Decorating a home can be a thing of joy but inspiration does not come easily to all. In this internet-savvy age we are lucky that inspiration is easy to find. We still need to consider however if the styled image of what we are seeing will suit the space we have and the furniture we have in it. Here are a few things to consider when planning your home decoration:
- The size of the room
- How much natural light the room has
- Your budget
- If applicable, the existing furniture and flooring
Here are some tips and inspiration to help you with decorating your home, room by room.
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Hallway
Hallways tend to be one of the areas of the home that have the worst sources of natural light so using light colours work really well. When considering a colour scheme for decorating a hallway first look at the furniture and flooring that you have in the space already, if these pieces are staying then plan your colour scheme around them. It's very easy to get caught up in paint colour charts and the pretty styled images that go with them but stop to think how the look would suit your existing hallway furniture. Adobe Kuler is a great website to match colours together, giving you a range of five colour palettes from one colour of your choosing.
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Dining Room
The dining area is a space that you will spend a lot of time in eating and relaxing so it's important to choose a style that will suit you to make your dining experience one that you will love. If you have younger children you might like to consider a darker colour scheme as it will be more forgiving of the copious finger prints and scrapes that come with the territory. You might like to consider personalising the chairs in your space for a low cost. For a bohemian look try painting individual chairs in different striking colours, for a light and airy space dip-dyed chair legs in pastel tones or if you are a dab hand with a sewing machine you could make seat cushions to match your existing curtains.
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Living Room
This is an area of relaxation and you want to make this feel as comfortable as you can, for yourself and visitors. Feature walls with map wallpaper are popular at the moment and are best positioned on a wall away from the television so as not to be too overbearing and distracting. For a quirky and individual look to a living room visit local flea markets and car boot sales to find vintage trunks and angle poise lamps for a fraction for the price of high street shops.
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Bathroom
The bathroom is a space that is often light and airy with a sterile feel to it, but the addition of one or two bold colours can give the wow factor. Big patterned wallpapers are often expensive but can make a real statement, especially in smaller bathrooms or downstairs toilet spaces. To add a splash of colour on a budget try accessorizing with bright towels, pictures or plants.
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Bedrooms
There's a wider choice of wall coverings available these days than ever before and the bedroom is the perfect place to indulge your style loves that you might find too feminine for other rooms of the house. If you choose a patterned wallpaper such as the one above then soft furnishings and bed linen can be easy to source to fit into the style. Neutral colours are stylish and timeless when it comes to bedding.
Finally my top tip for finding inspiration on Pinterest: be specific with your keyword search. For example if you have a small bathroom, instead of searching 'bathroom inspiration', search 'small bathrrom' 'inspiration' 'creating space' so that you find the inspiration that will work for your space. The same goes for budgets, search 'budget bathroom hacks' and 'budget bathroom style'.
Do you have any tips to share with us? Please let us know in the comments below.
