colors simple, easy, and dare I say, fun!
A paint deck of your favorite paint company’s colors is always a good idea to help narrow down all the choices.
Every paint company has one that you can usually pick up from your the paint store.
Once I narrow it down to around five choices, I’ll order my Samplize swatches.
Samplize samples are the easiest way to test your paint colors before actually buying any or calling the painter.
You can read my full review of Samplize here.
Grid Paper Notebook & Pencil
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My go to in starting any project is to grab my handy grid paper notebook and a pencil to sketch the floor plan of the room.
This is where I’ll write the measurements of each wall and see how much clearance I have with furniture and what not.
I’ll be sharing some tips for creating a space plan on grid paper in the coming weeks too.
Print Out of Pattern Types
Another thing I always break out in a consulting appointment is my list of patterns and finishes for a client to pick their favorites.
Narrowing down 2-3 pattern-types you love and 1-2 finishes you want in your home is a great way to stay consistent in your design room to room.
The full list plus all the other steps I have clients take can be found in my Decorator’s Playbook, where I break down the initial steps you should take to make sure you have a cohesive design throughout your home.
Disclaimer: This post does include affiliate links for your convenience. This is at NO additional cost to you but earns me a small commission. To read more, check out our disclosure policy. As an
Paint Color Detector
The paint color detector is one of those tools you don’t need often, but when you do, it’s super helpful.
You basically put it up to the paint color you want to detect, open the app, and it will give you a list of paint colors that it would match from the different companies.
Pretty handy when the previous owner didn’t leave the paint colors or you see a paint color at a friend’s house that you really like.
Trello on my iPad
Trello is my absolute favorite way to keep track of all my home projects. Not only is it user-friendly and easy to get started, but you can also share boards with others in your home, create dynamic checklists, set due dates, create a calendar view, and so much more. Hands-down my favorite way to stay organized!
And last, but not least is my absolute favorite free tool to stay organized… Trello!
I use Trello for everything in my business with keeping track of client work progress and such, but also for my own personal projects.
Whenever I have an idea, I open my home projects board and make a new card for the project.
Cards in Trello are like dynamic post-it notes with the ability to write your memo on the front, but then click the card and open it up to have a place for a description of your idea, a checklist for what steps you want to take, and the ability to set a due date and/or add other people to the card.
It is literally my favorite way to stay organized with all my project ideas.
Now that you’ve taken a look inside my decorator’s toolbox, what was your favorite part that you’ll be adding to your toolbox?
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