When decorating for the first time there are many things you need to consider before you get started. It can seem overwhelming but it doesn’t have to be. In this article we have put together our top decorating tips for beginners. Some of the tips we cover include determining your decor style, identifying what colours to use, setting a budget, buying the right paint and taking before and after photos.
Set a budget
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The first step in decorating is to start off by setting your budget, and don’t forget to stick to it. After you have set a budget, the rest of the decoration tips will follow. You will be able to identify what you can afford and work from there. The inclination to go on a shopping spree after moving into your first place will be there, and very hard to resist but try not to get carried away.
Determine your decor style
After you have set a budget, you now know what decorating style you can afford. Although you may have ‘designer’ everything in mind, it isn’t always realistic. If you can afford that, then that’s great, but if not you need to decide whether you prefer formal or casual interior design. After that you can narrow it down even further to a particular style, whether that be modern, industrial, vintage, country, traditional or bohemian. A great way to find inspiration for your decoration style is on pinterest, you can search for each interior design style and create mood board style collections of what you like.
Identify what colours you want to use
After you have determined your decoration style, you can now look into colour schemes. This part takes time and is a critical part of your home’s overall design. You may want to use completely different colours in each room but we recommend keeping it simple by following a consistent pattern. A good idea is to do some research into colour psychology because colour can have a big impact on your mood and therefore the atmosphere in your home. Here are some examples of colour psychology:
- Red- love, power, anger, aggression
- Yellow- Warmth, happiness, creativity, cowardice
- Green- Nature, freshness, Envy, Sickness
- Blue- Trust, Calm, coldness, sadness
- White- simple, clean, sterile, isolating
Buy a high quality low VOC paint
Our next tip is to do your research on your paints. This is because many standard wall paints are full of chemicals commonly known as ‘VOCs’. This stands for volatile organic compounds and is the ingredient within your paint that causes the nasty odour we are all too familiar with when it comes to cracking open a fresh tin of paint. Significantly, VOC paint not only smells bad but it also has negative effects on the environment and our health due to it being toxic. As paint dries it releases the VOCs into the atmosphere and air of your home. Worryingly these gases are released long after the paint dries, especially when they are subjected to direct sunlight or close contact with heated radiators.
Although this may have you wondering, ‘what will I use to decorate my house now?’ There is no need to worry. Forutently, there are now ultra low VOC paints on the market that are much better for the environment as well as being safer for you and your family. One example of a high quality, durable paint is Victory Colours low VOC paint. Here are some examples of the benefits of using Victory Colours paints:
- Eco friendly
- Animal cruelty free
- Non toxic
- Low VOC
- No more headaches, nausea and dizziness
- Odourless
Don’t be afraid to get second hand furniture
Our next tip is to scour out some vintage pieces or second hand items to help you save money. The cost of furniture can really add up when you have to furnish an entire home, but it doesn’t have to be. There are multiple ways you can find some high quality second hand furniture such as:
- Facebook marketplace- Here you will find a variety of items, cheap and sometimes even free. Photos of the product as well as a price and description will all be included meaning you can get an idea of the product up for grabs. The best part is that there are no fees to use this service.
- Ebay- similar to facebook marketplace you can find all sorts of furniture here, some people just want to get rid of things quickly so will sell for cheap. It’s definitely worth checking out what’s on there and keeping an eye out for furniture bargains.
- Charity shops- Another good place to find furniture is in charity shops, our tip is to visit regularly, not get too hung up on minor marks that can be covered or aren’t visible and take your time to find the right piece.
Don’t forget to take before and after photos
Our final tip is to remember to take before and after photos. Buying your first place is a huge achievement and redecorating it is exciting. We always suggest documenting the place before you start doing it up so you can see how far you’ve come on your decoration journey. It will always give you motivation to keep going and be great to compare the before and after images of your work on the house.
