Thursday, December 15, 2016
Laurence Mongeau
Renovate and Refresh Your Space
If you’ve recently purchased a new home, congratulations! It’s such an exciting milestone, particularly for first-time homeowners. Now that the deal is signed and closing is fast approaching, you might find yourself feeling a bit of anxiety at the prospect of filling and decorating an entire house. Take a look at these few tips to ensure that you don’t make a decorating faux pas in your new home:
Be smart with lighting. Nothing creates a warm, homey ambiance better than lighting. Consider dimming switches, particularly for dining and living spaces. Think of all that you will be doing in the space and how lighting can help create a mood, illuminate the task or help you see where you are going. Save up and splurge on one or two beautiful statement light fixtures. They will get noticed!
Work with your room size. Even if your living room is a good size, choosing a monstrous sectional couch just because it fits within inches might not be the best bet. You don’t want your furniture to dominate the space and proportion is a tricky concept to master. Measure the room’s dimensions and each of the furniture pieces that you plan to have occupy it. If it looks crowded or alternatively, too sparse, on paper, chances are your sizes are off kilter.
Don’t forget your foyer. As the entry point for visitors, it’s a space that is bound to leave a lasting first impression. Make it functional and fun! Go bold with a patterned wallpaper or vibrant paint colour, add a funky mirror or art piece, work in smart storage solutions and include a compact table or shelf for keys, mail, etc.
Finally, keep the clutter to a minimum. Feel free to display your quirky collection of dollhouse chairs or highlight your penchant for metallics, but choose one theme and avoid going overboard. To prevent yourself from overdoing it with dust-catching knick-knacks, follow the ‘one out, one in’ rule. Before you bring in something new, make yourself get rid of something old first.
By avoiding some of these common mistakes in decorating, you can create spaces in your new home that are magazine worthy!
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