moving, want to redecorate but haven't a clue...help!

[sansouci]

We're moving soon & will have to buy new furniture; everything except sofa & armchair which are large & blue. New house has white walls, wooden floors, lots of light (good!), built 10 yrs ago. Terrified of making a mistake & having to live with it for next 15 yrs. Any advice, books, websites would be much appreciated! Thanks.

I like Living etc magazine and House Beautiful too. Go and get catalogues from Ikea and Habitat too. Your new house sounds gorgeous! I'd say steer clear of anything too 'statementy', don't paint any of the walls until you've lived there a few months (so that you get a feel for what the light is like at different times of the day/year) - and remember that light colours make spaces look larger.

Also, if you keep the big items of furniture and the walls plain and neutral, you can make it look a whole new room by changing the lamps/pictures, cushions, rugs, throws, etc. without it costing a fortune to redecorate.

Thanks so much! I watch some of the UKStyle programmes but find them far too sophisticated (or stupid!) to be of any use to me. Ikea is great it's true but I've had Ikea furniture since I was 21 & am tired of it. I wish we could afford better-quality stuff but it will have to be done bit by bit or bought used. Our blue sofa & armchair were wedding presents & they are Roche-Bobois. Definitely out of our price range. Sigh!