How to decorate that first home

Moving into a first home, whether it is a modest flat or a detached house, is a landmark moment in any individual’s life.

11:23 28 February 2014

After the initial excitement of signing the lease or closing the deal on a new home it is time to focus on creating a comfortable environment that is warm, inviting and personal.

Getting started

The first step in decorating a new home is deciding on a decorating style. Start by collecting photos and images and creating an idea-book. By comparing the images it will be easy to spot what they have in common, be it colour, patterns, the design of furniture or simply the way everything in a room is arranged.

Once the elements of decorating style have been narrowed down it is vital to create a decorating budget. Attempting to decorate an entire home at once may be too ambitious and expensive, so choose one room to start with; the bedroom is an excellent choice simply because this is the room where you will spend at least a third of your time at home. This also ensures that while the rest of the home is being gradually decorated, there is a place to retreat to.

One of the best tips when decorating and furnishing a new home is not to attempt to buy everything at the same time. Attempting to buy all of the furniture and accessories for one room or multiple rooms all at once will not only be expensive but can lead to personal style and expression being compromised, as matching sets and generic suites are picked to fill a room. Take a couple of months and get used to the new place before making such major purchases.

Furniture

When it comes to furniture in a new home, the two most significant pieces are the living room sofa and the bed. A sofa is going to be a part of the home for a long time and needs to stand up to daily wear and tear. It’s best to invest in a good quality piece with neutral upholstery that may be cleaned and maintained easily. This also applies to purchasing a dining room table, though this may not be considered a necessary piece in the beginning.

People spend a third of their home lives in the bedroom, a large amount of that time at rest, so choosing a good quality bed is very important. Focus on the mattress set to start and worry about the head and footboard later. Most metal bed frames have brackets to attach these decorative elements so focus on comfort and durability now and add the decorative bits later.

Accessories

Accessories do not need to be expensive to be effective; in fact, cheap vases, photo frames, mirrors, throw rugs and other odds-and-ends are best purchased from discount and thrift shops. These inexpensive and second-hand pieces will add a slightly worn and well-used air to the room where they are placed, turning a room of brand-new fabrics and furnishings into a warm and homely environment.

Personal accessories also complete a home in a way little else can. Family photos, homemade crafts, antique collectables and heirlooms may all be added to a room’s décor to bring an individual’s personality and history into the home, making it uniquely theirs.