Where does one start when decorating their home?

19 years ago

I am usually over in the kitchen forum seeking advice about our "issues" in that room, but I come here too to ponder the rest of the house and I see so many beautiful homes on this forum, and I am just feeling overwhelmed with the inspiration! We have lived in our home for almost 6 years, and we have done small things (faux finishing and mini-blinds!) to "get us by" until we could afford to do the bigger and better things that we *really* want. Now that we are more ready, I am finding that the hardest part is figuring out *what* we want.

Where do you start?

Its hard - we have a somewhat quirky layout so I feel like I can't even begin to think up color schemes because I start to think about structural things (maybe I should open up that doorway? Maybe I should close off that window?) and then I feel totally lost.

We have 3 children so time to do projects is at a premium. I hate to do any work, only to feel like I have to rip it up and start over in a year because I think of a "better" idea.

Any advice for a beginning decorator? For what its worth, the 3 children are ages 2 - 9 and that always adds an extra consideration to the mix.

Thanks in advance!

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Comments (4)

papercrane
19 years ago
The link below is a fun place to start thinking about decorating. It suggests starting with a "master plan", and has room-by-room questionnaires to help you come up with your own "master plan". I thought the questions were fun and thought-provoking, and they gave me a different way of looking at decorating my home. Enjoy!

~Lynne

Here is a link that might be useful: Decorating master plan
teacats
19 years ago
Work with what you HAVE -- to be able to enjoy your home NOW!

Enjoy your home at EVERY stage of life ..... and don't wait for the "perfect" time ((when the projects are so-called "done" -- because home decorating is an on-going process!))

I can recommend Alexandra Stoddard's book "Living at Home" -- has LOTS of questions to help you work out the vital questions:

"HOW do you want your home to feel?? -- at THIS point in time"

and "HOW DO WANT YOUR HOME TO work for you NOW"

Write these things down -- go through the house room-by-room!
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patricianat
19 years ago
I definitely agree with Teacats. You really need that Alexandra Stoddard book. It makes you "know" your home and "yourself at home." It keeps you in touch with the reality of life and decorating and has helped me to be able to combine what I had 20 years ago with what I have now, because I transition what I have into what I get and what I need.
Jane_the_Renovator
19 years ago
With three children, you might also want to read Don Aslett's "Make Your House Do the Housework." It's a book on interior decorating from a professional cleaner's point of view--truly fascinating. Made me think about it all from a totally different point of view.

Here is a link that might be useful: Make Your House Do the Housework