A Fresh Start

“Our homes are a reflection of what we love, what we believe, and who we are. They are the backdrop to the stage of our lives, and we have the power to design the entire stage.”

~ Beth from her blog, A to Z Home Stories

I think we would all agree that the year 2020 could use a fresh start. This has been quite the year and the year isn’t over! At this writing, none of us even knows exactly how school will look when it starts back this fall.

COVID 19 has played havoc with many of our schedules and things that were ‘normal.’

There are no children at our house starting back to school this fall, but I still remember when the girls were home and how excited they were to return to school. They looked forward to a new school year and a fresh start.

Sometimes that fresh start is needed when it comes to decorating your home. Maybe you have lived in your home for a long time, and you just need an update or a new look. It is not unusual to be faced with a fresh start as a result of a job transfer, the ending of a relationship, a new marriage where merging two households is needed, buying your first home, or the need to down-size. Whatever your situation, it can be a daunting task just because there are so many options available and so many decisions to make.

Here are a few ideas to help you begin the process of decorating your home if you are facing a fresh start:

1. Decide what you like. So many times, my clients cannot tell me what they like but have little problem telling me what they don’t like. Check out houzz.com and save pictures of rooms and things you like in your idea book. This will make the pictures easy to find when you want to look at them again or show them to your decorator. Or check out pinterest.com and pin ideas to your board. By looking back at the things you have pinned, you will be able to figure out the styles, colors, patterns, etc. you seem to favor most of all. This helps you narrow down your style.
2. You may get overwhelmed thinking about decorating the whole house. Set priorities and, of course, a budget. You might want to pick a room you’ll spend the most time in and concentrate on that room first.

Not sure what size furniture you will need in your space? There are free floor plan design programs offered on the web.

1. Using one would be a good place to start. It is important to measure your space and know what size furniture will fit before you begin shopping. Be sure to think about the traffic flow pattern in your room and arrange furniture accordingly.
2. Choose an inspiration piece. This is a tremendous help when pulling your color palette together for your fresh start. I like to start with a fabric, a rug, or a favorite piece of art. Your inspiration piece will dictate the colors you will use in paint, fabrics, rugs, art, and accessories.
3. My advice to clients is to use neutral colors on your bigger pieces, like a sofa or chair, and bring in your color through accessories and paint.

Invest in a good sofa and comfy chairs. A good dining table and chairs are a must also.

1. These are pieces that will get the most use and you will want them to be comfortable.
2. Shop for your accessories at budget-friendly places, like consignment stores, Homegoods, Tuesday Morning, Target, Accent Prone, etc. Mix in family heirlooms. These pieces will give personality and style to your room.
3. Have fun and enjoy the process!

Need help with your ‘fresh start’? Give ReDESIGNS by Ava a call to schedule an appointment.