How To Decorate A 'new ' Home

Buying a new home is a climax in most people’s homes. There are few experiences as enthralling as moving into a brand new home. The excitement can be marred when it comes time to decorate the home.

Few first-time home buyers are able to turn the sterile, off white shell of a house into a comfortable home that is both an expression of your personality and a ‘safe place’ to retire every evening.

“Don’t Panic. I am Here to Help.”

You do not need to pay thousands of dollars to turn a house into a comfortable home. The first thing you need to do is ‘not’ grab a half dozen home decorating magazines and hit the home decorating stores.

The first thing you need to do is to look through your closet, walk around your living area, and make a list of the colors that are comfortable. At this point, don’t worry about image, design, trends, or style. Start by finding out what makes you feel comfortable.

Then head to the paint store and collect color samples based on what you like. Once you have samples, it is time to discuss decorating schemes. Before selecting a decorating scheme, it is important to determine what your lifestyle is:

1. Will you have children?
2. How many hours a week can you realistically spend cleaning?
3. How many hours a year do you currently entertain?
4. How much can you realistically spend monthly on dry cleaning expensive fabrics?
5. How many hours a week do you spend in the kitchen, living room, and bedrooms?
6. Will you own pets?
7. How often will you replace window treatments, bedding, flooring, and furniture?

The answers to these questions will determine what decorating style you choose. If you cannot afford to replace items like sheets and window treatments every three to five years, then you do not want to invest a lot of money on the current home decorating trend. You’ll want to focus on a tried-but-true classic.

A family that is only in the kitchen for thirty minutes in the morning, and while cooking or washing dishes, do not need to invest $10 000 in decorating the kitchen. Along the same line, a family who spends most of their time in the living room need to spend most of their money buying ‘long wear’ and sturdy furniture, flooring, and window treatments for that room.

One mistake that most first-time new home decorators make is attacking one room at a time. Many homeowners work on one room at a time, running out of money before the house is finished. This is why you walk into many new homes with a beautiful living room and kitchen area, but the bedrooms are sparse and may remain undecorated for a few years while the homeowner saves enough money to finish decorating.

Another consideration is children. A child’s room needs to grow with them. The child’s room may need to be redecorated five times between birth and 18 years old. A little foresight on furniture selection and floor treatments can save thousands of dollars over the next twenty years.

New home decorating does not need to be a frightening project. It just takes a little common sense. Budget well. Create something you can live with, as apposed to creating something based on a theme. And, make sure that your new home fits your ‘real’ lifestyle, not your fantasy lifestyle.

Patricia Taylor advises on home furnishings and decor from her web site www.mantelclockshere.com She invites you to get her FREE decorating guide here www.patioheatershere.com

Title:
How To Decorate A 'new ' Home
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