Moving
into a newly purchased home would seem to be an ideal situation. There’s fresh
paint, clean carpets or flooring, and all that empty wall space waiting like a
blank canvas for your first decorations. But trust me when I say it’s not that easy
to make a new home feel warm and inviting. It can take years before a home
really tells you what it needs.
A home is a work in progress, ever changing, always evolving. Styles change and people eventually crave improvements, even with the best chosen furnishings and fabrics.
I
think the thing that holds us back from creating a warm home environment is uncertainty,
but there is also this misconception that a home looks better when sparsely
furnished. Unless you happen to prefer the look of a museum or a mass-mailed
furniture catalog, nothing could be further from the truth. A home looks and
feels better when it has a more personal appearance, one that has evolved over
time.
So
how to avoid impersonal décor and furnish/decorate your home right from the
beginning? I’ve put together some ways to help you identify the usual culprits
of decorating a brand new home and some solutions to apply on your own or with
the assistance of a decorator.
Step
One
Resist
the temptation to discard any furniture or accessories until well after the big
move. You may “think” you don’t like an old chair or desk or lamp but in
reality those old pieces may have just the aged appeal your new home needs.
Further, don’t break the bank purchasing a bunch of new things for the spare
rooms. You can always discard your old items later but for now, wait till well
after everything is unpacked and placed.
Step
Two
Place
the biggest pieces first: the bed, area rugs, the sofa, the China hutch, the
dining table, and the entertainment center. Place these correctly before
proceeding. Don’t place anything on angles. That idea is passé and never worked
well to begin with.
Think
of big pieces of furniture as anchors. When placed correctly, these anchors
will “feel” like they’ve been there “forever”. Like matured landscaping, they
give a space a sense of “permanence”.
Step
Three
Once
the biggest pieces are placed properly, you can place the smaller items such as
the sideboard, armchairs, accent chairs, cocktail and end tables, lamps and
dressers.
The
most common mistake in decorating a new home is to under furnish it. Nothing
looks more impersonal than a home without enough furniture or accessories. Still,
when prioritizing your budget obviously its best to buy the home first. From a
financial standpoint, homes generally increase in value whereas most furniture
doesn’t.
In
the living room, if the space is large you’ll need two to three seating
arrangements: one dominant and one to two subordinate. For small spaces one to
two seating areas is plenty. Accentuate each area with at least one accent
table and/or lamp. Floor lamps are nice where space is limited providing
they’re placed near a wall. You don’t want any exposed cords for people to trip
over.
The
second most common mistake is to overlook window treatments. Unless your
architecture and views are outstanding and the windows are to die for, you
probably need a little fabric on them by way of draperies, sheers or valances.
Wooden shutters and blinds are a wonderful option too but they can look unfinished
without a pair of stationery draperies or a tailored valance.
Steps
Four and Five
By
now, it’s time to gild the lily. You have your big anchor pieces and small accent
pieces placed. Now you get to place accessories and hang pictures. These two
steps will actually take more time than the previous three.
I
like to start at the beginning, the entry. From there I like to move on to the
formal living room, then the dining room, then the master bedroom, then the
family room or den if there is one, then the kitchen, spare bedrooms and
bathrooms.
I
like to work in a circular fashion viewing my rooms as I go, from the point of
entrance. Try and mix up styles and eras as you furnish and accessorize each
room and aim for a balanced “coverage” throughout.
Lastly,
think about how the size of your furnishings relate to the rest of the things
in your rooms. Think about texture and line. Vertical lines impart a formal
look while horizontal lines are casual and restful. Though paint is the
easiest, quickest way to decorate it’s also the most over used element of
design. Control the use of color when choosing paint. Paint colors should pull
your interiors together, not dominate them.
If
your home or room is missing something that you can’t identify, chances are
good that it’s scale, texture, fabric, or greenery.
Little
things can make a big difference in a new home, like new faucets, new light
fixtures, and new doorknobs. I notice these tend to be dated in many
homes. I think the reason for this is
because they weren’t chosen well to begin with. When you’re ready to take your
home to the next level, here are some nice little “upgrades” that can take your
home from fair to fabulous and not break the bank.
Light
fixtures
Solar
tubes
Faucets
Doorknobs
Cabinet
pulls
Custom
vanity mirrors
When
bigger improvements are a consideration, think about the value of the home and
whether or not it can realize the investment of upgrading. In design school way
back in the mid-nineties, we were taught that kitchens can be remodeled at
about 5-10% of the home’s market value and retain or improve its value but I’m
not sure this still applies in our new economy. This would be a good topic to
discuss with your realtor at the time of purchasing your new home.
Kitchen
and bath remodels (cabinets, counters, etc.)
Stainless
steel kitchen appliances
Crown
molding
Hardwood
floors
Quality
baseboards
Energy
efficient doors and windows
Upgraded
fireplaces, hearths and mantels
For
women with arthritis, other things come into consideration that lend to convenience,
stability and stress management. For more information, google Universal Design
or hop on a 15-minute discovery call with me to talk about a few of your
biggest concerns. Email me at [email protected]
and write Discovery in the subject line.
Live
beautifully. Eat beautifully, Shiree’
And if you want more arthritis related design and wellness guidance, click here… “Pain Free Design and Wellness” and you’ll get a free chapter of my powerful new book that helps women with arthritis create beautiful, functional homes and take better care of themselves every day!
