Will you be renting a place or buying? That's important when it comes to recommending painting and other types of permanent changes, like flooring, etc.

Let us know that first.

Budget, room sizes, house type...

Depending on budget, I would buy a new sofa with a classic style, window treatments, and then check craigslist for casegoods.

Hi Badtoad.

You are so smart to rent furniture until you find what you want. Really want. Too many people go out, spend a bundle on whatever's the red-hot look of the moment--or a smaller bundle on what some furniture store knows is already past its freshness date and is trying to unload in a hurry before the bottom drops out entirely--and find, a few years down the road, that they hate everything they have, that none of it has anything to do with what they like or who they are, yet they can't afford to go out and do it again. Decorate in haste, repent at leisure.

Having said that--and not counting the circumstances that have landed you in this particular spot at this particular time of your life-- I gotta say this: there are a lot of people who wish they were in your shoes. The dream of starting over is a widespread one. A passage from Philip Larkin's Poetry of Departures pretty well sums it up:

We all hate home
And having to be there:
I detest my room,
It's specially-chosen junk,
The good books, the good bed,
And my life, in perfect order...

Anyway, you've got a chance most people, with their burden of inherited pieces (or, conversely, the guilt that lingers like a ghost once the jettisoned pieces are gone) can only dream about, so you're smart to want to do it right.

Now, some people will tell you to start by buying a bunch of magazines & catalogs to see what you like. That sounds good, but it's a trap, because those things are full of trendy stuff that will clutter the yard sales of 2014. So instead of whetting your appetite for all things "Tuscan" --or even Tuscan, which baby will soon get thrown out with the "Tuscan" bathwater--or for birds-on-branches chandeliers or whatever, look at old decorating books from the 4Os or the 6Os or the 8Os. Sure, they're full of hideous-looking rooms, but that's exactly the point: when you look at such old books, the difference between the rooms that are truly stylish & those that were merely fashionable in a time long ago in a land far away will be thrown into high relief in a way that isn't true of new publications, in which, due to the aura of newness that emanates from every single picture, every single product, it's hard for most amateurs to tell a look that will be lasting from one that will be a marketing-driven flash-in-the-decorating-pan.

I remember a few years ago, when those gigantic old-looking clock faces sold for a few hundred dollars apiece in pricey boutiques and in the Horchow catalog. They sold for that much because they were so different from what we'd seen lately. Then they showed up at Ballards for $149, then at Home Decorators for $59. A few weeks ago, I saw a 24-inch version at Walgreens--our Chicago-based drug store chain--for $9.99, which is cheaper that I see them used at my neighborhood Goodwill store. All I know is I'd hate to have saved up my $$ and splurged on the pricey version. Anyway, that's what happens when you buy something because it's new & trendy. It's not trendy for long. Of course, if you bought your giant clockface because you've loved the things for your whole life, then you'll never get tired of it, no how many of your friends' houses you see cheap knockoffs in, but if you bought it because you thouht it was unusual, well, you wasted your money.

Anyway, once you've found a look or a feel that appeals to your--rather than a specific sofa or rug or clock face--then it's just a matter of watching out for pieces that fit into that look, even though they're different from what's in the picture. And since you like a traditional look, you're in luck. Since that's not the trendy look of the moment, you'll be able to pick up stuff cheap. But buy the best you can, and go for a few big, important-looking pieces that can anchor the room, then fill in as you go along.

Magnaverde Rule No. 1: Dont confuse decorating with shopping.

Welcome to our boards.

Regards,
Magnaverde.

Magnaverde, you have given badtoad some wonderful advice, and I totally agree with everything you've said. However, could you explain further about how one can create a "feel or look" in a room without the help of home decor stores, decorating books and catalogs? I love to shop at auctions and flea markets opposed to home decor stores. Even then, it's sometimes difficult to achieve a certain look. Guess what I'm saying is that many times a room becomes a collection of unrelated objects and one doesn't get a feeling of anything, when entering the space. Could you share with badtoad (and all of us) the secret for achieving a look or feel with objects NOT found in catalogs or stores. And, please give us examples.

Wow, what thoughtful advice. I never would have thought to look at old books. For furniture and decor stuff I want to do it once (as much as possible), and do it right.

