Most likely, you have a new home (yay!) and you are now tasked with the exciting yet challenging job of turning it into your dream space. One that you’d be contented living in and enthusiastic to host friends and family over. Ideas must be running around your mind in different directions all at once, and this article is here to help you organize your thoughts a little better. To learn some tips and tricks that experts do, we’ve compiled a list of common dos and don’ts when it comes to home decor from scratch that you can incorporate in your own home. Here’s How to Decorate Your Home From Scratch. Let’s discuss below:
DOS
1. Do your research
Before jumping into the store or your computer to shop for your new home, take a pause. Have you done your research yet? Coming to this article means you’re in the process of doing so. With information readily available online, it’s wise to take advantage of online resources to learn what experts have to say about trends you want to follow or pieces that you are eyeing. Websites like Pinterest is a good resource to find inspiration for home decors.
2. Establish your style
So if you have done the first step, this second step will be a breeze. There is a variety of interior decor styles to choose from. You can even mix and match different styles. Here are some of the more common ones you might be familiar with.
Contemporary
Contemporary style is all about simplicity. It pays attention to clean lines, geometric shapes, soft colors and it values space.
Minimalism
Minimalism places the value of functionality over anything else. It believes in the concept of less is more, and getting rid of unnecessary items at home.
Industrial
The industrial design focuses on raw elements and takes inspiration from urban lofts or a warehouse. It usually features high ceilings, concrete, exposed brick, old timber, and metal lighting fixtures.
Mid-Century Modern
Mid-Century Modern is a nostalgic take of the 50s and 60s. It puts emphasis on natural, organic shapes and fuss-free designs.
Scandinavian
Scandinavian design is all about simple Nordic functional designs with sculptural influence. It features generous and organic lines with elements like bright plastics and form-pressed wood.
Traditional
Inspired by Europen classical furniture details like dark, finished wood, rich fabrics, curved lines, and ornate details.
3. Plan by room
As with any big project, the easiest way to make it easier to tackle is to break it down into smaller segments. To decorate your home from scratch, plan by room. Examine every room, look at the windows and doors placements, the measurements, and the shape of the room, and envision how you’d like it to look. Take note of the pieces that you want to see in this and that corner. Make a list of the items you want or even do a rough sketch of the design you want to see for each room.
4. Tackle the biggest room first
After breaking down your interior decor by room, naturally, the next step is to tackle them. The best way to start is by taking on the biggest room first. Now, this doesn’t mean that when you go shopping, you have to exclusively shop only for that one room, but rather to prioritize a specific room one by one. Having too many ideas all at once can clutter your creative process. By tackling the biggest room first, you can give it your full attention and remember the little details, which can really make a big impact on the room.
5. Take measurements
An important step to decorating your home is taking measurements of the rooms. This is necessary when you start picking pieces for your space. It’s not an ideal situation to order a sofa online only for it to not fit in your designated living room. If you did steps three and four, you will already have a rough sketch of what your rooms will look like. Taking measurements of the corners, windows, doors, ceiling height, and floor dimensions is a foolproof way of making sure all things fit from sofas to curtains.
6. Stick to a budget
Set a maximum budget for each room, and try to stick to it. When shopping for a new home you can get lost in the excitement of decorating a brand new place. By setting a budget, not only do you save, but you can make sure that each piece you pick is what you really want. If you go into it without a set budget, you can end up with more items in your cart that you don’t actually need.
7. Trust the process
Decorating a home from scratch is a HUGE task. Although it’s a fun and exciting process, it can get hard to juggle with other responsibilities in your life especially if you’re tight on financial and time resources. Remember to trust the process, when you think that you still haven’t achieved the look that you want. If it’s starting to stress you out, put off your wants and prioritize your needs. Sure the kitchen cabinets can use an upgrade, but it’s a renovation that you can put off in the future. The main goal is to make the house livable and the more you live in it, the more it becomes a home.
DON’TS
1. Start at the furniture store
Starting at the furniture store without planning ahead is a recipe for disaster. It can lead you to pick items that won’t fit in your space both from a decor perspective and in the literal physical sense. Familiarizing yourself with your home and planning ahead will save you headaches in having to return pieces that you can’t use. Another downside to starting at the furniture store is the displays influencing your choices, even though they don’t necessarily fit the aesthetics that you actually want. Research interior decor styles, learn about pieces that you might want, read reviews, so when you go shopping, you are well-informed and well-equipped to make the best purchasing decisions.
2. Buy everything all at once
As mentioned in a previous point, it takes time to create a home. Don’t stress yourself over making everything perfect all at once especially if you’re tight on resources. There are some pieces that you can wait to pick until it goes on sale and some renovations that you can do when budget and time is more abundant. First, separate your needs from your wants, and learn to prioritize your needs.
3. Forget the little details
Sometimes we’re too focused on the bigger picture that we forget the little things. Curtains, art, personal effects are all necessary aesthetics that make your house a home. You can frame that family picture and hang it on the living room, make sure the curtains you pick is the right height for the windows you will be placing them on, thrift a little vase for that coffee table… little details like this can transform your space sometimes even more than any other expensive piece can. Plants are wonderful friends that can make your home a richer space. They look good in places like the bathroom counter, window sills, and basically any empty corner that needs a little bit of life.
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