Decoration/Designing Your New Home is a journey from House to Home. Here are few important things to be noted:
The key to finding the right furnishings is to follow your instincts and try not to let the whole process overwhelm you. Once you’ve given yourself a decorating budget, you’ll be able to dive into the more fun aspects of creating a new home. Here are a few tips for furnishing your new home, including estimates of what it could cost you.
1. Consolidate Your Belongings
Part of setting your furnishing budget is identifying what you already have that you would like to keep, and what you will need to purchase. This new home you’re moving into is the perfect opportunity to say goodbye to pieces that don’t suit your lifestyle anymore.
Once you determine what you are keeping and what you can say goodbye to, you can sell some of your stuff Opens a New Window. to make extra cash that you can put toward purchasing new pieces for your home. Whatever pre-loved items you don’t sell, you can donate locally.
2. Start with the Basics
As a rule of thumb for Interior Decoration, it is best to start with the basics. Taking up carpeting or painting the walls are much easier to do before any furniture is brought into the house.
Prior to move-in day, make a list of any changes you would like to make to the existing interior. Here are some basics to consider:
- Floors: Tearing up carpet, adding carpet, putting in hardwood floors, refinishing floors
- Walls: Choosing a paint color, patching existing holes, removing popcorn ceilings
- Tiling: Retiling the bathroom, choosing a backsplash, re-doing the kitchen counters
- Appliances: Selecting kitchen appliances, bringing in a washer and dryer, installing ceiling fans, installing lighting fixtures
3. When Buying Furniture, remember to start with the most Important Rooms
Once the basic interior changes have been made, it’s time to start choosing furniture. Tackle the most important rooms first. The living room and the bedroom are two places you likely spend the most time in, so these are good rooms to prioritize. (You don’t want to have a fully organized pantry before you have an acceptable place to sleep.)
Consider the key pieces of furniture you will need in these rooms. The investment pieces like a bed and a couch—are probably worth spending extra money on in order to get something that will not only last for many years, but that will tie the room together and complete the space.
Bedroom: For the bedroom, a good bed frame and mattress are essential, so these are probably your investment pieces. Some other key elements may be a rug, dresser, and nightstands. Choose a bedroom vibe before buying new pieces, so that you have a cohesive theme throughout the room.
Living room: In the living room, a couch is the centerpiece, so that’s the investment piece (and a good decor starting point). Consider size, comfort, and color. Depending on your lifestyle, a big TV or entertainment center may also be part of the equation. Some other key elements may be an area rug, coffee table, and art for the walls. You may also want to consider pillows, throws, and bookshelves.
4. Keep Things Organized while You Unpack
The two elements that really shape the feng shui/ Vastu of a home are organization and decor. An organized pantry or closet makes life easier, while a curated bookshelf can subtly impact the entire feel of a room.
Cabinets and closets are a good place to start when organizing. First, determine what you already have that can be functional—baskets, bins, free standing drawers, etc. As you unpack your belongings, utilize these tools to stay organized.
If you find you are missing something for your new space that would help it stay neat, that’s likely an important purchase to make. Depending on your lifestyle, organizational purchases for your new home could range from slimline hangers to hiring a service to redesign your closet.
5. See the Big Vision:
Lay out all decor pieces you own, including art, books, family heirlooms, photographs, trays, candles, and vases. Ideally, you have already gone through most of this stuff in the initial consolidation phase, so that you’ve only kept things that are meaningful to you or fit your home’s aesthetic.
Once you see everything in one place, begin picking out things that go together. There are no wrong answers here—you might choose books that all relate to travel for your office, or a series of family heirlooms and photographs for your bedroom. Remember to not take this too seriously. This is the most forgiving aspect of interior decoration because smaller decor pieces can be easily shifted.
Once all of your belongings are in place and the art is hung, you can browse online to find some great pieces that resonate with you and your space. It may be time to frame that print you’ve been hanging on to, or to splurge on the perfect pillows for your new couch. These may seem like small additions, but they can make a huge difference.
