Want to make changes...where do I start?

[BazilGin]

Hi, I after some general advice. Neither me nor DH are good at decorating, we moved into our property 4 years ago and haven't changed a thing. Ok, two kids happened in the meantime, so that was not a priority but I am increasingly finding it too chaotic. we have space but I think we don't use it well furniture wise, i.e. some space is just wasted, like corner of the room by the window where we have 2,dvd towers I'd like to get rid of, but clueless what to put instead.
dH just showed me a brochure of a flat we sold to buy our house which has just been sold by current owners. Wow, what a difference they made decorating wise. How do people do it? Should we call an interior designer for help?
I think maybe we never said 'right let's do up one room' and just paint/buy new accessories all at the same time, but did it bit by bit so maybe it's not as coordinated as it could be?
Tips/advice welcome! I don't know where to start.

[MsAdorabelleDearheartVonLipwig]

Me neither, sorry, but will lurk.

Someone said do it room by room? So it doesn't seem so daunting?

We have, on our list:

New utility room
New downstairs loo
Decorate playroom
New bathroom
Decorate four bedrooms
Clear out all the crap
Paint the facias, garage door & house
Landscape the front garden

I don't know where to start either.

[Cocolepew]

Buy some house magazines, there are 2 which are £1.99 and have 'normal' houses in them (as opposed to million pound barn conversions) and look on Pinterest.

Apologies if you live in a barn conversion

[Cocolepew]

My link isnt working for some reason, goggle Style At Home.

[Sunflowersareblue]

Do you have a friend whose home you admire? If so, ask them for some tips. Maybe prioritise a room to do and ask them one day to sit down with you, list what you do like, what you don't like and what you want to change. Think colours, furniture and accessories and plan. It will be fun!

[JetsAndSugar]

You can't decorate well until you know what your own style is.

I'd start online with Housetohome. It is free. Interiors magazines are expensive.

Housetohome has lots of pictures from all the big house and style magazines. You don't get the full speil like in the mags but you do get great pictures and some features. It will help you work out which of those expensive mags reflects the styles you like.

Whenever you see a room you like online add it to a HouseToHome mood board (free and easy on the website). Or even better put together a Pinterest board.

Before long you'll start getting a feel for what your own space could be like. Don't rush it. The thinking and perusing is the hard bit. Painting etc is easy when you have worked out what you are aiming for,

[BazilGin]

Thanks, yes probably should start with some magazines. I also saw briefly Houzz online, but it's full of mansions, nothing that can be copied in real life! (Not by me, anyway).
Coco I wish... 2 bed semi . Actually it is a fairly new house, so nice kitchen, but most standard beige wall etc. also, we haven't really invested in furniture (apart from DD's room) so it's all a bit random.
Sunflowers I have a friend whose finishing touches I love, I think she is an ikea queen, but she has an eye for coordinating. Probably not close enough to ask her for advice, but may try.

[BazilGin]

Jetsandsugar thank you, I will try that!

[JetsAndSugar]

Btw, other people don't just magically know how to put a look together. People with nice houses spend bloody ages thinking and planning. If you do the same then you'll have a lovely place too.

The parts of our fixer-upper house we have actually re-vamped look really really good. We both work. We have 3 primary age DC.

Whenever we re-do a room I spend many many hours reading, looking, thinking, imagining my family doing the things we like to do aspire to do in the room, discussing stuff with DH.

I do most of the research and thinking because I enjoy it and DH doesn't. He will happily investigate, say, the right stove, or count our DVDs, or research tv wall supports etc, which bore me rigid. It can be good fun if you release yourself from time pressure - plan to do something in 3 months time and spend the next 3 months researching.

[BazilGin]

MsAdorabelle, looking at your list it looks quite long but I have a similar one. I think I want to start from our living room since it's the room we use the most. Currently covered in toys of all shapes and sizes....

[BazilGin]

Fab tips, keep them coming please! I already feel inspired. Jet when you plan a project like that, is it a total revamp ( new paint, lighting, furniture, curtains etc) or do you just concentrate on let's say new colours for walls/floors and accessories? Sorry, I am a bit clueless.

[MuscatBouschet]

Another good tip is to have a good flow of colours through the house, rather than plan every room individually. Maybe think about what colours you'd like for the hall and then work from there.

[StrippedPJs]

I moved in to my home 3 weeks ago and I've only got my room and the downstairs loo to do.

Start with paint and then add finishing touches everything is ether white or magnolia matt paint in my house no silk no gloss no vibrant paint. You can use accessories to do that. It's amazing what paint can do for you and liven the place up for you.

Here's a before and after of our kitchen we need new cupboard handles but otherwise it looks a million times better

[MsAdorabelleDearheartVonLipwig]

Our house is about twenty five years old. Just at the point where everything's starting to fall apart.

[HaveYouSeenHerLately]

How are you sorted for storage? Many on here are fans of Ikea Expedit/ Kallax to stash all the clutter away.

Helps showcase your beautiful new walls/ floors/ furnishings/ accessories!

[BazilGin]

Yes, storage is a bit of a problem. I was thinking of expedit, but need to get hubby on board. Another question...is a tv on the wall a decor no no? One of our wall spaces is wasted by a tv set on a small table . We could put a big expedit there i stead, and put a tv over the mantelpiece? Maybe disguise it somehow?