Where to start a room makeover: a step-by-step plan

Most room makeovers stall in the same place: a long list of saved photos, a few impulse buys, and no clear next step. The fix is to do things in the right order. Here is the plan we use.

1. Write down what is wrong

Before you look at a single product, spend a day noticing how you use the room. Is it too dark in the evening? Is there nowhere to put a drink? Does everyone walk through the middle of the seating? Write three to five problems. They decide what you buy far more than any trend does.

2. Measure everything once

Measure the walls, the ceiling height, the windows (including sill height) and the position of doors, radiators and sockets. Sketch it on squared paper or in a free floor-plan app. Also measure the furniture you are keeping.

3. Decide what stays

Go through every piece and sort it into keep, move or replace. Keeping a good sofa or a family table is not a compromise; it saves money for the things that make the biggest difference. Everything new will need to suit what stays, so be honest about colours and wood tones.

4. Set a total budget

Pick one number for the whole room, including delivery and any tradespeople. A total protects you from the slow drift of "it's only another €80". If you are unsure what a realistic number is, our guide to what a living room makeover costs has typical ranges.

5. Choose one direction

A direction is three or four decisions, not a mood board of fifty images:

• a main colour and one accent colour
• one wood tone (light oak, walnut or painted)
• one metal finish (black, brass or chrome)
• one or two textures (linen, wool, bouclé, rattan)

Keep these on a note on your phone and check every purchase against it.

6. Plan the layout before buying

Arrange the room on paper first. Start with the main seating, face it towards the focal point (a window, a fireplace, the TV), and leave walkways of about 80–90 cm. Then place the rug so at least the front legs of the sofa and chairs sit on it. Only once the layout works should you shop for pieces to fill it, with measurements in hand.

7. Buy and work in the right order

1. Building work, electrics and painting
2. Flooring
3. Large furniture
4. Rug and lighting
5. Curtains, textiles, plants and art

Small finishing pieces come last because the big pieces change how they look. A cushion that looked perfect online can feel wrong next to the new sofa.

Bonus: do one room at a time

It is tempting to start the whole flat at once. Finishing one room fully is cheaper, faster and far more satisfying, and what you learn carries into the next one.

Gaudi is built around exactly this plan. You show it your room and set a budget, and it gives you the direction, a to-scale layout, the exact products from premium shops and the tradespeople for bigger jobs, in the right order.