Buying your first house is liberating–but turning it into an inviting home can be challenging. Here are some decorating tips that can make the process much easier.
1. Give your current residence a good purge. There’s no reason to take everything to the new house if you don’t have to. Get ahead of the game by purging unnecessary items from where you currently live before you make an offer on a new place. Go through everything you have and get rid of at least 25 to 50 percent of old, unusable stuff. If there’s anything that could sell, then sell it and put the money toward something new in your new home. This is your chance to downsize and start over so take advantage of it.
2. Furnish the bedroom first. Sure, your close friends will probably want to stop by, but in the beginning, you can get away with some folding chairs. Since you’ll be spending more time in the bedroom, make this your first priority. Invest in a good mattress and purchase some quality bedding. Add coordinating window treatments and spruce up the light fixtures if you’re able. If you have a little room to splurge, this is definitely the place to do it.
3. Buy a little at a time. Don’t buy everything all at once. Instead, live in your home for a few months before making any major purchases. Pay attention to how you actually live in the house and then base your purchases on that. What you had in mind for the home might end up needing to change. Take your time to ensure your house will work in the manner you need it to.
4. Go for complementary, rather than matching. Contrary to what the local furniture store advertises, you absolutely do not have to match all of your furniture. Sure, it may seem easier to buy the matching living room suite, but will it fit your personality and style? Instead of being generic, be unique and pick pieces that show your personal taste.
5. Unify the design with color. Let’s say you have some hand-me-down pieces that you need to use for the interim and they don’t really go together. Find a common color and then bring in a few more items with that color to make it look like it goes together. You’d be amazed what a single color can do to unify a room.
Let us help you decorate your new home. Stop in or view our fabrics online when it’s time to dress your bed or bring texture, pattern or color to the space.
