Personalize Your New Home
Having recently done a property inspection, you should have a pretty good idea of your new home's condition and the changes you might like to make. Start dreaming now and begin making plans for how you will personalize your new home.
When Ron and Joan Sipherd moved into their Oakland, Calif., home in 1979, "we had no overall vision on how we wanted it to look," said Joan. She doesn't recommend that others follow her example. "Even if you can't afford to make changes right away, look over the place and re-imagine it."
Right before you move in is the ideal time to look over the house and come up with ideas. For the first time, you'll notice how the sun comes into the kitchen in the morning and where the shadows fall in the afternoon. It's a blank slate, and you can use it to visualize what you need to do to turn the house into a home.
In the Sipherds' case, there was no room for debate over what needed primary attention: their furnace didn't work, and it was a cold winter. Obviously, such necessities will come first. But you can still have a great time figuring out how to make the place right for you over time.
For the Sipherds, the first step was identifying the problems. The furnace needed to be fixed, "and the place was ugly," said Joan. "Among other things, we didn't like the carpet."
You can do the same thing. Get out a clipboard and go over the place, taking notes. Maybe, like the Sipherds, you prefer hardwood floors to carpet. Or perhaps there are no curtains and you feel like you're an unwitting star in a reality TV show. It isn't a bad idea to prioritize these changes in terms of urgency.
It's essential to set a budget for each task. If you're doing a complete change, it will cost more than just slapping on a fresh paint of coat. But you can make a huge difference just with some small changes.
Don't feel bad if you haven't a clue as to what style you want, Joan Sipherd advises. She and her husband didn't either, but they ended up having so much fun decorating, she eventually went into interior design as a career. Finding your style is a process and evolves over time.
"I like to go to open houses and tours of local homes to get ideas," said Joan Sipherd. Other sources include magazines, decorating photos, TV shows, books and Web sites. Tear out photos, go to the paint store and pick up color chips, and make mental notes of what appeals to you, from china patterns and wallpaper to flower arrangements and rug designs.
When you see something you like, make a note and then figure out how to personalize it. If a furniture arrangement in a photo strikes your fancy, keep the picture and start looking for the combinations of fabric and furniture that work for you. Maybe the couch fabric is black and you have three white Yorkshire terriers, so a different color might be better.
Buy a big notebook to keep your notes, ideas and dreams in one place. Then, as money becomes available, you can go to the notebook for inspiration.
Something to keep in mind: You probably bought your house because you liked its style. So if you're trying to identify your own style, you might want to consider how to decorate harmoniously with the home's style. If you bought a modern home, you could use sleeker furniture as opposed to antiques. A ranch-style house might call for warm colors and simple furnishings.
Another thought: Many decorating mavens suggest that you only bring into your home things you really love. This applies not only to big pieces like your couch, but smaller items like the cushions, the mirrors, the curtains. Under this theory, empty space is better than a make-do piece. This is something to consider, though you may ultimately decide that getting a sore derriere while watching TV on the floor is too much of a sacrifice and head out to Goodwill for a temporary couch.
Speaking of Goodwill, just as with clothing, if you know what you want and can separate the wheat from the chaff, it’s not a bad idea to check out such venues when money is short. Yard sales, flea markets, eBay and Craigslist are other possibilities for low-cost acquisitions.
One thing to remember is that it's your choice. For example, common sense dictates that the use of a room decides the furniture that goes in it. According to conventional wisdom, a bedroom needs a bed, one or two nightstands, a dresser, a chest of drawers and a chair. Rooms where you eat should have a table and seats enough for all the daily users, with a leaf so you can accommodate guests, or so they say.
But you may not entertain often, or perhaps you prefer to serve meals buffet style. What's really important is to figure out your needs and come up with creative ways to answer them. Armed with your clipboard and your notebook, arise, go forth and turn your new house into a home.