About to buy first house - how do I learn the basics?

[Lefiente]

I've never had an eye for what looks nice, what colours go together etc. I visit peoples houses and see they look nice or I can feel a certain vibe and like it but don't automatically know how it's being achieved.

In previous rented homes I've tried adding rugs, plants etc to make it feel homely but it just never looks as nice as some others. Some people are really good at knowing where to put things in the room and how to lay things out. And what goes nicely together. Now I'm starting from scratch and can do my own things I'd love to know where to start.

When I try to look for interior design stuff I find a lot of "out there" ideas and I'm looking more for ideas for "normal" looking practical family homes, that do not break the bank.

Are there any places you'd suggest or just general principles that I should be aware of?

Join some FB groups, there's some good ones for decorating on a budget. See what you like.

Maybe add pics to a Pinterest board and it will suggest similar styles to you!

If you go to peoples houses and like their vibe then don’t be afraid to ask where they got stuff or where they got heir inspiration from.
Pinterest is good as you can search for certain types of style eg minimalist, scandi, colourful etc.
Instagram can be a bit of a minefield, but if you find one or two home accounts with styles you like then you should get more popping up.

Personally I would just focus on one room at a time and take you time to create a mood board type thing on Pinterest. Once you’ve got a load of idea that you like for that room then see if you can make the styles work together.
Doing one room at a time gives you a chance to use the rooms before you make choices so you know how you use them - eg you might find a nice TV stand but you realise that actually you want the TV to be wall mounted so you have more floor space. Don’t rush into decisions.

I also think that plants always add a bit of colour and life to a room and tend to match every style!
Some nice plants in pretty plant pots and some vases with flowers can change the way a room looks really easily.

Once you’ve decided on a theme for a room try to not be tempted to buy things that don’t fit with that theme.

How exciting! Buy a couple of months of the magazine "your Home",you will have a rough idea of what style you like. Scandi, cottage, country,boho, gentlemans club, retro,shaker. Plants, real ones only if you know how to look after them, nothing worse than dead plants in pots! For decorating,check out the light levels in the rooms,does the room get direct sunlight. To add, trust me, I reckon most of us think that our people's houses look nicer than our own.you could go by the age of the property, our last house was a 1930s cottage,I checked the colour palette that would have been used then. I have a relative with an art deco appointment, everything in it is of the period, some reproduction some genuine,you don't have to do this though.