We know how exciting it is to see your dream home slowly turn into reality. The eagerness a person has upon seeing his or her house built from the ground up can be overwhelming at times. You start to get a ton of ideas about what you plan to do once it’s finished and ready for occupancy.
Image by Paul Brennan
Decorating is usually one of the primary things on a housebuyer’s mind, regardless of whether you buy a pre-owned home, found an affordable house and lot for sale, or had it built from scratch.
Let your new house get settled first
One of the cardinal rules on new house ownership is you don’t touch the paint job for at least six to twelve months from the time you move in. This ensures that the paint job on the house, especially on materials like plaster and timber, needs some time to completely dry out. Give the house some time to really settle down as you get settled in.
You can avoid this type of waiting time in two ways: first, if you’re having it built, you can determine during the finishing stage which colors you want on your walls. Second, you can repaint the walls on a newly-built house as long as you still use breathable paint, which doesn’t affect the drying process.
Know what you want and what works best
We get it. You’re excited to try out a lot of great things in your new home. Perhaps you’ve already gathered some fabulous interior decorating ideas from TV shows, books, magazines, and Pinterest. But before you start executing all of those ideas, you should know which ones work well together and which ones can go. Styling can be quite tricky if you don’t have the self-control required to make a house aesthetically pleasant.
Don’t be too eager to repaint your home
As stated earlier, give your new house at least half a year to settle and dry out before making any changes to the paint job, whether you put paint over it with a new color or cover it with wallpaper.
If you cannot resist the urge to change the color, use breathable paint. If you plan to DIY it, you should do it properly. Painting a house may seem easy enough but many who choose to DIY it with no actual experience commit the same mistakes.
If you’re doing the interiors, keep in mind that the direction you should paint should always be from the top going down. This means that you should start with the ceilings first, then the trimmings, followed by the walls, and lastly, if needed, the floors.
Take on the bigger things first
We know how you’re raring to go and take out your collectibles and fine art pieces to decorate your new abode. But put a hold on the smaller things and take care of the bigger ones first. It may be tempting to start with the simpler tasks but understand you might end up with a bigger headache of having to redo some of it when you take on bigger and messier projects, like remodeling a basement or an attic and a kitchen or bathroom update. You wouldn’t want grout ending up on your fine Persian rug in the living room, right?
Don’t be afraid to experiment with your furniture layout
As far as furniture and appliances are concerned, you have all the freedom in the world to be creative. However, that freedom should be tempered with control.
Moving around pieces of furniture can help change how a room looks and feels. Don’t be afraid to experiment with it. It usually takes a few attempts for the untrained eye but with practice and time, you’ll get the hang of interior decorating by moving furniture and appliances into different spots.
Improve the lighting
Another simple decorating solution to a newly built home is changing the lighting fixtures. Lighting has a huge impact on a space. It can help set the mood for your home according to your taste and preference.
It is divided into three categories. Ambient lighting is how your light sources illuminate the whole area. Focused task lighting has to do with lighting based on certain tasks performed in the room. And accent lighting helps highlight specific areas and features of the space.
Knowing how to work with lighting can add so much aesthetic value to your property even if you don’t go all out with your decors.
Use accessories and fabric to add texture and color
Last but not the least, fabric and accessories can help add life, color, and texture to your home. This is where you can start working on the finer details of your home. From indoor plants to wall galleries to accent pieces to upholstery and fabric, the right combination and amount of smaller decorative details can bring so much personality and style to your new digs.
When it comes to decorating a newly-built home, you need to extend some more patience. We understand you’ve waited a long time to get your dream home but decorating it also involves timing. To help make it more fun and exciting, take pics of the house as soon as you are handed the keys and then take photos as you start to decorate and make home improvements. Seeing the small victories will help keep you motivated and patient.
