Guidelines: your first decorating project

Some guidelines on how to start a decorating project are pretty fundamental, especially if it's the first time you tackle this challenge! Read the article to learn more.

At least a few times over the course of someone's life, there comes the dreaded moment: decorating a house. The first time is when we leave our parents’ home and we move out and into our first studio apartment, a shared flat or our college room. And let’s be honest, this first time we all take it fairly easy: after all, we’re still in our teens -- or very young anyway, and all we need to make that first place feel more personal and individual, is just a few posters, our favorite books, and maybe a few pictures of us having fun with our best friends. Then, the second time is when we get a job and we can actually afford a slightly better place: in come all the scented candles, maybe that pop designer piece we decide to invest our first real paycheck on, and basically that’s all! We have a busy life with our job, our friends and possibly dates, plus, we don’t even have that many funds, so we still don’t feel such a need to customize a place we’ll probably be leaving in a few years.

We love the amazing wallpaper art by Mr Perswall!

And then, the third time: either because we have a better job now or because we move in with our significant other, we finally feel like we should decorate in a more permanent way! It’s most definitely a milestone, but also a challenge and it’s completely normal to feel a bit insecure on how to best tackle it. Here is where we come in. Trust us, we’ve been through it as well and we’ve seen it all: we’ve made some huge miscalculations, and a few even more noticeable style mistakes, so we’re never going to judge anyone! After all, learning from your own mistakes may not feel nice, especially from the point of view of your own ego and pride, but it is without any doubts the best ways to learn. However, it still feels nice to get some things right from the beginning, so here are a few suggestions and guidelines on how to absolutely nail your very first decorating project!

Would you like to see more designs by Skobvy? Click here!

Take a look around

First things first: you need to walk around your place while looking at it critically and taking notes. You need to understand what it is that you absolutely hate and want to change; what you’d like to keep instead, and what you wouldn’t mind keeping, but needs a bit of a renovation. You can trust us on this: nothing clears your mind like writing everything down! You should also be taking notes on how you think of changing your interiors: brainstorm (even if you’re by yourself), and write down any ideas that come to mind. For instance, if you have a minimalist approach, try to understand what you can get rid of and what you can keep while still styling your home with that minimal look. Only once you have been through this process, you will be really ready to invest time and money into your decorating project.

A classic and yet contemporary dining room look by Prima

Write your wish list

One more thing, actually. Once you’ve figured out what needs to be changed in your current place, you should also write down your wishlist: that is, a list of all the home décor pieces you would get and all the renovations you would do, if money were not a problem. Then you can go through your wishlist again, and figure out which items of your list are actually affordable, or, in case you can afford everything, which items are not an issue in terms of the pre-existing architectural and structural features. Do you have a Pinterest account? If you do, chances are you won’t even have to write down that list, for you probably have everything already pinned down in your account: just scroll down all of your favorites and pick the ones that are actually worth getting!

We're absolutely in love with the Hermitage mirror by Veblen

Get some visual props to help

Photos are a great way to get you started! Start collecting photos of rooms you particularly like, but don’t binge-collect them. In fact, you should start this operation weeks or even months before you actually start renovating. It’s fairly easy to look at a picture and think “Oh, this looks lovely!”, but in reality, if you let some time go by and explore more options, you’ll probably find there are even better looks out there, you just haven’t seen them yet! Plus, in case you’re trusting your decorating projects to the capable hands of an interior designer, a series of pictures will help them get a grasp of what you like and what you don’t like.

Do you like these ultra-colorful pieces? They're by naughtone!

Decorating is not (necessarily) a one-person job

Well, if you live by yourself, it actually is a one-person job; after all, in this case, we have to rely on our own taste, and it just feels amazing, because we only have to take care of what WE like and what makes US feel aesthetically satisfied. However, if you’re living with your partner, we’re sorry to break it to you, but it’s not a one-person job. Of course it is true that some people are pretty chill when it comes to the interior design of their place; some may even go so far as to give you their stamp of approval regardless of how you actually decorate the space. Still, even in this case it is always best to ask for suggestions and improvements. For instance, what if you end up getting rid of that rusty old chair only to find out your partner actually loved it?

We adore every stunning lamp by Linea Zero

Not sure what you like?

Some people have an innate sense of what they like and what they don’t like. Some don’t though, but it’s really no tragedy. If you’ve been collecting those pictures with all the looks that caught your attention, it is now time to take them all out and take a good look at them. Take time to notice which items and decorations are recurring: chances are, those pictures will give you a better idea of your own sense of style.

Would you like to see more refined bedroom designs by Olivieri? Click here!

Figure out what can be refreshed and what cannot

Almost there! So, now hopefully you should have a way clearer idea of how you’d like to decorate your home. You’ve probably figured out which pieces of furniture need to go too. Now, our suggestion is to take another look at those pieces and figure out which ones do need to go, and which ones can just be refreshed. For instance, consider that chintz sofa in your living room: you’re not a fan of floral motifs, so of course, you’d naturally want to get rid of it. However, have you thought that maybe all you need to do is having a professional change the upholstery?

We're sure you'll fall in love with Bruunmunch too!

Start small...

If it’s your first time decorating a whole place, it might be good to take baby steps. Remember, it doesn’t matter how long it takes to get the finished result: the important thing is that, in the long run, you’ll feel happy and content every time you look at your new space. So, rather than immediately throwing out all of your old furniture, start by swapping out a single piece for a new one; this way, you’ll always have full control over the whole process.

By now you should know how much we love Baxter!

...or go all in!

Some people are super confident in their interior design abilities though, and that’s good too! If money-wise renovating everything at once is possible, then go for it! Just remember that in this case, your house will be borderline unliveable for a few weeks and possibly a few months.

Take a look at all of Marta Manente's amazing creations!

Don’t expect an AD-cover house

One last, but absolutely fundamental suggestion: don’t expect a house that would be featured on the AD cover, especially if it’s your first time working on a decorating project. Like all skills, you get better and better at decorating with experience. Of course, you should do all your best, but don’t bring yourself down if the final result is not 100% what you were expecting: after all, you have a lifetime to learn to master the art of interior design.

Some lovely lights by Catellani&Smith