If you find yourself freaking out about selecting a style for your home, you are definitely not alone. Moving in is such a rush and then reality sets in that you have to figure out how to decorate the place. While it may not be one of the easiest tasks, take a deep breath and let us help you walk through the process one step at a time.
Know What You Need and What You Have
The best way to tackle any project, especially those inside your home is to choose a starting point. A location that is going to be most noticeable is preferable because you want to be able to enjoy the fruits of your labor as soon as possible. Those spare bedrooms and office may be able to wait until your next day off or during vacation time.
Now it’s time to decide what the room will be used for (don’t hesitate if these answers may change later on). Let’s say you have set your dining room as priority number one so your family can enjoy that first meal together and start settling in. One thing’s for sure, you’re going to want your table to be the focal point of the room as this is where most the action will happen. The style and color of your dining room table is going to set the tone for the rest of the room. Let’s say it is a deep brown and the walls are also a dark shade. This may be overwhelming to the senses. Luckily, there are ways to alter your table’s appearance, such as adding a bright table cloth, which will offset the natural darkness of the space; giving it a much livelier feel. Many people who are new to decorating don’t realize how simple it is to go from dull to bright and colorful or vice versa. There are cases where a more dull room may be in order, such as in your study room where distractions need to be limited.
Starting Off: Heavy-Duty Items
Begin the decorating process by working with your large pieces first, such as your bookshelves, beds, tables and entertainment centers. Once you have them in locations that are going to work nicely as far as comfort and functionality, then you can move on to the fun part – the final touches. This is where you can choose paint colors, window coverings and artwork that you’d like to use. Remember, these types of things can be changed at any time so don’t feel as though just because something works one way that it’s the only way. You may want to consider rotating pieces throughout the year to better match the seasons or to give yourself the opportunity to enjoy the things that would otherwise be tucked away in the garage or an off-site storage unit.
No Style is a Style. Wait, What?
While many newcomers to the decorating world understandably assume that in order to have a great room everything needs to match and have a rim or reason, that isn’t always the case. There is style that can be found in quirky, off-the-wall setups as well. Maybe no one else will understand why you chose to place a leopard print carpet in a neutral colored room, but at the end of the day, it’s your space and you can do with it as you’d please. If it makes you happy and it meets your requirements then that’s all that matters. A lot can be said about confidence. This is evident in the fashion world. Have you ever seen a celebrity wear a completely ridiculous outfit and then the next day everyone’s wearing something similar? If you believe in what you’re doing, you don’t technically have to follow the rules.
Beware of Over-Decorating
The only warning we have for you in this case is that you want to be cautious of clutter. While you may think you’d like to have all of your favorite pieces on display, having too many objects in any space can be extremely overwhelming. Unbeknownst to you, you could be creating a location that even you find stressful and uncomfortable to be in. It’s only natural for your eyes to gaze around a room and having the walls completely covered with photographs, bookshelves stuffed with books and other knick knacks, as well as an open closet where you can see all that you have stored can really take away from a room natural beauty. Give yourself some slack and experiment with different solutions, but pay close attention to how each location throughout your home makes you feel. This is the best way to figure out what works for you and your family.
Featured images:
- License: Creative Commons image source
- License: Creative Commons image source
- License: Creative Commons image source
- License: Creative Commons image source
Lance Abraham works as an interior designer with a remodeling firm. He tries to convince the potential customers to get the home renovation done by Baybrook Remodelers Inc. He promises that the quality of work will be par excellence.
