Decorating for the first time - where to begin?
Cowboy Blue
This is my first post in this newsgroup.
I am a first time home owner. I bought a 1,430 sq ft townhouse and
have not yet begun to even start to decorate. I dont really know
where to begin.
Downstairs, I have a small dining room, kitchen area and living room -
all of which flow into one another - with a nice archway between the
hallway and the kitchen. A powder room is also downstairs.
Upstairs are two bedrooms - an office and my master bedroom, which has
a 9' vaulted ceiling, plus two full bathrooms.
My problem is I do not know where to begin to start decorating. Do
other guys have this problem? I'm sure that they do.
What kind of paint should I use? How do I choose color schemes? I
dont even think I can begin to get into furniture yet.
*geesh*
Can anyone out there point me in the right direction?
- cw
Tony Hwang
Go to library and take out some related books and learn about color
coordination. Are u going to do everything yourself or buy some ready
made
stuffs or custom made thing? Drapery choice, picture flames, rugs,
furniture arrangement, etc. While at it, you might as well learn about
Feng Sui as well. There a few books about the subject as well. Do I
believe things like this? Well, let me put it this way, good is good.
No harm done! I aquired basic knowlege of Feng Sui and it is
interesting subject. Also don't forget about lighting for the evening/
night time. And some real greenery(potted plant, flowers, etc.)
Congrats. and good luck, Be conservative, if you follow fad too much,
it gets tired soon.
Tony
mark
some ideas
"Cowboy Blue" <tav...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:65574ucgp9jsrvn8v...@4ax.com...
Joann M. Hnat
>
> This is my first post in this newsgroup.
>
> I am a first time home owner. I bought a 1,430 sq ft townhouse and
> have not yet begun to even start to decorate. I dont really know
> where to begin.
Here are a few ideas I have --
Unless you're already an all-around handyman, buy a "how to take care of
a house" book, which covers everything from how to paint a room to how
to install wiring and how to care for some basic flowers. I use the
Reader's Digest version, but there are others out there. They usually
cost around $25, and are a lifesaver. I also recommend that you get a
basic book on decorating. Again, there are many to pick from. One I like
is "Seven Layers of Design," by Christoper Lowell. (He has a show on the
Discovery Channel.)
If you need to paint right away, use a fairly neutral color. Beige or
white are pretty boring, at least in my opinion, but think of a soft
yellow, sage green, dove gray, tan, soft terra cotta, light blue. You
don't know your style or color preferences right now, and you're
probably a bit overwhelmed, so don't worry about getting it perfect.
It's just paint, cheap and easy to do over if necessary. About color
schemes, if you go to a paint store or Home Depot or Lowe's, you'll find
that many manufacturers now put out brochures with possible paint
schemes. Personally, I like to paint the trim in my house white or
off-white, so I don't need to repaint them when I want to change the
color of the room. (Of course, you may have unpainted doors and window
sills, which is nice for you and makes this a moot question.) I also
like to paint the ceilings a real color, not just white. I often use the
same color as the room, only lighter. However, the paint schemes are
still helpful when it comes to picking upholstry, rugs, and accessories.
Often, people choose the color of the paint by looking to an
"inspiration piece" that's going to go in the room. This might be a rug,
upholstery on a chair, a painting, or anything else. If you don't have
something like this, you might like to buy a rug (you can even use a rug
over carpet) and pull out one of the colors in the rug to paint the
rooms.
If you don't know how to paint, the home book will explain the way to do
it. Buy a good-quality paint, like Benjamin Moore. There are other good
paints, too. What you *don't* want to do is go to K-Mark and buy a
gallon for $8.00 - you'll just end up painting twice. Also, buy some
decent paintbrushes and take care of them. You'll need an angled brush
(maybe 2"), a straight brush (whatever feels good in your hand) and some
rollers. There are also a zillion painting gadgets, so try whatever you
think you might like and can afford.
Usually, on the inside of a house, you'll use paint in flat or eggshell
(satin) finish on the walls, and a semi-gloss for the trim and any
doors. I hate flat paint because it doesn't stand up to washing well,
but that's your choice.
Use the same color in the rooms downstairs that flow into one another.
There are other ways to do it, but if you don't know what you're doing,
they usually end up looking pretty cheesy. The upstairs rooms (which are
often referred to as "private areas" by decorators, are different. Paint
them whatever color your heart desires. Same with the powder room.
