Moving into a new home is exciting, but also overwhelming. That fresh blank canvas is all yours and it's intimidating. How do you even start filling in spaces and personalizing it to perfection?
This fear of decorating can be paralyzing, especially when you feel like you should know what to do but you just. . . don't. People often wait too long to begin selecting colors or furniture making it even more difficult to start the project. The blank walls become more precious and the choices more weighted. Finally, the decorating pressure is too much to handle or you just get used to an empty space.
The best advice we can offer is to have design confidence. And if you don't, fake it. Search for ideas and images on design blogs (wink, wink)and in home decor magazines, as well as in your favorite store catalogs and showrooms. You will start to notice a pattern of what resonates with you and can start to determine your guiding style. However, don't get too stuck on one and only one style. It's okay to mix them up to reflect all aspects of your personality. If you have a roommate or spouse, try to find common ground and incorporate distinctive but compatible "pops" of both your preferences.
Begin with determining the function of your space. What are you going to do in this room -- eat, watch TV, play games, work, entertain friends? What purposes does the room need to serve? The function will inform the layout of the room, the pieces of furniture you'll need, and even the kind of fabrics on your upholstery. Decide what you can use from your existing furniture and then decide what you will need to fit this new space. Gradually (as budget allows) collect new pieces and stick with neutral tones for the most versatility. You can then layer color, pattern and textures with you accessories and fabrics. If you want to paint the room a color that is not-neutral, find an inspiration item (favorite artwork, fabric on a pillow, hand-painted table) and draw a color from that. Keep an eye on that inspiration item as you continue adding to the room.
Jump in and enjoy the decorating process. Remember that it's really not too hard to move around artwork or furniture or even re-paint walls. What has been done can usually be re-done, so just do something to combat the fear of the white box (cue creepy dramatic background music).
How do you cope with decorating fears or anxiety? What is your best advice for attacking an empty room? What is your favorite way to fill an empty wall?
Images: House Beautiful, Pernilla Hed/Hus & Hem via Apartment Therapy
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Oh, AT, you always know the posts which resonate with me the most. I'm in precisely this situation. We just moved, and our biggest problem is the bathroom. What kind of art do you put in it? I'm loathe to put anything that I would value so much that I would cry if it was damaged, while at the same time, I would be sad even if a relatively inexpensive piece of art was damaged - after all, I liked it so much I bought it!
The other obstacle is that the bathroom wall is HUGE and I can't paint it. So the bigger I go, the more expensive it is, and the more I'll be annoyed if it gets damaged by water and steam.
Any advice?
I bought a nice poster and frame from IKEA for my bathroom. It goes nicely with the space but is not so precious that I'll be sad if it gets steamy. I can replace the poster anytime if my mood changes or if I want to change up my bathroom.
@Pi - What about some type of tile installation, or anything else that's not made out of paper? I recently did a tile backsplash (1x3 inch subway glass tiles) in my kitchen and before I did, I got a whole bunch of sample tiles for cheap. Now I'm left with a bunch of sample tiles that I don't know what to do with, but it seems like a decorative installation would be cool (of course, there is no room in my bathroom for something like that).
@mimi - Tiles would be an interesting display, as long as I could do it without actually attaching them to the walls.
Pi --
You could do a collage or "tile like" design using paint chips. They're free and you can replace them anytime. Just attach them to heavy paper and frame in an Ikea frame.
Another option is to use some of the newer, artsy vinyl wall decals. They are also fairly inexpensive, removable and can cover a large area depending on how you arrange them!
@Pi, I used my own digital photo print of a cherry tree in bloom, in a ready-made frame with ready-cut mat. If the picture gets damaged, I can just print a new one.
my bathroom was actually the first room i figured out...and it was totally by accident.
i found this bear cookie jar (think grizzly bear, not teddy bear) to hold cotton balls and decided i was going with a whimsical woodland theme.
Now if i can only get the avocado green paint on the walls...then i can move to the bedroom.
we only have 4 rooms but the other 3 are the ones that are causing the most issues.
i'd love to hear what you guys think of the following color combos:
kitchen - maroon/mustard yellow/salmon pink backsplash
living room/main room - light blue/rust orange/brown tones
bedroom - turquoise/mustard yellow/plum
your thoughts?
Pi, we're sourcing inexpensive, large-scale artwork for a client now. What about wrapping fabric around a canvas frame (think Marimekko prints)? Or have a photo enlarged and printed on canvas. Check out Inhabit Wall Flats too.
Oh man, this is me. I'm embarrassed to say how long we've lived in our new house and not one item is hung on the wall, not one paint colour chosen. It's a combination of finances, being really busy, and feeling paralyzed by too many options.
