How to furnish yourself a delightful new home.
1. Consolidate Your Belongings
One of the key points about setting your budget for furnishing is identifying what you currently have that you would like to keep, and what you would like to buy. The new household which you will be into is the perfect chance to remove pieces that no longer suit your lifestyle.
Assessing the main pieces of furniture such as beds and dining tables are good places to start. Have a look through on what you have. Have you bought your dream bed recently, or have you had the same bed frame for years? Decide what you want to hold, and what you want to replace with something different.
If you've decided what you will be keeping and what you want to remove, you could sell a couple of your old furniture to make extra cash and buy new furniture and home decors for your house. You could also donate your furniture to your local charity! (http://www.recyclecharity.org)
2. Begin with the basics in interior decoration.
It is best to begin with the basics when it comes to interior decorating. As such, carpeting or wall paintings are much easier to be done before bringing in any furniture into your home. Before the move-in day, it would be useful to make a list of any changes you would like to make to your current interior. Here are some examples for you to think about:
Walls: What colour would you like to use to paint your walls with? Is there any damage on the walls that needs some patching up?
Floors: Removal of the current carpet that you have. Maybe you’d like to consider the usage of hardwood flooring instead?
Appliances: What are the kitchen appliances that you need? Would you like a new washer and dryer? How about the installation of ceiling fans and lighting fixtures?
Tiling: Would you like to redo the kitchen counters?
Once you have made a list of changes, understand what kind of adjustments you would like to make immediately, and what’re the ones you want to change at a later date. The next thing to determine is to know what you can do by yourself, and what needs professional attention. It is important to complete most of the work prior to move-in day as much as possible.
3. Start with the major rooms.
Once the changes of the basic interior have been done, the next step is to start picking your furniture. Firstly by taking on the most important rooms first such as the living room and the bedroom, which are two rooms people are most likely to spend their time in.
Understand and consider the main furniture you need in these rooms. Furniture such as beds and sofas are definitely worth spending a couple of extra money to ensure that it will last for years, but will also tie the room together as a whole and complete the space.
Somethings which you may consider could be:
Bedroom: Good bed frame and mattresses. Some other key elements to consider could be a rug, dresser, and nightstands.
Living room: The couch is the center piece in the living room, therefore it is a good decor starting point. Consider size, comfort, and color. Depending on your lifestyle, you may want to take in consideration a big TV or entertainment center. Some other key elements could be an area rug, coffee table, and art pieces to decorate the walls. You may also want to consider pillows, throws, and bookshelves.
4. Unpack your things in an organized manner.
The key elements that really shape the feng shui of a home are organization and decor. An organized pantry or closet makes life easier, while a curated bookshelf can subtly impact the entire feel of a room.
Cabinets and closets are good places to start when organizing. First, determine what you already have that can be functional—baskets, bins, free standing drawers, etc. As you unpack your belongings, utilize these tools to stay organized.
If you find out that you are missing pieces of furniture for your new space that would help it stay neat, it’s important to take that into consideration and make it a vital purchase to make. Depending on your lifestyle, organizational purchases for your new home could range from slimline hangers to hiring a service to redesign your closet.
5. Understand and see things in a bigger picture.
Lay out all décor pieces you own, including art, books, family heirlooms, photographs, trays, candles, and vases. Ideally, you have already gone through most of this stuff in the initial consolidation phase, so that you’ve only kept things that are meaningful to you or fit your home’s aesthetic.
Once everything has been laid out, you may begin to pick out things that go together. There are no right or wrong answers here—you might group books that all relate to travel for your office, or a series of family heirlooms and photographs for your bedroom. Do not take this too seriously. This is the most forgiving aspect of interior decorating because smaller décor pieces can be easily rearranged.
Once all of your belongings are in place and the art is hung, you can browse online to find some great pieces that resonate with you and your space. It may be time to frame that art piece you’ve been hanging on to, or to choose new pillows for your new couch. These small changes do make huge differences to your home.
6. Space out your large purchases.
After going through these steps, hopefully your new home will begin to feel just like your dream home. Decorating your space is a huge undertaking, and it is fine if your home looks like a work in progress for a few months. Once you’ve consolidated, organized, and decorated, it may be time to buy your investment pieces. It is not necessary to buy everything at once. Instead, pick your three or four non-negotiables—like a bed, couch, and television—and get those into the house as soon as you can. Once you’ve recovered from buying those, you can focus on buying a hall tree, new art, and the rugs and lights you’ve been eyeing. Remember, it all takes time and patience to carry out. Don’t try to rush things through. Enjoy the process of building your DREAM HOME!