When you pick colors, remember that light colors make the room look
larger, darker colors make the room look cozier. Just depends on the
effect you want. If you use cool colors (blue, blue-green, lilac), the
color will appear to be farther away than if you use warm colors
(yellow, orange/peach, reds). Cool colors make the room appear open,
warm colors make it seem more cosy.
If you want a little more decoration after you've painted, you can use a
wallpaper border, or apply some molding to make a chair rail. Or just
leave it!
Now, as for furniture. Don't go to the place that advertises "7 pieces
for $499." Ask your friends where they buy their furniture, and look
there. You might also try garage sales, second-hand stores, used
furniture stores, antique stores (often just used furniture), estate
sales, and auctions.
The way I feel about furnishing your first home is to buy good, solid
upholstered pieces, because they can be reupholstered when your tastes
change. However, buy nice-looking but inexpensive tables, lamps, etc.,
so you won't feel bad replacing them as your tastes become more
solidified.
Your basic upholstered furniture will probably be a sofa plus a loveseat
and chair or two chairs. For your sofa, pick a style you like and buy it
in a fairly neutral background. The fabric should not be busy, but think
twice before you get a solid color - a texture or simple pattern hides
dirt and stains better. If you have animals, think about buying a sofa
in a tight-weave fabric, because they withstand claws better. In my
opinion, you should never buy a sofa that isn't long enough or wide
enough to take a nap on! If you must have a recliner, think about
getting one of the new recliners that looks like a regular chair when
not reclined.
For the other furniture, you can either buy things in the same fabric,
or buy things in a coordinating fabric. It's easier, and will look fine,
to buy things in the same upholstery.
Then, you will need a coffee table and some end tables. Basically, you
need enough tables so that anyone sitting in any chair has a place to
put a drink. You can get matched tables, or unmatched. Tables are a
great thing to find second-hand, as there are lots available at
reasonable prices. If possible, get a large coffee table. It looks good,
plus you can use it as a dining table, work table, etc. I've even seen
great coffee tables made from used dining room tables (small ones) with
the legs cut down.
Now, how to arrange them? Decorators will tell you to arrange your
furniture around the "focal point." For decorators, this is always a
massive fireplace or a group of windows looking out on the ocean. For
most people, it's the television. Try putting the sofa so it faces the
focal point, then put chairs or a loveseat and chair on either side. Put
the coffee table in the middle, and the end table where the chairs meet
the sofa. (There are other ways to arrange furniture, but this is simple
and always looks good.)
Put a lamp on each of the end tables. You can get lamps from second hand
stores, discount stores, and everywhere else. Get ones you like, but
don't spend too much - your tastes will change.
If you have enough room in the living room somewhere, consider putting
in several bookcases, one next to the other. Just about every house can
use these. They needn't be expensive, but they will give you room to
display books, stereo equipment, CD's, DVD's, etc. You may even want to
buy matching doors for the bottom few shelves of the bookcases, so
you'll have room to keep things out of sight. You can get things like
this at Home Depot and Lowes, and well as elsewhere.
If your living room is large enough, you might even have a second
seating area somewhere else, maybe two chairs and a little table with a
floor lamp. Oh, and if your furniture is positioned on a wall, pull it
out a couple of inches. If you leave a little room, the room looks
bigger.
Once you've put all your neutral furniture in the living room, then
start to accessorize with two or three other colors that you like with
the main colors in the room. Either use colors that are similar to one
another (like green and blue) or colors that are different but
complimentary (like green and red). As some example accessories, buy a
throw for the couch, some pillows in a fabric (or a couple of fabrics)
you like, a big basket to leave on the floor with magazines. Here is
where you *don't* need to be neutral, since these things are relatively
inexpensive and easy to change.
Oh, and add some plants. They don't have to be real if you don't like
caring for plants. Get a tall one, like a ficus tree or palm, and some
smaller ones. Put them in baskets or pots you like. Keep one on the
dining table, one on top of the bookcases, etc.
In your dining room area, I'd look for used furniture again, or at least
an inexpensive set. Again, your tastes will probably change, and your
paycheck get bigger, and then you can get the good stuff.
In your bedroom, think about buying a whole bed set - sheets, comforter,
and bed skirt all in one package. They're sold at bed and bath stores,
discount stores, and discount stores. Pick one you like, then pull out
one of the colors (probably not the most prominent one) to paint the
walls. Voila! You have a nice looking room with little effort.
