Decorating in your new home or giving your current home a makeover is an exciting undertaking. You get to establish a new look or reinvent your favorite rooms. Figuring out how to go about finding your new décor pieces can be a bit overwhelming. There are so many choices; and, you like all kinds of different aesthetics; plus, you have to find a way to stay within your budget. So, you need a plan to help guide you through the process to achieve your interior design goals. Check out these simple guidelines to help you on your way.
Know what you want.
Before you start actively shopping and buying browse some design ideas to narrow down your shopping list. Create an idea book using Pinterest or just by saving images to a folder on your computer. Determine what on color scheme, or schemes, and themes you want to focus. Window shop online to get a general idea of the art and furniture pieces you want to look for, and their price range. Put together ideas for knick-knacks, vases, and boxes to carry your décor scheme through your bookshelves and accent pieces. When you know what you want you're ready to set your budget.
Shop within your means.
Knowing the limitations of your budget can save you a lot of grief and buyer's remorse when shopping. You may want a new Eames chair, but it's just not within your means. Shop around online and see if there are comparable chairs at a lower price. If not, you know you'll need to consider other pieces. Setting your budget helps you determine what stores to avoid. Don't bother shopping at a place you can't afford. Know if you need to purchase at discount stores and estate sales or if you can splurge for luxury interior décor shops. Determine what you can spend on each article or types of pieces. Set aside an amount for furniture, wall art, and small accessories. Then decide what kinds of pieces you absolutely want or need, and what you can forgo if you can't find the right piece within your budget. You might want a new sofa and accent chair, but the couch you have is still in good condition and will fit with the décor changes you're trying to implement so that you can focus your search on a new chair instead.
Bring your partner or a friend.
Shopping can start out fun but can become stressful when it comes down to making the purchasing decisions. You might begin second-guessing yourself or get distracted by something new at the store that doesn't match the plan you created. Bring someone with you who knows you well and ask them to be your advisor. Share your design goals and shopping list with them so they can help you stay focused on the items you truly want. Ask them to help you say yes and just go for it when you see something you like that fits your budget and to help you say "no" before you put something in the cart that's outside the plan.
Once you outline your goals, you're ready to go shopping. Take a few days or weekends to look around. Take your time and don't try to purchase everything on the same day and try out different kinds of shops and estate sales to find unique pieces for your home.
If you're moving into a new home and saving enough money for all updated décor is something you want to do, express this budgetary requirement to your real estate agent. Working together they will be able to help you find a home that allows for a bit of room in your budget set aside for interior design.
Looking for a way to make your living room cozier or wanting to add some softer touches to your family room. These great ideas will get you started.
Find your fabric
Natural woods
Wood has natural warmth that adds a subtle glow to otherwise stark contemporary décor. And if you add a touch of antique oak, walnut, or pine into the mix, you’ve created a space with depth and character. So, bring out that side table you inherited, or frame your contemporary print in a simple wood frame. Set the walnut dish your dad carved in high school shop on the mantel.
Holistic elements
In addition to wood and fabric, other natural features can warm up your motif. Think a bevy of baskets, dried or faux but realistic willow stems, a cluster of beautiful stones, or even a collection of shells gives character and interest to a design.
Opt for an Ottoman
Everyone loves a place to put their feet. An upholstered ottoman in a comfortable fabric gives instant comfort to the room. If you'd rather have a more durable cover on your footstool such as leather or vinyl, the add a plush throw to it to bring in the warmth.
Collections
Sometimes, collections get out of hand, so we’re not talking about taking over every space with your blown glass figurines. But a lovely jar filled with sea glass from your last beach trip puts a warm glow in an otherwise serene bath or bedroom.
Group larger collection pieces in threes. If you inherited Aunt Mildred’s red glass vase, and another blue one from your grandmother, add a third one (even from a thrift store) to give interest to the collection and set it on a sofa table or in the center of the coffee table. Avoid putting more than three (at the very most four) items on any surface to avoid a cluttered, disorganized look.
If you plan to place your home on the market, ask your realtor to recommend a professional home stager to help you add that coveted coziness you crave.
When we decorate and organize our homes, few of us give more than a passing thought to the way our choices will affect our mood and behavior in our home. Most of us simply organize and decorate based on what we like on a whim.
There are, however, entire fields of study devoted to the way our environment affects us (environmental psychology), and ways we can engineer and design our environments to change our moods and behaviors.
If you’ve ever visited a big city like New York you will likely have noticed an example of this firsthand in city parks.
When you sit down on a park bench, you’ll likely find that it isn’t the most comfortable place to sit. There’s more than just a tight budget at play here. Many engineers who plan parks use the idea of “unpleasant design.” They create benches with the intention of dissuading people from lying down the benches by making them curved or putting arm rests in the middle of them.
In the same way that a city park can be designed to affect your behavior, your home can as well. In this article, we’ll give you some tips on how you can better arrange and decorate your home to have a positive impact on both your mood and behavior.
Many of us think of our homes as the opposite of work--it’s a place we relax after a long day. However, there are a number of chores and tasks you’ll complete at home that can be optimally engineered to save you time.
One simple example is to think about the placement of the items you use in the kitchen. Is your trash can far from the countertop, requiring you to constantly walk away to toss out scraps?
A good way to find out the needless extra work you’re doing around the house is to take note of how you go about your daily routine. This will give you insight into areas where you might better use your time.
Whether you work from home frequently or you just need a quiet place to do taxes or pay bills, a home office can be a good way to avoid distraction. That is, until you fill your home office with distractions.
When organizing your office, think about the content of it. For most people, a decluttered minimalist environment is most conducive to work. Leave out the television, keep your cell phone at bay, and don’t cover your desk in papers that you’ll constantly be rearranging.
Similarly, your computer needs to be tailored to productivity as well. We all know how tempting it is to head over to Facebook or Reddit when we should be focusing on work. A good way to help break this habit is to utilize a time tracking app that lets you know when it’s time for a break. Alternatively, you can use an extension or add-on for your browser that blocks sites like Facebook during the time you specify.
Each room in your home serves a different purpose. The kitchen is a place of activity and conversation, the bedroom is one of relaxation, and the home office one of focus.
Studies have shown that there is a correlation between the colors and brightness of the room we are in and our moods.
So, when you’re decorating a room in your home, think about the type of colors that fit how you would like to feel in that room.
There are many benefits to living in a simple and minimal environment. Lack of clutter helps us focus and boosts our mood. Have you ever sat down at your desk at work or in your home office and felt like you just couldn't get any work done and started tidying up instead? It might be a good idea to listen to that impulse and make your work environment a more productive place. In this article we're going to give you some tips for making your home office a distraction-free, minimal sanctuary. At the same time, these tips will be low cost--minimalism and frugality go hand in hand after all.