My first priority is kitchen, dining and living room which are in a single large open space. Therefore it needs to be cohesive. I will work on the bedrooms later - they are functional for now.

I will be renting a medium size apartment (plan to be there a few years) and I have the option to paint. The image I have in my mind is somewhere between cozy English country cottage and a more simplified traditional look. Carpet is beige berber and kitchen has "wood" pergo floor, white cabinets and laminate countertops with a "granite" pattern. There is a fireplace and a sliding glass door to an attractive outdoor area in the living room.

Budget about 5k to start and I can fill in more as time goes on. Of course, I want to get the best quality I can for the least cost.

The circumstances to get where I am were not fun. On the flip side I'm coming out of my dark place and very much looking forward to building a new life. A comfortable welcoming home is a big part of that for me, so all advice is appreciated.

I just read an article that says NOT to rent furnishings. Waste of good money.

I would start with a few basics. Purchase a couch that you love. Buy a temporary card table and chairs for your dining room (or buy something inexpensive from WM or Ikea.) You need your own mattresses, but don't need the head boards or frames yet. Perhaps a couple of put-together end tables from WM or Ikea would work for both den and bedrooms. BONUS: When your son goes off to college, you will already have "things" to give him for his apartment.

Also, yesterday I read an article from an Interior Designer. The following is a quote from her:

I just can't stress enough how much I love these old pieces of furniture. If there's one suggestion I could make to any of you younger gals starting a new house....build your bones with antiques. You won't be sorry! Older pieces are made SO sturdy and SO much better than anything out there new today. As I've said before, what could you get NEW for $400?? Not much, that's for sure. Some crappy furniture, no doubt.

You may want to read the entire article w/photos. See link:

Here is a link that might be useful: Southern Hosp[itality

I wouldn't rent furniture if I were you. Look around at thrift stores, Wal Mart, Big Lots and buy the bare bones basics.
You can sell the stuff when you're finished with it.

I absolutely agree with the advice to buy antiques (aka used furniture) -- especially case goods. If you're new to the area, it will take some time to find good used furniture solurces, but you should certainly try craigslist.

That said, I'd probably stick with new upholstered furniture, unless you know how to reupholster.

OK, I'm on board with used furniture and antiques. I was thinking that furniture consignment stores could be good and I'll check out antique stores as well.

I'm seeing different opinions on renting vs not renting furniture and I would like to explore that further.

Here is my situation - single mom, moving across two state lines, no living room furniture coming with me, no pickup truck, starting new (very intense) job within days of getting to my new city.

I suppose I could sit on the floor, or run around trying to find something temporary at Walmart or CraigsList and figure out how to transport, or try to find exactly what I want in a new area within a few days. It all sounds quite stressful and/or uncomfortable to me which is why renting for a short period of time seems like a good idea to me.

If, given this info, renting still seems like a bad idea help me to understand a better alternative. I'm willing to change my mind if given a persuasive argument.

Thanks, Homebuilder for the mention...that's my little blog there. I don't come by here nearly as much as I used to since it takes up so much time.

And I'm not nearly as knowledgeable as Magnaverde nor can I put together a room as skillfully as he can, but I sure do believe in getting those older pieces of furniture. That's one thing I've learned over the years. My little business is just getting off the ground...I'm so glad that message came through loud and clear. There are SO many people out there who just don't know where to start.

Stargirl, I've never had any trouble furnishing my own places without shopping at home stores or catalogs or hitting the clearance aisle at TJ Maxx. Of course, I also had 30 years to get the look right, and most people would like to do it a little faster than that.

