Decorating your first home – What to do

It is been a while since I moved into the UK, and my partner and I have already changed from one city to another and from one flat to another a couple of times. Moving houses is always stressful and complicated, especially if it is your first home, but it is a new opportunity to start from scratch and apply all want you have already learn.

So with this experience, yesterday I was considering what advice I will give to anyone moving into their first home, either rented or not.

You need to consider that when moving into your first home the budget is tight; and with all the ideas that you have been accumulating over the years thinking “when I move…” it can be really overwhelming now that the time has arrived.

But the first thing, and the most crucial one is to be patient! Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither will be your new home.

You just need to follow some advice

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Accept second hand furniture.

Your decoration style will change during the firsts couple of years until you learn, not only what you like, but what it is more comfortable for your day to day.

Therefore, at the beginning make a list of the basic furniture you need to live and visit second-hand shops. Also when friends and family offer you their old stuff, consider it seriously! Make a list of the DIY you will need to do to make it fit into your home.

Think of how much money it will save you, but the important thing is that you are buying time. If you fill the essential furniture pieces with reuse furniture you won’t be on a rush to buy anything from the shop and end up buying expensive furniture without been sure of what you want.

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Move your furniture around.

When we move into a new place we tend to accept the first furniture distribution that we see. But usually that will not be the best one for you.

Think about what use you are going to give to each room and play around with the furniture, try different options for the table, sofa or bed, until you find the perfect distribution for your life style.

Measure everything

There is no point of buying a sofa if is not going to fit on your living room, or worst, even fit through the hallway door. Therefore, I recommend you to measure your whole house or flat before you start checking for new furniture. And if possible sketch the floorplan and have it on your mobile every time you go shopping.

Start with the neutral colours

If you have been reading my blog you will already know that I am passionate about the neutral colour palettes. I thinks they are really versatile and it will fit in any decoration style. So start with light neutrals and then start building the accent colours with time, and with the possibility to change styles at any time.

Also, painting the walls will give you a clean fresh start. Try light colours for the general walls and if you are feeling brave, create an accent colour in one or two rooms; but I would recommend to give the colour touches with accessories that are easy to update.

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And the most important one… relax!

I know is really tempting to move into a new place and want everything finish by the end of the week, but if you want to make right you need to relax. There is no need of going into a shop and buying everything you see. Gather ideas, take picture, research styles and compare prices; if you like interior design, this is a great opportunity and you need to enjoy it.

Decorating your first home is a great experience and it would help you to create your own style, so relax and start gathering inspiration and share ideas in the comments below!