Intro:
Decorating your first home is exciting. Becoming a homeowner for the first time is chaotic. Once the dust settles and the purchase is complete, it’s time to turn the house into a home.
Some individuals keep furniture from their former apartment life. Others decide to start from scratch. Home decorating is much easier when you adopt a style.
In addition, don’t feel pressured to purchase everything in one fell swoop. Instead, start with the essentials. Then, pick up the pieces that complete the interior design.
We outline seven practical tips for anyone decorating their first home.
1. Find Your Style
Most people don’t spend a lot of time thinking about interior design. They think about it after noticing that the paint has faded or it’s time to renovate a room.
A new home is the best opportunity to show off your style. If you have not found your style yet, explore the options. Look up the trends and classic styles online, on social media, in magazines, and reality TV.
Your interior design theme options include:
- Rustic rugs
- Modern rugs
- Art deco rugs
- Victorian rugs
- Medieval rugs
Keep in mind that professionals warn against making the decorations too matchy. Thus, start with the essentials such as furniture. Then, add the furnishings and decor.
2. Establish a Budget
Next, establish a budget. First-time homeowners incur several expenses such as the deposit, upfront mortgage fees, and moving costs.
Before you start decorating your home, know how much you want to spend.
A good rule of thumb is to base your budget on the value of the home. Professionals recommend setting aside 10% of the home’s value. If it’s available to you, budget 50% of the home’s value to furnish and decorate it.
3. Paint First
Now that you have a budget in mind, paint the interior first. Painting gets messy. The last thing you want to do is to stain new furniture, furnishings, and decor with paint.
Plus, it’s challenging to protect the items.
Painting first also allows you to pick out the color palette for your home’s interior. If you picked out an interior design theme or know your style, it’s easier to choose a color palette.
The most popular interior home colors are:
- Variations of white
- Variations of gray
- Tan
Other options include blue, red, and black.
4. Pick the Flooring
Most new homes in 2022 have no carpet. Plus, many homeowners in 2022 covet hardwood floors.
After painting the interior, pick the flooring. If you prefer carpet, you can recarpet it. Another option is to leave it bare and decorate it with several rugs.
5. Measure
With the walls painted and the flooring set, start measuring. As you measure you can figure out the layout of your new home.
If it has an open floor plan, you can create spaces. For example, some individuals opt to designate an area closest to the kitchen as the dining space.
Next to it, you can create an office space. On the other side, you can create an entertainment area.
Measuring is important for ensuring that you purchase the right-sized furniture pieces.
Let’s say that you prefer a King-sized bed. That will take up at least 6 feet by 6 feet of space. The size will dictate how you furnish the rest of the bedroom area.
6. Purchase the Big Furniture Pieces
Since you have your measurements, you can start purchasing the large furniture pieces.
Professionals encourage first-time homeowners to purchase the essentials first. It’s not necessary to pick up everything in one fell swoop.
Everyone needs something to sit on, sleep in, and work on. Therefore, the priority pieces become sofas, chairs, beds, and tables.
7. Accent with Furnishings
After placing the big-ticket furniture items in their place you can see the furnishings and decor that round out the interior.
It’s impossible to emphasize the convenience of placing several side tables around your home. If you pick modern as your interior design theme, it calls for keeping your home clutter-free.
Therefore, anything else you pick up should have simple features and versatile uses. For example, a glass center table with hidden storage compartments for your living room is on-trend.
Conclusion
Decorating your first home is an adventure. If you take the process in steps, it remains enjoyable. You can keep the costs manageable by starting with the essentials first. Then, fill the gaps with versatile furnishings and decor.