In theory, there's absolutely nothing wrong with hitting the home stores for basic pieces like sofas & chairs & dining tables, because even there, unless it's really a low-end store, things can be semi-customised to meet your tastes. And even if you can't afford more than the cheapest sofa on the market, the fabric you choose can make a huge difference. So, instead of buying the black-&-white damask print or the blue-&-brown mod supergraphic (both too trendy) or the plain cream with a single-thread green stripe (too boring) get something that makes a statement, but not a trendy one. Neutral sofas work OK--I guess--if you've got a great background to the room--say, floor-to-ceiling glass walls overlooking a nature preserve or gray-washed rustic planking, like a wall of driftwood or elaborately carved & inlaid Victorian woodwork against walls of raspberry pink damask or a library wall full of rare first editions and pre-Columbian pottery--but face it, most of us end up in dullish condos without any character, or spec-built homes of no real architectural distinction, and agaisnt a bland background like that, a supposedly "versatile" neutral sofa is a killer. So now you've got dull walls, a bland sofa & likely neutral carpeting or non-committal ceramic tile, which means that your room has to rely on superficial inconsequentialities if it's to have any interest at all. And, sure, you can go to TJ Maxx and buy the requisite wine poster & the resin French Country rooster statue & the resin Tuscan wrought iron candlestick and the big resin clock face, but you end up with a room just like everyboidy else's. And some people, seeing this horror of a wilderness of no color go out & slather on a coat of gold or red paint on their flat walls to try to ad a little punch, but there's still no real interest to the room, other, I mean, than what one of those digital wall-painting programs could contribute.

And here's an easy test to see whether a room is really well-decorated, or whether its appeal is merely that of the Easter basket: take a picture & print it in black-&-white. Even without any color, a good room will keep its appeal, while a room that has nothing going for it but color will look lifeless when it's seen in black-&-white. But it doesn't have to. Donald Albrecht's book Designing Dreams is full of 192os & 193Os movie sets that are absolutely incredible--and every single picture in the book is black & white, because the movies that first showed these sets were also black-&-white.

Anyway, these days, the background of our lives is often an inoffensive neutral, so go for color in your furnishings. That way, you can take the color with you when you go. And don't get bogged down over-thinking a color scheme. Don't obesess about matching. If your sofa is red and your walls are tan with white woodwork, a pair of moss green chairs will go fine in there. Add some dark wood tables, a reworked entertainment center from Goodwill--my local store is full of them, now that so many people are switching to flat-screens--that's had old engravings (that's laser copies toyou & me) pasted onto its surface, or that's painted with fake bookshelves, or that has freehand faux-naif imitations--the clumsier the better--of an antique Cormandel screen; a substantial chest in honey pine; mismatched lamps--one brass, one blue-&-white china, one with that rooster as a base--with shiny white shades; some crewelwork pillows with a cream ground & multicolor embroidery--don't match anything else; some old photos & some watercolors with colored mats in mismatched frames; yellow-& white checked curtains fringed with red, hung over matchstick blinds at the windows, the $9.99 clock from Walgreens, a few antique cane-bottom country chairs from the local flea market, piled with some books; a big basket--Goodwill is full of them--on the floor for the dog's toys, and a smaller one for the mail. When you have a casual, unmatched decor like this, there's always room for a new arrival, a lucky weekend find, which quality isn't true of rooms where there's an over-intellectualized theme & a too-workedout color scheme. Those rooms are like the snooty clique in high school, which might allow you to join them, but they never makes you feel welcome. Who needs that nonsense? Especially at home? I go for inclusiveness, not exclusivity.

Anyway, a room like the one above may not have a a though-out "theme", but it would have a ton of low key comfy style. The key--as always--is avoiding anything trendy. Yes, I know I gave in on the rooster & the clock, but, heck, they're easy to toss as soon as something better comes along and their presence--like the TV, which, even though I don't own one, I like even more when they aren't hidden away--keeps the whole place from sliding into a Miss Marple-ish time warp pastiche of English cozy style.

At any rate, once you have that feel, that overall look in mind, it will be easier to find the component pieces of that look. Or, rather, it will be easier to avoid buying stuff which doesn't support that look, that only complicates things. Kind of like Michelangelo's response to how was able to carve a delicate sculpture out of a huge block of marble: "Leda (or the Madonna, or whoever) already exists inside this block of stone. All I have to do is chip alway all the pieces that don't look like her."

And in putting together a room of any particular style (not theme) all you have to do is eliminate from the shopping list anything that doesn't support that look.

Magnaverde Rule No. 14: When nothing is in style, nothing can go out of style.

I had no idea of rental prices, so I did a quick search, and it looked to me like it might run $200 -$300 per month, with a 3-month minimum? It's a big chunk of your $5K budget, but maybe worth it considering all the stresses associated with new job. I don't suppose your new employer would pick up the cost?

