Image via Flickr/ jawcey
The scenario: You’ve purchased a new house and in the spirit of fresh beginnings, decided to decorate it with all new furniture and decor. The problem? You have no clue where to begin.
When it comes to decorating a home, starting from scratch can feel overwhelming. You can make the process much more manageable and enjoyable, though, just by following these five decorating steps:
salvaged wood trestle dining table by Padma’s Plantation
1. Create a budget: Before you even start to look at dining tables or sofas, make sure you know how much you can afford to spend overall. This will not only prevent you from going into debt, but it will also narrow down your options. With a budget plan in mind, you can simply search for furniture that is within your price range and avoid the temptation to buy furniture that is too expensive.
2. Decide on an overall style: Do you want to go modern? How about rustic? With a project this large, it is important to always think about the big picture. Otherwise you could just end up with a bunch of miscellaneous items that don’t really go together. If you aren’t sure what style you prefer, take some time and browse interior design magazines and blogs (like Decor Talk : P ) to get inspired.
3. Choose a color palette for each room: There is no perfect time to choose a color palette. You may have the exact colors you want to use in mind before even looking at furniture or decor. Others wait for inspiration. If you have no clue what colors you want to use, wait until you find a sofa, a piece of art, or any other decor that you absolutely must have. Then you can determine the color palette based on that one particular item.
4. Make a floor plan: There are many online tools such as floorplanner.com that allow you to design a floor plan for free. By making a floor plan, you will have a good idea of how much room you have for each piece of furniture so you don’t overcrowd your space. When shopping online, always look at furniture’s measurements so you don’t have to make any returns.
5. Have some fun: Overall, you want this experience to be as enjoyable as possible. Whenever you start to feel stressed or overwhelmed, just keep in mind that you’re getting the chance to create your dream home, and that all your hard work will pay off in the end.