In all of your rooms, you'll want to hang things on the wall. Prints
(with frames, even inexpensive ones). Original drawings or paintings
(from you, if you're talented, or a talented friend). Enlarged
photographs, framed. A shelf with some books, a plant, or whatever. When
you hang things, hang them at eye-level - most people hang them too
high. If you have a few similar pieces, hang them as a group, rather
than separately - they'll make more impact. Look through magazines and
catalogs to get ideas. Mirrors are also great to hang, but make sure
they reflect something nice to look at.
I've gone on a long time, but remember - you asked!
If you want to learn more about decorating, there are several ways to
go. You can watch HGTV (Home and Garden Television), which has many
decorating shows. There's one called "Room by Room" on, I think Tuesday
nights at 9:00. It's not my favorite, but it *does* do a good job of
teaching you how to pull a room together. "Decorating Cents" is about
decorating on a budget - sometimes it's great, sometimes it sucks. "This
Small Space" gives you great ideas, even if you have plenty of space.
You can also buy more decorating books, or buy decorating magazines. If
you buy magazines, consider tearing out pictures of the rooms you like -
over time, you'll see what your style is, which will help when you buy
things in the future.
I hope this helps! Can you tell that decorating is a passion of mine?
.. Joann
RamblinOn
Cowboy Blue wrote:
Plan, first, for how you like to live. Pets, hobbies, kids, etc. Install
outlets, lighting and other hardware before you decorate. For color
schemes, look at your wardrobe. People tend to dress in the colors they
like. Avoid extremes and hard-to-cover colors in paint. Lots of neutral
wall/floor schemes can accept almost any color in furniture and
accessories. A few pillows, a throw rug and a painting or two can set the
color scheme. If there are any plumbing or wiring problems, correct them
before decorating. If you have two big dogs, you most likely don't want
light colored carpeting. If you have a white cat, you don't want black
anything. If you live informally, you likely will want casual furniture
and hang out in the kitchen. If you have lots of "stuff", be creative
about storage. Baskets, wicker chests and decorative tins can hold tools,
sports equipment, food. My hubbies heavy tools - pry bars, huge wrenches,
etc, go in a wicker trunk in our dining room 'cause we have no garage.
Decorative tins in the kitchen can hold lots of stored stuff if the
shelves are crowded.
db...@sprynet.com
had too much money, it was a 3 bed. room 2 bath house brick, real nice
area of town.. we had to use sheets for curtains in all the unused rooms
and just held them in place with thumb tacks.. Had just enough money for
the down payment when we signed for the house. saved up enough when they
were building it to buy some furniture when it was finished and a few
curtains for the kitchen, den, living room and one bed room, lucky that
the bathrooms had frosted glass(not really frosted but the modern
version of it). Take your time and save your money and you will have it
finished in no time...
NOSPAMBOB
have been cleaned well. Natural bristle brushes are for oil based materials
and synthetic are used with water based stuff. Prior to dipping the brush into
finish preload the bristles with the proper solvent, sqeeze or spin the handle
between your palms removing much of the solvent the dip in finish about half
way to the ferrule. The solvent stops the finish from drying out inside the
brush near the ferrule which keeps it from getting stiff and makes it MUCH
easier to clean. Several washes in proper solvent then Dawn liquid soap and
water wash to remove solvents, rinse out soap, spin out water and wrap brush in
brown grocery bab and hand to store. Try to find brushes with round or almost
round handles as they are easier to spin. Purdy makes a good line of brushes
although I don't know if they make a lower grade for price point marketing.
Sherwin Williams has a store nearby and that's where we buy paint. Visit
http://www.woodfinishsupply.com and read/save the Liberon Color Theory, good
stuff. Sorry, the words got away from me.
In article <3C43E024...@shore.net>, "Joann M. Hnat" <j...@shore.net>
writes:
>If you don't know how to paint, the home book will explain the way to do
>it. Buy a good-quality paint, like Benjamin Moore. There are other good
>paints, too. What you *don't* want to do is go to K-Mark and buy a
>gallon for $8.00 - you'll just end up painting twice. Also, buy some
>decent paintbrushes and take care of them. You'll need an angled brush
>(maybe 2"), a straight brush (whatever feels good in your hand) and some
>rollers. There are also a zillion painting gadgets, so try whatever you
>think you might like and can afford.
Name works for E-mail
Colbyt
> Cowboy Blue wrote:
> >
> > This is my first post in this newsgroup.
