When the time comes to plan a home makeover, you’ll be excited, of course, but you might also be utterly overwhelmed, and that’s even when you’ve got the vision, the Pinterest boards, and maybe even a color palette in mind – imagine how you’d feel if you didn’t know where to start at all! And that is the question that has to be answered, isn’t it? Where do you start?
It can be hard to know and even harder to find out, but we’ve got a handy checklist for you to read through that’s sure to give you some great ideas about what to do next. With that in mind, keep reading to find out how to start – and finish – your next home makeover.
Define Your Goals And Budget
Before you can even think about picking out paint swatches or new furniture, it’s important to define your goals – in other words, what do you want to achieve once this makeover’s done and the dust has been cleaned away? Are you looking to create a more modern look? Maybe you want to make the space more user-friendly? Perhaps it’s all about increasing the value of your home… Whatever your reasons happen to be, being clear when it comes to your goals means you’ll be able to make decisions a lot more easily, reducing wasted time and a lot of stress, not to mention the fact that you’re less likely to change your mind after you’ve already bought something.
Speaking of buying things, once you know your goals, you’ll need to set a realistic budget. It’s so easy to get carried away with design inspiration and want to do it all, but remember, costs can add up quickly, so you’ll need to know you’re not going to overspend. It’s also important to include room in your budget for unexpected expenses – trust us when we say something is sure to come up that fits into that category!
Gather Inspiration
Once you’ve got that job out of the way, it’s time to start with the fun part – gathering your inspiration so you can see what’s out there and what ideas you might be able to use. This is where you can really let your creative juices flow, and you can do it in all kinds of ways, from flipping through design magazines to browsing Pinterest and Instagram, to visiting showrooms if you prefer. However you do it, make a note of any recurring themes that keep popping up or styles that stand out, because they could be the ones you end up going with.
Creating a vision board or a digital folder of your favorite looks can also be really useful; you’ll be able to refer back to the images and ideas you’ve gathered together as you go along, helping you to stay focused on your overall design ideas and, hopefully, it’ll stop you making any impulsive (bad) decisions too because you’ll always have a good reminder of what your theme actually is.
Choose A Color Scheme
Color can make or break any home makeover – it’s the thing that sets the tone and mood for each room, so it’s vital to get it right and make sure you choose your colors wisely, whatever they might happen to be. If that’s the case, then it’s not a bad idea to begin by thinking about how you want each room to feel – do you want a cozy, calm living room, for example? Maybe you want soft neutrals and earthy tones to achieve that feeling. Or perhaps you want your kitchen to feel bright and alive – well, then, bold colors like blues and greens or maybe yellows would be a good fit.
And of course, don’t be afraid to mix things up a little – although it’s good to be consistent throughout your home when it comes to your overall color palette, you can also add a unique twist to each individual room, like you’re giving the space its own personality. If you’re not sure what’s going to work, why not start with a feature wall and go from there?
Floor Matters
Flooring is one of those things that you might not think about right away, but trust us, it can completely transform a room (for good or bad!). The right flooring choice sets the foundation (pun intended) for the entire space, so taking some time and finding a good flooring company to help you is a good thing to do.
If you’re on a budget, you don’t have to splurge on hardwood floors to get a high-end look; you can find plenty of affordable options like laminate or vinyl, for example, that can mimic the look of real wood but are much more budget-friendly. Plus, they’re durable and easy to clean, so having them in your home is a great option!
