What I Plan to do Different in Our New Home
I loved our old home – it was simple & quaint, calm & cozy, but I never had the opportunity to completely decorate it. When we started discussing our move, I didn’t want to invest any additional time & money on decor that may or may not work for our new home & I’m thankful I didn’t. However, that left a little to be desired in some areas that hasn’t gone unnoticed. Today I’m sharing a few of my design tips – aka what I plan to do differently in our new home since I shared our full home tour earlier this week.
Layer
Layering takes time & money, but adds a lot of interest to a room. Just adding 2 additional pillows to Adalyn’s bed makes it feel more significant.
The same applies to blankets, sheets & an extra blanket – fold them back to reveal the layers so that they’re slightly staggered.
Scale
Smaller frames & art naturally cost less, but in our new home I plan to keep art to scale – smaller frames will be repurposed by grouping them together in a way that makes them feel more proportionate & larger pieces will be added. I have great examples of this coming! I love groupings like this from A Country Farmhouse.
A Country Farmhouse
Details
It’s easy to get caught up in the hustle & bustle, but oh how I regret little things like not putting a fitted sheet on box springs – a $5 fix.
Add More Plants
Adding something organic to a room brings it to life. While we lived in our Colonial, I had a 3 year old, 1 year old & newborn – the last thing I needed to do was to try to keep a plant alive, but soon I’ll be sharing some of my favorite easy-to-maintain houseplants – like water once every few weeks easy!
More Architectural Details
The neighborhood supports a little added investment & I plan to make it – with architectural details! It makes a home feel rich. Image via Phoebe Howard.
Phoebe Howard
Patience
I used brushed nickel lights in our kitchen because very few brass were available at the time, though I desperately wanted them. I wish I had shown a little patience {though difficult with dim, blue stained glass fixtures} & saved for what I really wanted! “If you make a compromise — selecting something cheaper than what you really like — it compromises you, because you are never really happy with the result.” —Rose Cumming
This pretty fixture has been on my wish list for over 3 years & I plan to add it to my office this spring!
Now, what I’m proud of – some of my favorite design tips:
Invest in Lighting
Floors, ceiling, walls & lighting – that’s all that there is in a living room or bedroom when you remove furniture. For that reason, I’m willing to invest in beautiful, timeless fixtures. The chandelier in our dining room was original to the home. It was likely not a builder standard, but a thoughtful piece hand selected for the space.
This brass & crystal chandelier was an incredible Craigslist find, proving you can get a high quality investment piece at an affordable price!
Blend Old & New
This is another simple concept to make your room feel interesting. Incorporate family heirlooms & things you love with store-bought pieces.
Nine and Sixteen
A beautiful dresser takes the place of a traditional nightstand & is paired with a new upholstered headboard.
Never Purchase a Set
I mentioned this in my master bedroom post – I look forward to updating our master piece by piece. It’s too matchy-matchy. Select a few amazing pieces & blend old with new.
Choose a Paint Palette that Flows
Ensuring your paint colors transition well from one room to another gives your home a flow. See the neutral paint palette we used in the Colonial & our our Tudor paint colors.
Add Light
There are plenty of ways to add light beyond adding mirrors & fixtures – read a few of my favorite ideas!
Make an Old Home Feel Like New
I love the character of an old home, but that doesn’t mean that you don’t want to make it feel fresh! Get my tips to make an old home feel new.
Other design tips I love:
*lead image via Decor Pad
What would you do different in your next home?
Julie
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