When buying a new home or redecorating your existing home, personal transition is happening. is can be overwhelming, as well as being an exciting time of new beginnings.
The changes require a deeper look at your needs and wants. A release from where you have come, to a shift into a new direction. Often we have outgrown furniture or accessories we are living with, but hold on without realizing. It’s an opportunity to honestly assess what pieces are broken, worn out or no longer fit your personality and lifestyle.
Moving your life into a new environment creates a vision of your furniture and possessions seen with fresh eyes. You can evaluate what has served you in the past and redesign how you want to live going forward. Purging makes space for new and unexpected results.
Concerns about the cost to purchase new pieces are often unfounded. Many times you are afraid to get rid of something because of the high cost to replace it. Often you don’t need to replace it at all.
Every area on the oor or space on a wall does not have to be filled. Less is more! An example of this is when beginning a design project remove pictures from small walls! Leave more empty space there and everywhere. Using larger pieces (in dimension, not necessarily scale) is a great design trick to create drama and spend less money.
Repurpose! Every design choice needn’t be expensive. When carefully thought out you, will realize you have options. First consider the pieces you already have. Envision them used di erently. Choose what to keep. Changing color, finish or adding a new detail such as hardware, lamp shade or pillow can add interesting focal points. Paint a piece of furniture an accent color and/or add molding, beads or metal accents. Thereby renewing the pieces you already own you have created a unique and personalized style.
The best way to see your furniture and accessories differently, is to place them in different rooms than they were previously. Don’t do the obvi- ous. ink “out of the box” and have fun. Decorating is often taken too seriously. When you realize there are no “have to’s” in decorating you can relax and play with furniture placement. For example, turning a dining table just 45 degrees can change the flow of the area. Or move the dining room furniture into the family room or living room and the previous dining room or kitchen eating area can become a more intimate sitting room. After all where do family and guests hang out?
Best advice to avoid interior design mistakes:
- Live in your new home for at least a month before making any design decisions.
- Before buying new furniture place your existing furniture to emulate the new look.
- Don’t do everything at once.
- Consider your life style, not what the rooms were intended for.
- Explore using rooms di erently.
- Don’t duplicate function in rooms.
- Don’t buy because something is on sale.
- Most important, love everything you bring into your home.
The way you live and choices you make can affect your happiness and wellbeing. Make sure your environment supports the lifestyle you want to live today.
Remember, rooms have no feelings, YOU do!