> >
> > I am a first time home owner. I bought a 1,430 sq ft townhouse and
> > have not yet begun to even start to decorate. I dont really know
> > where to begin.
> >
> > Downstairs, I have a small dining room, kitchen area and living room -
> > all of which flow into one another - with a nice archway between the
> > hallway and the kitchen. A powder room is also downstairs.
> >
> > Upstairs are two bedrooms - an office and my master bedroom, which has
> > a 9' vaulted ceiling, plus two full bathrooms.
> >
> > My problem is I do not know where to begin to start decorating. Do
> > other guys have this problem? I'm sure that they do.
> >
> > What kind of paint should I use? How do I choose color schemes? I
> > dont even think I can begin to get into furniture yet.
> >
> > *geesh*
> >
> > Can anyone out there point me in the right direction?
> >
> > - cw
Joan/Joanne gave you some excellent advice if you want to do it yourself.
The only thing of any value that I have to add is:
Establish a budget for your decorating and assign priorities.
If you aren't comfortable making the decisions yourself hire a
decorator/designer whose work you like. My wife and I spent 4 hours at a
furniture store trying to co-ordinate fabrics for two chairs and a couch
that would work with our existing wall color and carpet. Gave up and had a
friend whose is professional decorator come look at them with us. In 30
minutes she laid out three complete schemes. It was obvious to us that yes
they each worked. Three different looks. We picked the one we like the best.
Hence forth I am not going to the paint store to buy anything other than
white paint without a note telling me what to buy.
If you hire a professional tell them your budget and priorities.
Colbyt
Cowboy Blue
On Tue, 15 Jan 2002 02:55:35 GMT, Tony Hwang <28103...@home.com>
wrote:
>Hi,
Thanks for the information, Tony. I think that I have a long road
ahead of me, but I'm going to take it one floor at a time. The
downstairs will definitely be first, seeing how it is the most seen.
Colors first. Room Objects later.
- Cowboy Blue
Cowboy Blue
Those are great ideas. I think that I may head out on Sunday with my
camera and hit some open houses. There are plenty around here.
Thanks again.
- Cowboy Blue
On Tue, 15 Jan 2002 00:38:55 -0700, bam...@nospam.tnx wrote:
>On Tue, 15 Jan 2002 02:41:09 GMT, Cowboy Blue <tav...@hotmail.com>
>wrote:
>
>>
>>My problem is I do not know where to begin to start decorating. Do
>>other guys have this problem? I'm sure that they do.
>
>Other *people* have this problem. <grin> All the time.
>
>In any home, there are some "drivers" which dictate decorating and
>colour. Big windows with great views? Small windows with crappy
>views? Size of rooms. Flooring colour (if you don't have the
>budget to replace it). Cabinet and countertop colours. Fixture
>colours in the baths. Stain-grade or painted doors, baseboards and
>casings. You either change these things (expensive) or you work
>with them.
>
>Then, there's personal preference. One colour throughout with the
>occasional highlight wall? Different colours and moods for each?
>
>I'd start by visiting a number of builders' show homes ... looking for
>decorating ideas. And by paying attention to the homes of friends
>-- what you like and what you don't like.
>
>Also, hit the library ... most decorating books have colour wheels to
>show you what goes with what.
>
>If you plan to make bold personal statements in decorating,
>
>
>>What kind of paint should I use?
>
> Latex on the walls. Latex acrylic on base and casings.. High end.
>Nothing is worse than cheap paint.
>
>Look for a paint wholesaler rather than a paint retailer. The people
>who sell to the pros generally really know their stuff. They'll sell
>you only what you need (a good cutting brush, a good quality cage,
>a roller and a tray) and they'll give you some good tips on how to
>paint.
>
>>I dont even think I can begin to get into furniture yet.
>
>Since decor and furniture go together, you might want to give it some
>thought.
>>
>>*geesh*
>>
>Yeah, me too.
>
>You'll have fun .. and if you don't like it, you can always paint it
>out. <grin>
>
>Ken
Cowboy Blue
I am definitely going to use some decorative kitchen tins or some such
thing like that. I have seen a few in friend's homes but I haven't
seen where to buy them.
I am going to hit linen's N things and pier one to have a look around
this weekend to get a few things.
Thanks!
Cowboy Blue
I dont want to think about a decorator because I am not sure how much
it would cost and how much that would take away from my budget for
buying furniture, paint, etc.
My biggest priorities, as someone else mentioned in this thread, is
furniture first and then paint.
