Savannah Reams
news@greenepublishing.com
When I purchased my first home in 2015, I wasn't quite prepared. I was prepared financially—I secured a smart loan, ensured I could easily afford my monthly payments and began hiring contractors to start renovations.
Unfortunately, when all was said and done, I felt a little overwhelmed. I didn't have a lick of furniture, I didn't have frames or wall décor of any kind; and I didn't have any idea how to begin decorating my new home—especially without breaking the bank.
The following are a few simple tips I wish I had when I began my journey and which I now know to be of value. Happy decorating!
1. Start with a clean slate. Choose neutral tones for your walls. While your favorite color might be lime green, it isn't always the best choice for an entire room.
I have found that grays, tans, whites and beiges are best for painting your walls. They look clean and, above all, can adapt to the changes you will make in your home over time. I have made many changes throughout the years and, each time, I've had no problem with décor clashing with my wall colors. I chose Snowbound by Sherwin-Williams for my bedroom and glam room—the soft white provides a clean, upscale feel to each room without being overly bright. Snowbound is minimalist and timeless and definitely does the trick.
For my guest room, which was later converted into my sister's bedroom, I chose a sandy shade. The beachy hue has adapted well to change and multiple "redecorations." I chose Morning Fog by Sherwin-Williams, a beautiful shade of gray, for my living room, foyer, dining room and hallways. The color is trendy and muted.
However, be aware that every gray is NOT the same—pay attention to undertones. Some grays have a brown undertone and some may have a blue undertone—I learned this the hard way. While I enjoy the color of my walls, in certain lighting—especially at night—they can appear blue. This is due to the undertone of the paint color. Pay attention!
Lastly, if you must choose a vibrant paint color, I would recommend an accent wall. This way, you can include a pop of color and, should you grow tired of it, you won't have to re-paint an entire room.
2. Don't throw it away just yet! Luckily, when I moved into my new abode, the previous owner left some furniture pieces. In addition, family members gave me their unwanted treasures.
While many would turn their nose up, I got to work immediately. I sanded, painted and repurposed two side tables, a dining room buffet and a dining room table and chairs. Since these would all be used in the same area, I painted them all with a white chalk paint, sanded and distressed the edges to give them a vintage, imperfect look and finished them with finishing wax made by the same brand.
The wax sealed the imperfections and gave the furniture a slightly aged tint. The furniture looked as if I purchased it as a set. The vintage vibe of the distressed furniture fit perfectly with my farm-style house.
For the chairs, I unscrewed each seat, and recovered them with a cloth pattern I picked out at Hobby Lobby—a surprisingly cheap find. Using a staple gun and a little bit of patience, I was able to recover each cushion, reattach it to each chair and create a trendy look that has served my home well.
3. Surround yourself with family. My walls stayed bare for almost a year. I just couldn't decide how I wanted to decorate. I finally decided to decorate with the one thing I knew I had endless access to—family photos. I knew I wanted to create the ever-trendy gallery wall, but I didn't want to break the bank and I certainly didn't want to ruin the shabby-chic look of my living room.
I started with frames. You're probably already aware that Hobby Lobby is almost always holding a fifty-percent-off sale for all of their picture frames.
I quickly started adding frames of all sizes to my cart. I chose different textures, colors and styles—I wanted each frame to stand out on its own but "belong" with the entire set.
I chose a balance of 8x10, 5x7, and 4x6 frames. In addition, I chose several 11x14 frames for photos I wanted to stand out.
I didn't stop there. I threw in some other pieces to break up the photos and add personality. I purchased a wooden letter board from Amazon and a map of Germany's Harz Mountains on Etsy. With the letter board, I've been able to include inspiring (or funny) quotes and messages, changing them up every few months or so.
The map represents a region in Germany from which a portion of my family originated. Photos included my parents, grandparents and even great-grandparents. I was able to display my heritage, decorate my home and, most importantly, I didn't break the bank.
My big sister also taught me a neat trick. Use a string or cord, fasten it straight across the top of the wall, where you want the highest photos to begin. Use this to line up your top frames—the rest will easily fall into place and you won't run the risk of a crooked, uneven gallery wall.