Buying your first house or renting your first apartment brings a mixture of excitement and anxiety. You have a place of your own, but you are responsible for doing both the fun and mundane things to make it into a home. Here are some suggestions for furnishing and decorating your first home:
Pick a Style
There are many decorating styles and the style that appeals to you will influence your selection of almost everything, from furniture to custom wall hangings. Social media sites, such as Pinterest, can prove to be invaluable resources for researching decorating styles and getting ideas for how to turn a style from theory into practice.
Once you have selected a style, you can begin to work on your color palette. Some styles naturally lend themselves to particular colors and materials. For example, a rustic style lends itself to natural materials — such as wood and cast iron — and warm earthy colors. A modern style, on the other hand, may rely more heavily on modern materials — like plastic and chrome — and a minimalist color palette dominated by black and white.
Remember that you can continue this style with small details, like the selection of frame materials for your custom wall hangings or even the colors of the custom made wall art that you hang.
Personalize
Regardless of the style that you choose, remember that every style leaves some room for personalization. You should not feel handcuffed by your design style. Rather, you should find ways to make the style reflect you by adding personal touches.
For example, if you are a collector or hobbyist, incorporate your collection or hobby into your theme. An avid fisherman is not limited to a rustic decorating style but can find ways to incorporate their love of fishing and nature into any decorating style with personalized wall decor.
Similarly, you can include (or show off) some interest or skill that you are particularly proud of, such as art. Even if you are not an artist, you can hang custom canvas wall art that exemplifies the art that you are knowledgeable about. In fact, interest in studying art is growing, with over 60% of Millennials saying that they know something about art. This is nearly double the number of Baby Boomers who say the same.
Personal touches can also include travel souvenirs, custom canvas wall art of places that are important to you, or even custom wall hangings of your pets. Another way to personalize your home is with custom word wall art with a motto or quote that you find particularly inspiring, comforting, or iconic.
Make it Comfortable
Although your home may showcase your personality and design style, you should not forget that its primary purpose is to provide you with a comfortable and inviting living space. In the same way that most people have comfort foods they turn to in stressful or trying times, you should think about those elements that make your surroundings both comforting and comfortable.
For many people, family is comforting. If this is true for you, create custom wall hangings with your favorite family photos. For other people, nature is comforting. Custom made wall art with landscapes, flowers, or other natural images may make their home feel the most comfortable.
Avoid Clutter
Many a first-time decorator will go overboard and cram as much as possible into a home. One way to avoid clutter is to make sure you account for empty space when laying out the furniture in a room. Similarly, reserve some empty wall space rather than overdoing it with custom wall hangings.
You may find it helpful to set a budget, one of the least popular parts of adulting, to rein in any impulse to clutter your living space. If your budget is reasonable, you can furnish and decorate your home over time. This will give you the opportunity to live with your furniture and decorations and distinguish between what you truly need and what will merely become clutter.
Decorating and furnishing your first home will almost certainly be a work in progress. However, by approaching the project with a plan, you should be able to furnish and decorate coherently. Choose a style and a color palette, personalize your style, and make sure your space is comfortable and uncluttered.