I want a new dining room set and new living room furniture. That will
be several thousand there, and since I want to pay it off in cash I
will have to wait until April/May. This will give me plenty of time
to shop around.
On Tue, 15 Jan 2002 23:07:09 GMT, "Colbyt" <col...@lexkyweb.com>
wrote:
AJ
> I hope this helps! Can you tell that decorating is a passion of mine?
>
> .. Joann
Where were you when I started out??? <VBG>
I grew up in apartments and only the bedroom was other than white. My
sister and I painted it 70's style lavender. Did you know that after 5
years lavender can look really, really bad? However, I loved it.
Bought a home 5 years ago and another just recently. Decorating has been a
process. The old house has kitchen and bath white in the kitchen and
throughout the entire home on the large moldings. However, have pink and
blue in the main rooms walls. The blue is very peaceful but the pink is a
little too bright. Have rented it out to a young lady with mostly black
furniture and accessories. Actually, the place looks better with her
stuff.<g>
The new house has a totally different feel. Have the living room in a very
light peach, almost neutral. This is my "display" room. It will have over
20 years of traveling knick-knacks and proud moments from the military. One
short wall has 5 rows of simple shelving made from white pine and black iron
brackets for displaying. An oriental looking blue/mauve/tan rug is on the
wood floor. Have bought a cranberry slipcover for the sofa and am currently
looking for a slipcover for the easy chair. Right now, it's covered by an
old comforter to protect it from two spoiled poodles. The rest of the
furniture is a dark walnut. It seems to go well with the light walls.
That's all for the conservative part of my personality. The bedroom is....
you guessed it, lavender.<g> I love it except I made the mistake of not
buying a bed set (need one desperately, am using blankets from my
childhood). Went shopping all over today for bedding. Have decided to go
ahead and look for I like and then paint again to match. The lavender took
a while to get used to anyway, its one shade too dark. Used a shade lighter
in the spare bedroom and it looks absolutely wonderful. A floral futon on
an unpainted/stained pine frame looks fine.
The bathroom has been completely redone. The original owners used learning
green plastic tiles. They were failing in a number of places, especially
around the tub. I used bright white ceramic tiles except for one row all
the way around the room. A few rows from the top, where it flows
unencumbered by a window, sink or shower faucet is a repeating row of two
white tiles and one of a flower. Using 6 different flowers, they look
random. I choose the rose to paint above the tile line on the wall and
ceiling. It's a little dark, but I figured that I'm not going to tile for a
very long time and can change the color above the tiles anytime I get bored.
The shower curtain is white.
The kitchen is what's in progress right now. The cabinets are not in great
shape and the design is very poor. Have played with the floor plan on and
off for a month before coming up with a way to keep costs down and the bang
for the buck dollars up. The cabinets will be replaced. The floor is
covered by very thin red and black carpet with at least two layers of rotten
linoleum below. Am going to rip it all out this summer. The plan is to
double the cabinet space and counter top areas, while improving the work
triangle without moving any utilities. Even the electrical outlets and
heating ducts will be untouched. Am going to recycle the sink and faucet.
Faucet is only a year old anyway. The stove will be moved maybe 6 inches.
Its green and will be replaced with white when it dies. I can't wait, I
hate green!!! Even have planned a place for the gardening implements behind
the door and coat hooks on the other side of the door. This is the main
door used. The plan will "steal" one foot from the adjoining dining area.
Even have a plan for the dining area to increase storage, usability and
still keep it simple. The table will be a mission style white 4 x 2 foot
table with a 4 foot white bench with storage under the seats, up against the
wall and a few free chairs on the other side. Will have room to install
glass cabinets above the bench later.
I used frosty maple cabinets in the old house with a dark mauve and black
speckled counter top. Really liked it. Am planning to use natural maple
cabinets in this house, but haven't decided on the color of the countertop
yet. Would like to make it very dark. It worked very well in the old
house. Haven't decided on the floor material yet either. I want it to look
like tile or rock, but have to be careful since my feet don't do well on a
very hard surface. Have no idea what to paint the walls. Right now, am
taking the wallpaper down. Any suggestions for the wall or floor?
Thanks for listening. -AJ
Dan
each room yet compliments your furniture and decor. A technique such
as faux or decorative painting will give such effect. You might be
interested in a roller that will do this. Check out
www.wall-design.com. Dan.
Cowboy Blue
Dan,
Thanks for the idea! I have really been wanting to do the faux
designs. Have you used it?
-