Do you plan decor or "go with the flow"?

[MeerkatMerkin]

When you decorate a room, do you plan everything beforehand (colours, fabrics, furniture etc) or do you choose a starting point, eg, a particular colour and paint the wall/s then complete the rest of the room based on that?

I guess I am coming from a POV where the room is a pretty blank canvas to begin with, magnolia walls, cream curtains, wood floors. Just painted a chimney breast a lovely sage green and got a Persian rug in red & a similar green to the walls, just wondering what to do in terms of curtains and throws, and other knick-knacks.

I think I would plan it first, usually taken a fabric, painting or rug etc that I really love and work the colours around it. I have tried it the other way and had trouble finding exactly what I want. I usually create a mood board to check that the colours look good together before parting with any money

We moved in a year ago and all the rooms needed decorating. I usually start with something I like and want to use, or need to use, so our lounge is planned aorund our sofas which are red.
My girls room is decorated around the curtains which were passed on to us, and so on.

Then I work out what I need next. So in the lounge I realised I needed to choose curtains, then I could choose paint and bits. I waited ages until I found the curtains I liked, and I was desparate to paint the room as I hated the colour it was when we moved in. Having chosen curtains, then I chose paint. It has all taken a while, and I still haven't finished, now it is painted we need some bookcases. Oh and we need a new carpet, but can't do that yet, so whole room has been planned with new neutral coloured carpet or laminate which we will get in a few months.

I don't really plan but I know exactly what I like
Generally main bedroom is neutral walls, cream/brown bedding, kind of soft gothic looking with gold touches and a huge chandelier
Living room is browns, creams and duck egg blue
I like modern things, and loads of texture. So I can spot something in a shop and know instantly whether its right or not and where it should go

I like the idea of mood boards! Maybe I will do one for the bedroom. :) I just got the idea that the green would look good in the playroom and now feel stuck with what to do next! Will go on Pinterest for some inspiration I think.

trouble is, you like a colour eg paint, and then can't find curtains or whatever to match. Easier to start with something like a picture or a throw, or furniture and then match paint and cushions etc.

General advice is to start with fabric for curtains/sofa and work from that, as its much easier to choose paint or wallpaper colours to work with fabric rather than vice versa.

But its a very personal thing, I often have a look in mind and put the scheme together slowly, bit by bit.

But I do think its a good idea to use any large existing furniture/furnishings eg sofa/rug as a starting point and to go from there.

This is it - I did think I should have started with fabrics because I now have no clue what to do with the curtains - the chimney breast is so green and the rug seems so busy, yet the current curtains are too magnolia! I don't want anything to be too matchy-matchy but the colour of the wall is quite bold and the rug is patterned so I am confused as to where to go from here! Trying to upload a photo but it keeps going blank, bit like my mind!

You can always bung a photo on photobucket and let us tell you what to do!!