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You’ve managed to get through the process of buying, building or renovating your home, but now you must choose the furniture that will turn your house into a home. For many people, this step is daunting enough that they choose to hire a designer instead of spending hours researching paint swatches and trying to match your couch to the rug and the curtains without going over budget. But you want to make sure your home has the cohesive style you want, so how do you get started? Here we’ve put together a few tips to help you choose the furnishings you want so you can turn your house into the home you’ve always dreamed of.
Start with the vibe
Before choosing furniture, décor, and art, take a moment and ask yourself how you want the space to feel. Should your kitchen feel clean and bright or homey and comfortable? Would you enjoy a bedroom with bright, vibrant energy, or perhaps something more subdued and relaxed? Designing around the vibe of the room gives you a basic idea of how to curate the room, as each feeling you wish to evoke has a particular set of colors, shapes, and patterns that help punctuate the energy of the room. Start by consolidating inspiration photos of your design style preferences. Using sites like Houzz or Pinterest allow you to create organized idea books for each room of your home.
Evaluate your current items
Now that you know the vibe you’re trying to achieve, evaluate the items that you currently own to see if they align with your vision. This process can be very liberating as it gives you the ability to get rid of pieces that don’t suit your style anymore or were just starter purchases from college. If these items are still in good shape you can try to sell them so you can apply that cash towards the replacement purchase. Anything that you really like or has sentimental value belongs in your new space, even if it doesn’t completely align with the vibe you chose. Incorporating unique belongings, such as heirlooms, can help add interest to the new space.
Embrace the unexpected
Look for furnishings that have elements of the unexpected or integrate a bit of personality into your design. The overall shape can be a little unconventional, or maybe there’s some interesting details when you look closely, but whatever it is, it will add a unique conversation-starter to your room. However, make sure that it fits with your personal style; if it clashes with your existing designs it will be more of an eyesore than a design accent. If it’s something that makes a statement that resonates with you, consider making it the centerpiece of a room’s design and choosing colors and patterns to accent it when designing the room. Don’t be afraid to mix textures and colors; eclectic design choices can provide a unique touch to your home that you can be sure nobody else will be able to copy.
Spend money where you spend your time
Furnishing a house should be done with budget in mind, and if there’s any room where you should splurge, it should be the room you spend the most time in. For most people, that’s the living room and bedroom. Consider the key pieces that you need to furnish the new room. Look for quality items when choosing your main pieces, like your bed and your couch, as the long-lasting nature of high-quality items tends to make up for the initial investment cost. Consider the size and color of those main pieces when choosing complementary elements like nightstands, area rugs, accent tables, throw pillows and art.
Furnishing your new home to achieve a cohesive theme can seem overwhelming. We hope this guide to furnishing your new home gives you the confidence to find the right pieces to design the home of your dreams. If you’re still feeling overwhelmed or just do not have the time to source pieces yourself, hire a designer to do all of the heavy lifting. Set a budget to figure out what you can afford and work closely with them to cover the items outlined above.