Finding the perfect decor

A new year is a great time for a fresh start– and January is just around the corner. Perhaps, you’re getting ready to move into your dream home. Maybe you’ve finished a home remodeling project and your home feels brand new again. Or you just want to update the look and feel of your living space.

There’s no time like the present to start fresh and find the perfect decor for your brand new home, remodeled home, or the space you’ve been living in for years. What does it take to make your space feel new again?

Keep reading to find out my tips for how you can start the new year off right by finding the perfect new decor for your home.

Is it Time For a Big Change?

Finding the Perfect Style

When you’re moving into a new home, you’re presented with a great opportunity: an empty space that’s a blank canvas for you to work with.

Before moving in all of your old furniture and decorations, it might be time to ask yourself, “is it time for a big change?” Maybe your style has changed since you last redecorated, or maybe your family has grown and your furniture needs have changed, too.

Now’s the time to try something new.

Start by paring down your furnishings and decor. Keep pieces that will work well with your new space and build from there. Do you have a great sofa you love? A mid-century sideboard that will never go out of style? Use that statement piece to guide the rest of your purchases.

Once you have one piece in place, it’s easier to find complementary pieces and decorations to fill out the room. It’s kind of like a jigsaw puzzle, getting those first few pieces together can be tricky, but once you get started, it just gets easier and easier (and more fun!).

Focus on Color & Texture

 

 

You’d be amazed at how big an effect color and texture can have on how a home feels. If you’re not starting from scratch, you can make your home feel new again, by bringing in new colors  and textures, whether they’re in accent pieces, decorations, or in the color of painted walls.

For those of you who might be moving into a brand new home, there’s no better time than right now to bring in your favorite colors and textures. It’s so much easier to paint, replace tiles, and change out carpeting before you move in.

Respect Your Home’s Style

When you’re working to redecorate, add new furniture, or decide on new decor, remember to respect your home’s style. Don’t fill a historic home with overly modern designs and vice versa.

That said, sometimes rules are made to be bent (and sometimes broken). A single modern piece can help bring out the vintage charm in an older home. Just don’t overdo it!

Find Inspiration Online

Remodeled Basement

Basement Remodel by Mosaik Design and Fig Studio

Once you’ve got an idea of where to start, the style you want your new home to reflect, and perhaps a few pieces of furniture to guide you, start looking online for inspiration.

I encourage everyone I work with to take a close look at my portfolios to see what inspires them. If you’re working with an interior designer, bookmark a few of your favorite images, or create a board on Pinterest.
Speaking of Pinterest, it’s an amazing place to find great design and decor ideas. Just start searching and you’ll be amazed at what you’ll find.

I also love Houzz. You can search by style, a specific room (like a living room, kitchen, or bathroom), and even by budget!

Then there’s Instagram, an underrated source of decorating and design inspiration. I especially like the hashtags #InteriorDesign, #ClassicDesign, and #Furniture. It can be hard to find the source for many pictures on Instagram, so I use it for basic inspiration, not finding specific pieces.

Look & Shop Locally!

 


It’s fun to shop online and browse through catalogs, but there’s nothing quite so satisfying as seeing a piece of furniture in person and falling in love with it. And shopping in person gives you a better sense of a piece’s materials, quality, and craftsmanship than you can get from any website or catalog.

Luckily, those of us in the Portland area have so many great options to choose from! Some of my favorite places include:

  • Fischels – Great selection of contemporary furniture with an amazing and huge showroom!
  • Perch – Searching for a custom sofa, couch, settee, or chair? You can’t go wrong with Perch. Amazing craftsmanship and quality!
  • Grand Marketplace – I can get lost in the Grand Marketplace for hours! There are so many great antique, vintage, and  industrial-inspired one-of-a-kind pieces here. I always find something that inspires me!
  • Rejuvenation – What a great place to start your search when you’re picking out new decor for your home! I love how you can find the latest in energy-efficient LED lighting in the same place as you’ll discover refinished antique pieces.

If you live outside the Portland area, there are sure to be some great local options for you to check out, too. Even if you don’t find exactly what you’re looking for, a trip to a brick-and-mortar store can be a great way to get inspired and come up with fresh ideas for your space.

One Piece & One Room at a Time

Remember that your new home should be one that you’ll be living in, and loving, for years to come. You don’t need to rush the decorating process! It should be fun!

And the best way to enjoy finding the perfect decor for your home is to take things slow and avoid stressing yourself out. Don’t try to do everything at once.

Start with the rooms you spend the most time in. For most families and most homes, that’ll be your living room, kitchen, bedrooms, and home office. From there move on to the bathrooms, den, and guest rooms.

If you like a little more flexibility, consider working in stages. First find the main pieces of furniture for each room, then come back and add in decorations and accent pieces.

The key is finding a system that works for you. Every home and every family is different and you know what you need. Trust yourself, and do your best. By taking your time, carefully choosing pieces you love, and sticking to a design philosophy and style you adore, you’ll end up with the perfect decor in your new home.

Contact Me

Are you thinking about remodeling your home? Do you have questions about the design process or how to find the inspiration to start a new project?

I’d love to hear from you! Call me at (503) 726-2222 or send me an email. I’d love to get to know you better and help your dream home to life.

And if you have any other suggestions for where to find design inspiration online or locally, let me know in the comments below!