DecorAid shares tips on what to buy now, and what to add later.
You’ve saved. You’ve methodically shopped around. Now you’re ready to move into the right home for your needs. But one question remains: how do you begin decorating it?
Just like Morty has helped reinvent and revolutionize the home buying and mortgage process, the high-end interior design experts at Décor Aid have been trusted with decorating homes from coast to coast thanks to an equally refreshing take on helping clients feel settled in homes they both aspire to and deserve.
So you can begin creating the home of your dreams, we turned to the design firm to help you better understand everything you need to know before you start decorating it.
Not Envisioning The Entire Home
Maybe you’re coming from a small and challenging shared space where your decorative instincts were confined to just your bedroom. Perhaps you were recently living in a studio.
Whatever the case, think about how various rooms throughout your home work together, style-wise. It pays to keep everything consistent with a common thread tying everything together. It could be something as simple as a color scheme, or a design style—no matter what, keep in mind that consistency is key.
Rushing The Process
Just like no building can be thoughtfully constructed overnight, it’s almost impossible to properly decorate any home in one fell swoop—no matter the size.
Instead of trying to decorate your new home as quickly as possible, relax. Take your time. Find comfort in the joy of going through the interior design process in a well-judged manner. This way, you’ll save yourself from costly mistakes and furnishings that you won’t like in the long run. And in turn, your home will be all the more stunning.
Not Testing Paint Colors
It goes without saying that painting your home sounds like a quick and fun update. That is, until the first brush stroke gets applied.
Instead of haphazardly painting your walls, consider how the color will affect the feel of the room compared to other rooms.Think about how the paint will catch light at different times of day or in different seasons. After all, who’d want to repaint their home every few years on their own because of a rushed and ill-considered choice?
Pushing Everything Against The Wall
Time and time again, Décor Aid interior designers often report a common furniture placement mistake that serves almost no benefit to homeowners—no matter how much space they have to work with. Many homeowners, whether or old or new, have a stubborn tendency to push their furnishings flush against their walls.
By doing so, you’ll miss the mark on creating intimate conversation areas. Plus, everything-against-the-walls lends the a room a rigid, stuffy feel. Instead, take a cue from parlor-style living rooms. Group furnishings together to keep everything conversational and cozy.
Only Shopping At One Store
By only shopping at one store, you’re certain to give your room a one-note vibe. And you’ll be replicating a lifeless showroom, at that.
Since every well-judged home needs a heady mix of décor to make it feel authentic, shop around. Create a mix of various furnishings from different brands and eras to give your home a one-of-a-kind bent.
Not Considering Your Home’s Quirks
More often than not, new homeowners tend to bring their apartment dwelling tendencies with them to their new homes. They work to cover architectural details and oddities they wrongfully consider as blemishes.
However, those architectural features can sometimes work to your advantage. Quirks and peculiarities make your home all the more unique. And while you don’t need to make them central focal points, you should work around them and celebrate them. For now, they’ll make your home feel unique until your next renovation project.
Decorating For The Home You Wish You Had
While it pays to be aspirational in some ways, when it comes to your new home, its best to face reality and work with what you do have.
By doing so, you’ll have a much easier time confidently bringing everything together with ease. Plus, you’ll save yourself from costly mistakes.
What to buy now:
You’ve scored a new home, the most challenging part so far—congrats! Now that you’re ready to move in, here’s what you’ll need on day one, or the very least, some proper substitutes to get you through your first few weeks.
Bed
It should go without saying that a bed is probably the single most vital investment you should instantly make for your new home. Sort out your sleeping situation first. The rest will come later.
Sofa
Even on day one, you’ll need a relaxing spot to sit back and take in your new home. A new couch properly scaled makes for a sound initial investment, and a decorative foundation for when you begin realizing your home.
Lighting
AftIf you don’t already have lamps and other light sources to work with, you shouldn’t be sitting in the dark in your new home. However, just a few lighting sources will do, for now,. Don’t plan on investing too much just yet.
Window Treatments
While it’s too early to splurge on window treatments that’ll last a lifetime, you should still make maintaining privacy key. Instead of installing custom treatments from the get-go, source easy-to-install and affordable window treatments that’ll do the trick for now.
Kitchen Basics
From a new coffee maker to a set of mugs, right now’s the time to focus on daily essentials that you just can’t live without.
Personal Touches
You don’t want your new home too feel too cold or incomplete. Stay inspired by immediately bringing in a few personal mementos and treasures for instant warmth anda comforting sense of the familiar.
Buy later:
Like we mentioned before, take your time when decorating your new home. After all, what’s the rush? Here are a few items that any trusted interior designer will tell you to hold off on for now.
Headboard
Since a well-designed headboard can make all the difference in bringing your bedroom together, a good one can take some time to source. For now, a straightforward bed will do.
Rugs
Rugs can be a major investment. They can also work as a starting point when decorating a room. So shop wisely as you’ll want to get the right foundational rug for every room.
Decorative Accessories
Of all the new pieces you plan on bringing into your fresh home, intriguing decorative accessories can be surprisingly elusive. And while they can help finish and punctuate a room, be patient when sourcing decorative accessories. Take a pared-back approach, and you’ll be rewarded with a look doesn’t come off as forced.
