How to Decorate Your New Home?
Updated: Oct 27, 2021
EASY STEPS TO DO
DECORATE YOUR NEW HOME
What rooms are your first priority
Typically, you will choose a place that you spend the most time in with your family or entertaining guests. We all want to show off our home- so let's start with the rooms people actually hang out in. If you have an area that needs immediate attention in your home because it isn't structurally sound then take care of that first. Don't stress- the rest of the house will come together soon.
Do You Want to Keep Furniture ?
Since furniture is the biggest part of the design and will dictate the layout and color palette- it only makes sense that we plan accordingly to use it in our decorating. What do you already own and want to keep? Make a list of all the pieces in your house that you want to use in your new house, some that you are ok to part with and some that are ready to be thrown out or donated. Make note of every single piece in your house that is staying- just because its used for one function now doesn't mean it will be used the same way in the new house. See my list below for how I am sorting my furniture!
Layout the Rooms Floor Plan
If you are in your house you can use cardboard or painters tape to layout your floor plan before getting the furniture in the space. Or you can do it old school and sketch it out on a piece of paper. When you are laying out your floor plan- what is it that you want to keep in this room- what can you re-purpose from another room to create function in your new space? I will be using a console table that I currently am using for my vanity as a sofa table because we have to float the sectional. With there being a staircase on the other side of a half wall and a toddler that loves to chill on the back of my sectional- we aren't taking any chances! Our current side tables may or may not be used as nightstands depending on how everything feels in the room. The living room rug will be moved to the master bedroom and a new one will replace it at some point as well. So, think outside the box for this
Just get a general layout for the room that will function and flow as you think you will need it to in the space. You will probably need to tweak stuff over time as you learn how you operate in your space that's alright- nothing is ever permanent in design, things are always changing and adapting to your life.
Pick Your Color Scheme
Using the furniture, you selected let’s pick a color palette! This is when we really start to see your design inspiration come to life. I'm sure you have been all over Pinterest creating boards with your favorite styles and colors- so start there. I generally like to keep my larger pieces of furniture (and the most expensive) as neutral and durable as possible. I do this because its so much easier to change out pillows and accent decor than it is a large piece of furniture.
Side Note: Our sectional (from Aarhus - it’s the Lansbury) is a gorgeous deep gray/blue velvety microfiber fabric. We LIVE on it, so does my dog, 2 cats and toddler- so we needed something durable and easy to clean. I actually wash my cushion covers in the washing machine and air dry them when necessary. I DO NOT recommend this for all fabrics but some you can and they wont shrink or fade easily. The pic below is my current living room (well before it was boxed up and packed).
I am really digging the colors in this sample concept board so I'm going to adapt some of the colors and finishes in it and work with what I have.
Order the finishing touches!
So now that you have picked out and arranged the furniture that you will be using in the room and determined the places you will need to add or replace. Don't feel like you need to add new things or replace them right away. This can totally be over time- if it isn't in the cards right now no worries! If you are waiting on some bigger items for when its a better time financially to purchase them then you can always just change out pillows, paint or decor- the details go a LONG way! I recommend ordering in layers anyway, this will help you determine and tweak what is working and what isn't. Use my previous blog post above to pull your colors together and get things on order- it will help you break down your layers in your space.
ITS TIME TO DECORATE!
I promise you that this process will cut down on the pieces you order and have to return or end up hating because you bought them on a whim because they look cool! Take a breath, get a game plan and then implement it. If you need help doing this, I'm here for you, I have helped hundreds of families across the country with my online interior design services! Weather you just want me to design it all for you and even coordinate your delivery's and ordering-