How to decorate your new home

You’re going to decorate your new home. The most important first order of business is to throw away anything and everything that you will not use or need. This includes gifts that are never used, old broken appliances and furniture that you decided to keep and outdated window treatments. Make a realistic budget that works for you.

You need a tape measure for windows, doorways and room measurements of the walls. You want the height and width of the furniture to compliment the room not to overwhelm the space. Make sure you have a pad or any electronic device to record your findings and thoughts about the room.

Choosing colors is a personal choice. Get a color wheel from the home stores and you can choose warm and cool colors or mix them with ease. Your favorite color has different shades that can be used with contrasting hues in the same color vein. You don’t want to match colors exactly so your rooms won’t resemble a bowl of fruit or a plate of vegetables.

Take a walk through the rooms you want to decorate and visualize the type of design you have in mind. There’s no rush so decorate one room at a time. Keep in the mind how much traffic your household endures on a daily basis including the pets.

The styles of Classic, Modern, Rustic, Southwestern, Country Cottage, Victorian or an Eclectic design will show your personality and your lifestyle. If you decide on a theme such as Tropical or Mediterranean follow through with the types of furniture and accents that the theme dictates. The Wicker furniture, sheer or embossed curtains, and the colors of earth tones is what makes these themes peaceful.

Changing the color of the walls, using paint, wallpaper, Faux Stone or a mixture of these design features will make the room pop. Window treatments such as curtains, style of blinds, shades or a mixture of sheer and heavy drapes can change the ambiance of the room. When you add area rugs to hardwood floors and carpeting try to use contrasting colors to compliment the flooring. Faux Stone comes in colors and gives the room a clean feeling of being outdoors and brightens the room.

Since you have an idea of what you want, look through magazines and take a look at how textures are mixed for the rooms you are decorating.

Beware of buying too much furniture and accents all at once. When the furniture is one color, purchase the lamps, pillows and area rugs with a splash of warm, cool or bold color that will add to the decor. If your theme is Eclectic be careful. Choose pieces that complement instead of clashing together.

Step out of the room for a few minutes and then return to see if you like the changes. Exchanging a piece of furniture from one room to another might solve a problem you’re having with color, texture or need.

What’s on paper and how it looks in real-time can make a difference.