Decorating Your First Home
Q. I am very excited to move to my first home. Do you have any tips or design rules I can use as I move-in and decorate my place? — Jessica from Denver, CO
A. Whether you’re fresh out of the dorm or fresh out of your parents’ home, you finally have a place of your own. No one can dictate the number of nail holes you put in the wall or the colors you choose to paint those walls (except maybe your landlord). The point is, you finally have the freedom to arrange and design your space as you place. Where to begin?
Take Your Time
It can be incredibly tempting to want to completely furnish and decorate your new place the moment you have the keys in hand. Pause for a moment. Go ahead and live in a spartan environment for a few weeks until you really get a feel for your space, determine how you want each area to be used, and figure out what kind of furniture and accessories you actually need. This will prevent you from making too many impulse purchases or crowding your home with things you don’t have a use for.
Decide What You Like
Allow your design style to evolve. Do research, develop design-inspired boards on Pinterest, buy magazines and earmark the things you love, browse Houzz and create idea books. Once you’ve gathered a few dozen images together, compare them to determine what they have in common in terms of color, patterns, furniture style and texture. This will help you solidify your interests. After all, up to now your design aesthetic has been stunted or hidden. Give it time to breathe, stretch its legs, and do the work it’s been itching to do.
Ditch the Dorm Stuff
Once you’ve settled on a design style, then it’s time to ditch the handme- down furniture that is no longer of use to you. Keep the pieces that are worth keeping but, remember, you’re in that long-awaited grown-up place now, whether apartment or house, and that means no more mini-fridge, no futon, and no more unframed posters tacked to the walls.
Choose a Color Palette
Your new home will come with some colors that you might not be changing anytime soon–carpeting, flooring and countertops, for example. These constants can help inform your color palette decisions. But you can also choose not to be boxed in by the static elements of your home and pave your own way. A favorite piece of art or furniture that you know will never be out of your possession is a good foundation for developing your color palette. Or just start with your favorite color.
Know Your Measurements
Never, ever guess what furniture might fit in your home. Measure your entire space before you go shopping so you know if that desk will fit in your office or if your bathroom has room for a storage cupboard. That L-shaped sofa might not look so large on the showroom floor but in your petite living room it could be a big mistake. While you’re at it, measure doorways, stairs and elevator openings to make sure that what you buy can actually make it into the front door of your home.
Paint It
Even if your security deposit is being held for ransom, painting those walls–or even just an accent wall or two–is the most affordable and impactful way to imbue your new space with personality and the chosen mood you want to evoke. If you absolutely cannot paint, don’t let the white walls make you feel as if you’re living in an institution. You can still add character to your room with plenty of texture, hanging fabrics, impressive artwork or sophisticated, removable wall decals.
Invest in Window Coverings
Ditch the mini-blinds, even if they come standard with your digs. Shades and fabric curtains automatically lend a room structure and color, while elevating it from a cookie-cutter box into a space of one’s own.
Separate Work and Sleep
Living in a dorm room or with roommates meant all areas of your life overlapped, from work to sleep to school to leisure. Your bedroom, most of all, should be an oasis. If you want a good night’s sleep and a room that proves you’re a grown-up, ban that desk and laptop from ever taking up root there. Designate an office space with a room divider or convert a closet into a working office. Just be sure to split your space into the areas you want it to have rather than allowing it all to intersect. Open floor plans can be daunting, but they can successfully become multi-use spaces if properly delineated.
Don’t Be a Slave to Trends
Be thoughtful about what you purchase for your home, but always buy what you love. Don’t be lured in by fancy advertisements and five-piece matching furniture sets. You want your home to be original and a representation of you.
Know Where Your Money Is Best Spent
Splurge where it matters–on long-lasting furniture and good lighting. Everything else can be sprinkled in accordingly. Be wise about the choices you make for investment pieces such as your sofa. Opting for neutrals allows you to accessorize differently from season to season or whim to whim–changing lamps, pillows, or artwork–without spending a lot of money.
