Becoming a homeowner is an accomplishment that deserves a celebration. Before you start moving in, you already know that decorating it is one of your major tasks post-purchase.
Maybe when you took a tour of it, you pictured where you would place your favorite couch and end table. It’s one thing to place a few furniture pieces in strategic places; it’s another to decorate an entire home.
We offer seven tips for decorating your first home.
1. Pick a Theme
For some people, walking into a home furnishings store is like walking into a candy store as a kid. It’s very easy to get carried away with beautiful and single decorating items that don’t become a cohesive theme in your new home.
To keep things coordinated without becoming matchy-matchy, pick a theme.
Your options include Contemporary Country, Scandinavian, and Mid-Century Modern, among others.
After picking a theme, pick a color palette. Both help you narrow down your decorating options. If you opt for a coastal theme, it decides your color palette for you. You’ll decorate with blues, beiges, and whites.
When you visit the home furnishings store, you’ll know exactly what you need to purchase if you pick out a color palette.
2. Set Your Budget
Some interior design professionals recommend setting aside 10% of the home’s cost for furniture purchases. If it’s available to you, your budget can increase to 50% of the home’s cost.
We can take a conservative approach and bundle furniture with decorating costs. Setting aside 10% of $350,000, gives you $35,000 for furniture purchases and decorating. That’s still a healthy amount. It allows you to furnish the house with basics such as sofas, tables, chairs, storage, and your bed.
Most new homeowners find themselves in a tight financial position. It’s OK to build a foundation first.
3. Maximize with Minimalism
The year 2021 brought back minimalist interior design. Since individuals spent more time at home, they created less chaotic environments, especially in the living room. They opted for interior decor that creates serene and calm moods.
Interior designers have favored a minimalist aesthetic for the last few years. They encourage clients to declutter. It creates a high-end interior style without investing thousands of dollars.
Once a home is free of significant clutter, the indoor air quality improves. It removes the chaos from the interior and the home becomes easier to clean.
In addition, you start maximizing with less.
4. Opt for Functionality
A great way to decorate the first home and remain within a furnishing budget is to opt for decor with functionality.
Tables for the living room, mirrors for the walls, and rugs for the flooring offer a decorative touch and functionality.
Every living room requires at least one table. Glass tables provide a beautiful element that you and your guests can still use. It’s the same logic for mirrors.
People like to check their appearance before they step outside their homes. Mirrors with golden borders or ornate frames double as pieces of art.
5. Pick Focal Pieces
Homeowners who decide to decorate their home a few pieces at a time benefit from starting with focal points. Rugs have made a comeback. A modern rug draws attention to the room’s center and its intricate details.
Solid bed frames, stoic dining tables, and a luxury sofa accomplish the same thing.
6. Remember the Lighting
The amount of natural light your new home receives is free. Maximize it by dressing your windows. Then pick some good lighting options for the evening hours.
In interior design, three types of lighting exist, task, ambient, and accent. Create each with lamps, overhead lights, and sconces.
7. Establish Your Style
Even interior designers know that a home should reflect the owner. Professionals offer their clients a lot of advice. They show them the trends and talk about what’s coming next season.
Your home, and more so your first home, should reflect your style. It’s your opportunity to establish it. If you want to take a funky interior decorating turn, you can. Others prefer to keep decor traditional, modern, or minimal.
Conclusion
When you decorate your first home, establish your style. It’s easy to overspend on furniture, furnishings, and fixtures. So, set a budget before making your purchases. The good news is that once you settle in, you can improve your interior decor annually.
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