5 Questions to Ask Before Decorating Your Home or Yard
Have you ever sat down on the couch and thought of decorating your house all over again? A lighter shade of paint maybe? Fresh wallpaper? A new set of table lamps? Resin coffee table?
Can you imagine walking inside a room and saying, “Wow this feels different!”
The truth is, your home is the reflection of your personality. Whether you’re decorating from scratch or redecorating, there are always some second thoughts about the cost, style, labor, and resources.
Whatever is boggling your mind, it’s important to answer the most basic questions before you even begin the project.
- How big is the area you’re decorating?
The first step to any decorating project is to know the size of your work area. It’s important to have the floor plan or if you don’t have that, get it measured so you know what size of furniture fits and how much paint you will need. You also need to map out placements for windows, doors, vents and other things that shouldn’t be covered or blocked.
The floor plan or landscape layout is also the basis for setting the budget and design. The costs will be higher if you have bigger ground to cover. Plus, you can’t fit a barbecue pit and a pool in a 215 sq. ft. yard. Want a cute garden for your small yard? This double raised garden bed kit should do the trick. It’s easy to assemble and doesn’t require much maintenance compared to a full garden.
1. How much are you willing to spend?
Depending on your priority, you can actually interchange step #2 and #3. You can choose a design that fits within the budget or follow your desired design without limiting your spending. It would be wiser though if you’ll hold back a little from splurging so you can have a window for any emergency purchases.
2. Is there a specific design or style you want to follow?
Another decor project basics is to know how you’d like the space to look. Do you want a modern or traditional style? Or would you want to simply mix and match?
If you can’t decide on this yet, do some research on the different designs and find as many examples as you can. This will help you figure out what appeals to you most. It’s also important to note that you don’t have to exactly follow a certain style. You can get inspiration from many styles and create your own.
There are certain areas in your home or yard that you need to consider before creating or choosing a design. For rooms, choose a design that suits the room’s purpose and the needs and wants of the primary user. If you want a clutter-free bedroom, check out this beautifully crafted Retro Ladder Shelf that will solve your storage problems.
Before doing any gardening, make sure to check where the sun rises and sets. Also check for areas where soil is great for planting and which ones are more for non-plant decors.
3. Do you have the time to maintain it?
Maintenance should be one of the things to consider when decorating because this is what you’ll be mostly doing after the project is complete. When deciding on a design, think of your lifestyle and routine.
Will you have time to prune vegetables weekly or would it be better to plant trees or shrubs instead? Which is easier to vacuum and deep clean, a 3-seater couch or an L-shaped sofa? These are additional things to consider before saying yes to a certain piece or design.
4. Can you locally or easily source your materials and furniture?
Now that you’ve set your budget and chosen a design, it’s time to look for the things you’d need to give life to the space. Prepare a checklist or spreadsheet of all the things you need. Then do some “window-shopping” first before the actual purchase. This is very important especially for focal pieces and large furniture.
Although it is easier and faster to source all your items from one store, it’s almost impossible for that to happen. So, it’s better to canvas everything first and cross out your checklist as you go along.
You can also visit stores that specialize in items made from a certain material like glass or wood – such as this elegant hanging garden light. These stores usually produce by theme so you can get similar pieces that will help with the continuity of design flow all throughout the space.
Once you’re done with canvasing, you’ll have enough options to choose from and can then decide on which ones would be perfect for the overall style.
All decorating projects aim for the exact thing – to make a space look and feel better than it was before. So before buying an extra large sofa or picking paint colors, make sure to do the planning first. This won’t only save you time and money, but will also save you from years of enduring a mismatched home.