So you’ve just purchased a house – that’s the good news.
The bad news? You’ve just purchased a house. In other words, you not only committed a lot of financial resources to a new venture – as worth the investment as it may be – but you’ve also committed yourself to a fixed spot on the Earth, at least for the foreseeable future.
But there’s more good news: being a new homeowner doesn’t have to be a daunting experience;
it should be something you feel good about, something you celebrate, something that you can’t
wait to get to work on. And yes, there will be plenty of work, not the least of which is decorating
the dang thing. Here are five tips to get you started decorating a new house as a new homeowner:
Tip #1: Know your Colors
The quickest way to take a great house from tasteful to tacky is to get the colors wrong. A lot of modern decoration either focuses on subdued, natural colors that pair well together or featuring one stronger color. But you can feel free to experiment as long as you know your colors. For example, know that too many primary colors is a bad idea. It’s also important simply to keep color in mind as you shop for furnishings; if you don’t have a plan, you’ll end up with a mess.
Tip #2: Focus on Function
You’re going to be living in this house, which means the decorating decisions you make today are going to affect your day-to-day life for years, if not decades. So make sure that you think a lot about how each piece of furniture will function. Is there more space if you put a certain couch against a certain wall? Where does the TV go? What do you see when you first get in the door? Ask these questions and start coming up with answers that you can live with.
Tip #3: When in Doubt, Kept it Minimal
You’re a new homeowner, after all; there’s always time to add to your decoration if you want to. Keeping your decorations minimal but tasteful will not only give your house a modern-era mystique, but can actually be the right decorating choice. We don’t mean you have to keep your house Spartan and purely functional; just make a few choices and leave any possible ornaments in a box waiting for Christmas.
Tip #4: Know your Dimensions
It’s not much use buying a couch that doesn’t fit in your living room. Instead, you’ll have to know your house’s dimensions: bring a “cheat sheet” with the dimensions you need to each furniture store you visit. This way, you’ll not only know your limits but you’ll be able to tell what will simply look awkward in the space you already have.
Tip #5: Use What’s There
Although it’s tempting to use your decorating to transform a room, the best decorates know that physical limitations are to be used, not avoided. That means you should use the space you have as creatively as possible. Don’t try to make a room into something it’s not, because it might ultimately just make the room unusable.
Neville Luff is a marketing strategist for Benchmark Furniture. Along with specialist metalworking, they offer a wide range of contemporary furniture for both residential and commercial use.