The good thing is that it's really allowing us to get a sense of exactly what we use each room for, before we start spending money.
I am dealing with a similar problem. My apartment is long, and the wall without windows seems just an unbroken stretch of white. It definitely needs decorating but I do not like hanging lots of paintings. I think I might just do a large color block on some canvas and hang that up.
I'm usually a very decisive person but I cannot. Pick. Paint. Colors. We're painting the whole house, and most of the rooms have finally been decided (25 samples later) but I'm still waffling on the living room. White, gray, or a bold green-yellow. I know it's just paint but it's expensive paint and it's a huge room, so I need to get it right. My husband is threatening to throw a dart at the wall and whatever sample it lands on...
@tequila red - what color furniture do you have?
Online design blogs are my #1 inspiration resource. They help me make a plan for a starting point. Then, I take photos of each room in my house- I carry them with me all the time in my bag. Then, if i end up at a furniture store, flea market, garage sale etc etc i can pull out the photos and see if the item i am considering makes sense for the space. This really helps me make decisions. Another safe tip is to shop at places that allow returns...take things home to try and if they don't work just bring them back...
Keep a tape measure and measurements notes with you since dimensions always get tight. Keep color negotiations open with your housemate(s). Focus on basics like high comfort-ease-accessibility-durability-safety and reasonable maintenance-use costs. The result will have its own style.
@Pi, A Thai cotton sarong hung by clip rings from a bamboo pole set on hooks in the ceiling can work as bath art.
Pi - lots of blue, some white/linen, some wood. And a big room that gets crappy natural light.
We've been in our duplex for almost a year now and my husband and I can't agree on anything having to do with the house. I love modern, clean lines, but all of my artwork is pre-Raphaelite in huge, heavy gold/antiqued frames. I love my prints, but they don't fit in with most of the styles I love. My husband is a minimalist and wants everyone to sit on the floor (okay, that's an exaggeration, but not by much). We still live like college students with mismatched furniture. I hate it. My inspiration folder is HUGE, but he doesn't like most of the things in it. I bought this GORGEOUS fabric with silhouetted vines and leaves on it in varying colors. I was planning on stapling it to a canvas and hanging it in the bathroom. He thought it was too girly. Then I found a fantastic shower curtain that would match it, but he wouldn't let me get it because some of the vines were baby blue and he hates that color. I'm so confused. I hate our decor. I need help!
Oh, I should mention the only things we have agreed on so far is all of his Japanese stuff goes in the bedroom (my bed is Japanese-styled so it works well) and we want to replace our couches with modern-looking futons (we have a lot of guests, so it makes sense. I think.
@lifeinthefortress, your position is difficult. What helped me was that my husband got a less stressful job that left him more patience for change at home. Also, he took architecture courses that increased his appreciation of interior design. Othewise, I might still be stuck.
frame a really interesting piece of fabric. Fabric can be less expensinsive for large pieces compared to art. Simple framing really compliments a beautiful suzani or tribal print. Use a cotton or machine washable fabric/rug/suzani/painting on fabric etc. for easy cleaning. Paint the frame with a patio paint or mold resistant paint (may not be eco-friendly, though) to keep wood from being damaged. If it isn't expensive framing, you could use a clear sealant or caulk between the glass and frame to prevent moisture from entering.
life in the fortress, unify your furniture by painting it all the same color. high gloss white, perhaps, could look quite modern. Or for a more asian feel a high gloss red or green. Trying to say what I see in my head :)
@Emi, That's a great idea..maybe all black?
@Miami's Elaine: I'm working on getting him more interested in design. I'm not a "pro" at it by any means, but I'm just starting to refinish furniture to sell and he's slowly gaining interest in it, too. I heard him say "Mid-Century Modern" the other day and fell in love with him all over again. LOL
@Emi: I really like that idea! I'll see about working that into our plans. And I agree with Miami's Elaine about the black, but my husband tends to pick dark colors for EVERYTHING so maybe the white would be better. But I LOVE things done in garish colors like electric blue and lime green. hehe That probably wouldn't go over so well...
@lifeinthefortress, How about a compromise of garish colors *with* white *and* black? My husband and I have done that with success!
I love love mixing in some garish! one or two pieces....maybe that wouldn't make him crazy :) When I first married, my hubby wanted beige beige beige on beige! And only blonde matchy-matchy woods... It would have numbed my soul :) I've slowly lured him into my world of eclectic decorating. I compromise by keeping the staple pieces (fairly) neutral :)
aprilheartsaaron " kitchen - maroon/mustard yellow/salmon pink backsplash".
wow. that color combo scares me. it only makes me think what it would look like if I barfed up a hot dog. sorry.