House & Garden

Top Tips For Decorating Your First Home

bedroom-home-eclectic-vintage-industrialImage via Flickr

 

After buying your first home, the next thing you will be most eager to do is to decorate it and make it your own. This is the ideal opportunity for you to try out new things and make your new home look amazing. But with such a huge array of styles, colours and sources of inspiration it can be hard to pinpoint exactly what you want your interiors to look like. This overwhelming feeling makes it easier just to stick with what you’ve got or opt for familiar and safer options. But this can make your brand new home feel like it lacks in personality and character. Living in a home that doesn’t inspire you could make you feel regretful about buying it in the first place. Decorating and seeing potential does not always come naturally to most of us. But there are some things you can do to make this process easier and find a style that suits your taste and your home. After all, there’s little point spending a lot of money on a house that you are too afraid to decorate or put your personal stamp on.

 

Find out what you like

Before you even think about decorating your home, you need to have a clear idea of what you like and dislike. The simplest and easiest way of doing this is by looking on interior design blogs, in magazines and using sites such as Pinterest. These resources will give you hundreds, if not thousands of ideas on colour palettes, styling ideas and trends in interiors. Try to look for images of styled rooms that have a similar layout and size to your own home. This will make it easier for you to visualise how they will work if you tried to recreate them.  Whenever you find something that you like, cut it out or save the image and start creating a mood board. Once you’ve collected a fair amount of images, compare them and see if any similarities emerge. There might be a recurring theme such as a colour or finish that continually appears in the images you like. This could make a fantastic starting point and make you feel more inspired and eager to get decorating. While it’s good to know what you don’t like, try not to disregard anything too quickly. Note how different people style different things such as elaborate wallpaper and fur rugs. You may realise that something you thought might not work in your own home could look right after all.

lounge-home-sofa-couch-livingImage via Flickr

 

Invest in the best furniture you can afford

Furniture is something that ties your interiors together and adds functionality and comfort into your home. Items such as sofas, beds, mattresses, tables and chairs are essential when you first move into your brand new home. But while cheaper furniture may be tempting after spending so much money on a house, it’s always better to invest in the best you can afford. Otherwise, you may find they wear quicker and need replacing more frequently.

Many people will wait till they have set the colour scheme in mind before buying their furniture. However this could mean that you end up with a sofa or armchair that will not look right should you decorate in future. Again, meaning you have to replace them. These items may also not be the best quality in manufacturing or comfort which defeats their purpose.

So consider the style factor and choose something you love but make sure it is versatile enough to work with any interior design you choose. While it’s useful to shop in store, you can also shop online at iZone Bed and other furniture retailers. Not only with this give you more choice to choose from but you can use online discounts, which could make better quality items more affordable.

Get good at measuring

Measuring is going to become your best skill now you’re a homeowner. Its uses are endless and it’s one of the most essential things you will need when decorating. Before you even think about going to the shops for curtains or browsing wallpapers online, you need to measure everywhere. It’s best to do this while you’re unpacking and have more space available to move around. Get a metal tape measure and make sure it is able to, at least, reach the height of your ceiling. Always ask for help when measuring above your reach to prevent over stretching and injuring yourself. Take the measurements with you when you go shopping to guarantee you choose suitably sized furniture and accessories. Remember that showrooms and stores can distort how big an item actually is. So not having measurements could mean you buy items that are too big or small for the intended room. Which can be particularly awkward with items such as wallpaper and beds.

bedroomImage via Flickr

 

Use paint to add colour

Wallpaper might seem daunting and too long term if you’re still unsure about what style you are trying to go for. Thankfully paint makes a cheap and simple alternative that you can change with little problem. It can instantly change the feel and look of a space and make it feel more like your own. Don’t feel tempted just to stick to painting every wall a neutral colour. Look at your mood board and see how other people have used colour to evoke a certain mood in their homes. It might be by painting one or all of their walls a bold or pastel colour. Or maybe instead of painting their walls they have used paint to make their furniture or accessories more of a feature. Use these images and get your creative juices flowing and choose colours that compliment or make a statement. The wonderful thing about paint is that it can be easily changed if it doesn’t look exactly how you imagined.

With these top tips, you should have no trouble creating a beautifully decorated home you can be proud of. Take your time and enjoy the process rather than dreading it. You’ll soon realise how creative and fun decorating can actually be.

 

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