You probably already have lots of Pinterest and Instagram photos. Delete them. The square footage is different, the location is different, the people are different. You need a living space that reflects who YOU are. A space where you feel good, a place you call home.
Consider carefully how you live in the space you already have.
Some people sleep in the living room, some work in the kitchen, others cook for 10 every weekend… And if you have a cat, this cat needs its spot as well. If you have children, forget the neatly arranged Pinterest photos without toys or tons of stuff. If you are fortunate enough to have a cleaning service, this is great because you can have varnished floors, maybe even hardwood floors in the kitchen. But you still need those huge closets to store toys. Maybe you have a quiet child who is on the tablet all day long, but they still need their own quiet corner. Where do the children sleep? The crib is an illusion or maybe they sleep in their own bedroom. Do you all share the same bedroom? In this case, you need a bigger bed right now. Personally, I have a bike in the closet, I work in the kitchen, and I have two messy little kids, so I live and work in chaos.
Now that you have considered how you live, answer the following questions: how do you use your bathroom, what do you need in your existing home? Some want more storage, some want a bathtub, or a separate tumble dryer, etc.
Once you have honestly identified what you need, it is time to move on to the next step – the budget. Specifically, how much money you have at your disposal, how much you want to spend on decorating and whether you really need it.
Be sure to create an Excel file and add every item, right down to the last euro. If you find a less expensive sofa, buy yourself a more expensive lamp. If you do not add every item to that file, chances are you are going to fall into a trap. The more expensive items are always more beautiful, so gradually, item by item, you will exceed the budget.
The real question is, will a 1,000 euro lamp make you happier than going on that trip? If you have the money to do both, that is great.
What matters most is not to be stressed. Do not get a design frenzy and lament over the different shades of molding, or because the door handle is not made of the same metal as the faucet, etc. Design is a game and you should enjoy it until it becomes too much – then you have to take a step back and stop.
When drawing up a budget, my advice is to always opt for more costly options for flooring, walls and windows. This is what stays in the home the longest and what increases the property value. You can easily purchase a new sofa, but you will have to look at this hardwood floor for a long time. A green kitchen might be in fashion today, but changing the color of the curtains is easier than changing the color of the kitchen.
And last but not least, trends. Trends are not only costly, but also short-lived. My advice is the same as the one on the budget. You can keep up with trends, but do not apply them to large surfaces, or tiles all over the house… In a few years, you could move to another place, get divorced, find a job in another city… You will either sell it or rent it. This interior design needs to work for another person. You may love purple closets, but the chances that the prospective buyer will appreciate them are minimal. The most expensive and largest parts of the home should be functional, universal and understated.
I love my job, but the overall need for beauty has gone so far that beauty is not natural anymore but a question of complexes. So much money, so much stress, so much of everything just to make it look beautiful on the photos. The purpose of interior design is more about impressing those we do not like than ourselves.
We are bombarded with beautiful photos of unhappy people and unhappy spaces. Everything is beautiful, everybody is beautiful, but tired.
The third item is the time.
Space and our needs of it change.
Do not purchase new glasses and mats. Not everything has to be brand new. Move in before you finish decorating. Live there for a week or two and you may have a few more ideas, maybe another socket by the bed, or maybe you forgot that you have a stick vacuum that will not fit in the hall closet. You will definitely see the interior in a different way if you live there. Let it breathe, change it and enjoy it.
If you get lost in the process, are tired or too busy to handle it, hire a trustworthy designer. Hire the designer whose interior designs you have seen and with which the owners are happy. Do not choose by price or photos on the web. Get the sense of the place.
Let them do their job since you are paying for it, trust them, relax and appreciate the end product.
