Congratulations, you bought a new home! While this is an exciting time, decorating can feel daunting. However, a fresh start provides the perfect opportunity to transform a blank canvas into a space that reflects your unique taste and style. Whether you’re starting from scratch or transitioning from your previous home, here are some tips to help you start decorating after you bought a new house.
Declutter and Downsize
When moving into a new house, decluttering and downsizing are essential for a fresh, organized, and stress-free living environment. Before your move-in day, go through your belongings and determine what should come with you and what should be donated, sold, or thrown out. The key is to make intentional choices about what you bring into your new space, ensuring that each item serves a purpose or brings you joy. You should keep things that are functional or hold significant sentimental value and discard items that no longer serve a purpose to you or are outdated.
Accessorize Mindfully
Accessories such as rugs, throw pillows, and decorative items are the finishing touches that breathe life into your living space. Unlike large furniture, these items are incredibly versatile and can be changed as often as you’d like or coordinated with the season. You can even incorporate items that evoke meaningful memories or tell stories about your life, like family photos, artwork, souvenirs from your travels, unique collectibles, or cherished antiques. Use this opportunity to choose color schemes, fabrics, and textiles that reflect who you are now.
Create a Mood Board
If you’re decorating your new house from scratch, creating a mood board can help clarify your aspirations and keep you focused on your vision. To do this, collect furniture, decor, and color inspiration from magazines, websites, or social media platforms like Pinterest. Seeing everything you like in one place will help make your final decor choices consistent with what you envisioned. It’s even more beneficial when you can shop the pieces you like online or find similar items at budget-friendly prices.
Choose a Color Palette
Choosing a color palette is a fundamental part of interior design in a new house. Carefully consider the style and mood you want each room to have. Warm colors evoke energy and warmth, whereas cool colors create a sense of calm and relaxation. Neutral colors are timeless and provide a versatile backdrop to add accent colors and decor. If you’re not starting from scratch — you’re keeping a sofa or rug that’s meaningful to you — you can use that piece to pull a color from and design the rest of your space around that.
Prioritize Essentials
The most essential part of moving into a new house is making sure you have the items you need to get by each day. This is why you should begin decorating with the basics to set up a strong foundation for your decor. Forget the little decorations. Furniture pieces such as a comfortable couch, a sturdy dining table, a quality bed, and essential appliances in the kitchen and laundry room should be your first considerations. Focusing on these critical items ensures you have the necessary functionality in your living spaces as you gradually layer decorative items over time.
Decorating your new home should be a fun and creative process, but if you ever feel stuck or run out of ideas, don’t hesitate to seek advice from your friends and family. Or you can hire a professional interior designer if your budget allows. Our team can offer valuable insight and ideas to help you create a home that reflects your style and preference.
If you need help decorating your brand new home, contact us today to schedule your in-home design consultation.