The next stage in your life, moving into your first home, is a definite big step. But what do you do first, and what is the best method of attack? This can indeed be a considerable undertaking, but it doesn’t have to be a stressful one. After all, you are now able to finally put more of your stylistic choices to use using the steps and tips provided in this article as a guide. And once you are ready to start shopping at your local Lexington furniture stores, we can help guide you, so you don’t have to buy everything at once, or spend a lot of money to get high-quality pieces. Here are a few key tips to furnishing your new home.
Declutter
Moving is the perfect opportunity to simplify and declutter your home. Before you begin packing, make piles of keep, donate, sell, toss, and undecided. Try to decide everything from that last pile before moving unnecessary items to your new home. It makes complete sense that as you change and grow through life that your style will change. You also want to account for the differences between your old home and new home. You may have different layouts, more (or less) space, and changing needs. Your college apartment may have featured an organized office space, but now you are planning for a nursery. Undecided on if you will need a dedicated home workspace? Don’t move it unless you will use it. If you do need a better office set up in the future, it probably would be a more mature space than what you could afford as a college student.
Perhaps you have gotten married, and you are combining lots of furniture from multiple homes. Maybe you are getting new furniture as a wedding gift. Decide whose sofa is making the move before you end up with too much at the new home. Or simply decide to meld your styles into a new set once you have moved in.
Maybe you are moving into a home from an apartment, and you are finally able to get that dog you have been wanting. Now you need to consider what kind of furniture would be great for some dog cuddling all the while not showing all the fur.
Priority Purchases
Once you have made your big move, you will need to decide on purchasing all your furniture and decor at once or prioritizing what needs to come first and what unnecessary items can wait a bit. The most used pieces of furniture could be your bed, couch, dresser, or kitchen table. Where are you going to sleep, eat, sit, and store your clothing that you use daily? You can purchase a complete bedroom set, or make sure you have the bed and mattress. That nightstand can come a bit later if need be. If you want an eclectic assortment of furniture that suits your style, searching and waiting for the perfect pieces may be more important. There doesn’t have to be an immediate rush. Giving yourself time to shop around can result in your perfect new home.
Decorative Beginnings
As the beginning stages of designing and decorating your new home approach, it is recommended to first begin by decorating and designing your bedroom. After all, studies have shown that it is the most occupied room. Here, it is advised to consider not only your style but also if you are a night owl or an early riser. These details are essential as they play important roles in determining the types of colors, tone, and textures that will be considered. Additionally, this also ties into the previously stated idea of prioritizing purchases made for your new home. Here, the main priority may be new bedding over a new bed frame or headboard. For those that may be spending on a budget, this could go at the top of the list so additional funds could go toward the bedding. From there, it’s all about the added details and accessories.
Inexpensive Purchases
Moving is expensive. If you just purchased a new home, you may find yourself pinching pennies all over the place. If you need to completely furnish your new place in addition to these expenses, you may be looking to buy on a budget.
There is no need to sacrifice style and quality. A great way to furnish your home is with second hand and consignment furniture pieces. Furniture consignment stores and used furniture stores allow you to find high quality, unique pieces at an excellent price. It’s also a great way to find furniture styles that have come back around in style. It’s ok to buy furniture sets, and it can be a lot of fun to piece together matching styles from single pieces. If you enjoy furniture shopping, this is a great way to go. It keeps you looking over time for the last few pieces to complete your design of a room.
DIY Creativity
It used to be that you needed to be trained to do a lot of furniture work, but today, we have the internet. If you are a crafty, DIY type of person, piecing together furniture can become a secondary project of DIY creativity. If you find two pieces of furniture that are close in style or color, but need a little more help in becoming a matching set, you can set out to fix that. If you are looking for a particular style or design, the DIY route might be the way to get it. The key, though, is to make small, subtle changes that help the overall appearance of the piece instead of trying to completely change the piece into something it isn’t.
Unmatched Chaos
Although there is nothing wrong with doing a DIY project to portray the look of a completed matching set, the look can come off as a bit cliche and common. This is because it is generic and can easily be viewed much like a furniture storeroom. Here make sure that everything blends nicely together while also making sure a lot of different pieces aren’t jammed into a small amount of space. Sure, there may not be as much space as desired, but still, a lot can be done with a little amount of available resource. Furthermore, the key is to allow your personality and style to shine through the darkness and bleakness of the empty canvas set before you. The most important elements to consider in this particular stage are not only proportionality but the balance and scale as it pertains to each piece in the given space.
Color Coordinated
Of all the various aspects of putting a room together, color coordination is just as important. This is especially true when you have moved into a home that has next to no color. You can take what is already available and match the rest of the furniture by color coordinating with a given piece that has only a hint of the same color. Alternatively, while keeping in mind that you still have a budget to keep you on track, you can easily color coordinate by incorporating various accessories such as area rugs and drapes while staying well within a given budget. This also comes in handy when time is a factor, and painting the walls isn’t readily affordable. In the end, you will notice how well each piece complements the rest of the room. It is then that the entire picture comes into focus. The key is incorporating similar colors.
The Functional Look
Altering the look of any room can easily, cheaply, and quickly be done by making slight adjustments here and there. For example, maybe the bathroom looks a little too dull. The solution could be to change the brightness and lighting fixtures that further illuminate the area. Additional alterations can be done in other rooms such as the kitchen where hardware and a new coat of paint or stainer can bring the area to life. Here, match the hardware according to the cabinet style as to not make the rest of the room feel off in terms of its overall appearance. Another adjustment that can make a big difference in shining light on a given space is by incorporating and installing dimmer switches strategically as to further set the mood upon entering a given area.
Consignment Connection
You can get high-quality pieces for a fraction of retail price by searching local furniture consignment businesses. Many of the Lexington furniture stores and consignment shops such as Another Man’s Treasure offer the same type of products at more than a fraction of the price. In addition to the great prices and selection when you choose a consignment furniture store, you are also supporting a local business. Not only that but the fact of the matter remains that consignment shops are beneficial due to their convenience as it pertains to location. Finally, one of the best things about purchasing furniture from such shops is that many of the potentially available items aren’t even available in the most commonly known stores.
In conclusion, there are several factors to consider when moving into a new home, especially when it’s your first home. Balancing proportionality while making sure the space is maximized will show through in each room. Create your own personalized design and decor with some know-how and a bit of research. However, through all the planning and hard work, the design and decor flow will eventually come together with added hints of colors and accessorized details. Furthermore, furnishing your home is all about to bring an empty room to life by adding various touches of light and other aspects that aid in creating a home. Along the way, you find a sense of accomplishment knowing that all of this has been completed with a budget and prioritizing your tasks accordingly.