When we bought this house, I took it as an opportunity to start over, decorating wise. I sold a ton of stuff and gave away even more. I only kept what we loved including artwork.
That being said, we're a family of four and I wasn't keen on sitting on cardbard boxes for months on end. The house had to be functional. You need a place to eat, to sleep, and to sit. We bought mattresses and box springs and ordered the couch before moving in. Rather than getting beds immediately, we used iron frames bought at Goodwill for $2 each. We kept our dining room table set. The other items we're adding as we go. I don't want to rush into buying anything. We're about 80% finished furnishing the house at this point. It's an ongoing process.

Magnaverde, you always make decorating seem so simple. I know badtoad and everyone else on the forum is grateful for the "food for thought." I'm also happy to see that Georgiagal is here. Not only is she my neighbor (we're in the same state), but she's an excellent decorator. I'll step aside and let others respond to your post, badtoad. But Mag, before I leave, I just wanted to mention that I posted something a few days ago about wanting to know more about a piece of furniture, which I got at the auction. If you see the post, I hope you'll respond to it. Thanks!

Yes, if I didn't say it forcefully enough, or if I hid it too well in my long-winded response, let me repeat: BUY ANTIQUE.

And, no, renting isn't inexpensive, but the stuff will be comfy & ready-to-go on the day it arrives, and soon it will go away again. I don't consider it throwing money away, especially when you consider the other fast alternative--particleboard-&-foam junk from you-know-where, which will go away soon too, but usually at a time of its own choosing, not yours, after which it's your resposibility to haul its ripped & splintered remains away. Besides, even if that crummy stuff somehow survives, the last thing you want is for its cheesy look spoiling your new decor. Inexpensiveness is good, but cheapness is not. Don't even let that stuff in your door.

Meanwhile, while you're living on your comfy new rented sofa, keep an eye out for a good used sofa. Go for construction & style & condition, but if you can find a smooth-faced fabric, don't worry about how ugly it is, because you can paint it. That's what I did with my $100 down-cushioned sofa, a bargain from a Chicago place--Fort Pitt for you locals--that deals in used hotel furniture. Mine came from the St. Regis in NY. I've had it for almost 7 years, and it looks great.

Here is a link that might be useful: Magnaverde's Painted Sofa directions: just scroll down to the picture.

Thanks Magnaverde. I'm with you on the buy antique. The convenience and sparkle of new is appealing and I will have to fight the consumerism urge and go for quality and longevity.

Regarding renting furniture - quite honestly I am willing to pay more to reduce stress in my life. I am getting a signing bonus and relocation help from my new employer, so if I use those some of those funds to have a pleasant home that make me a happier well-rested employee and mom then I think that is money well spent.

I like the idea of thinking of the room in black and white photos. Will keep that in mind. I'm an engineer, not an artist. I'm really good at function, not so good at form. Researching and identifying quality is within my skillset, making things pretty is not so easy for me. I see rooms that I like and have trouble actually implementing so all the details fit together.

Badtoad, your post will save me a lot of money! Magnaverde's painted furniture link is going to be my next experiment!

Best of luck with your new life. I was skeptical about the renting furniture part, but you are exactly right about it easing stress. You have enough on your plate without having to worry about where you are going to set it!
When you have time, I think you will really like looking in consignment shops and antique stores for your furniture. You may also run across some old design magazines in those stores, I usually do.

An engineer...excellent.

It was almost twenty years ago since I bailed & went back to school for my interior design degree, but I spent a decade working with engineers at Illinois Bell, and I've been left-brained my whole life. I have zero creativity, and I tell people that, and they never believe me--since they assume that all designers are naturally creative--but it's true. Here's the thing: if you've got a good visual memory (which I do) you don't need creativity. After all, since everything's already been done--and especially since you say you're oriented toward a traditional look, anyway--all you need to do is look for the right precedent.

And congratulations on your new job.

Magnaverde Rule No 51: If a a problem is decorating is expressed verbally, and treated as an exercise in logic, rather than being expressed visually and treated as a problem in aesthetics, it will often solve itslf.