HELP - first home and no idea about decorating!

[tiutinkerbell]

Hi everyone! Hoping I can benefit from some of your decorating wisdom!

I have just purchased my first ever home (woo) but I have NO idea about decorating/choosing paint colours/planning rooms etc. I have rented all my adult life so far so have never had to choose floors, paint colours, art, wall decoration etc. I am not even sure what style I like! I do have furniture which I like but it doesn't really fit into a 'theme' or style and I would like to have one running through the whole home.

I am hoping to paint before I move in as the house is currently painted a variety of different colours which wouldn't go with any of my furniture - grey bedroom, white second bedroom, red hallway, yellow kitchen, brown living room... but I have no idea what I want/how to choose. My Mom is very much of the opinion 'just paint everything Magnolia and be done with it' so I am thinking of going with this for ease but does anyone have any ideas where I could start my journey? I will be hiring someone to paint but all the ideas I like online look SO complex/expensive and as I am on budget it is hard to make decisions. I also have zero DIY experience (think can't hang a painting) so I feel very lost - I may just leave my Mom to do it!!

Any advice/tips/help of ANY sort would be so helpful!

We've just started on our new home and I've used inspiration from Pinterest and interior accounts on IG - we've even embarked on installing ceiling roses, our own lights and sanding floors - easier than expected with the help of blogs and YouTube- I have photos on Instagram @poppysstyle

I definitely recommend looking at Pinterest if you aren't sure what your style is and what your taste is, as you see things on there that you don't see in the usual decorating and interiors magazines, where they usually play it very safe. I have rarely used an idea from Pinterest exactly as it is, but I find it very inspiring to see what people do with hard work and ideas rather than loads of money. At the moment I'm obsessed with painted stairs...

Thank you so much for all your tips!

I officially have the keys in my hand so I am going this evening to put some paint samples on the wall. I am going to try and get an alternative to satin bow in case it is too beige - it is deffo more pink that I want. I have attached a pic of the wallpaper I found as inspiration - what do you think?

I feel like I have a million grey samples now - hoping I will be able to make a decision as I will be ready to start painting on the 13th!

So I got the keys last night, went to the house, started putting paint samples on the wall and they all look AWFUL.

I got so overwhelmed there were tears haha. I think I have made my job even more difficult now as I have no colours chosen and there are paint splodges all over the place.

Definitely underestimated how hard this was going to be - everything may be white after all!

Was that after dark??
Look again in daylight!!
And CONGRATULATIONS you homeowner !!!!!!

Get yourself a Cool White Lightbulb instead of the Warm Yellow toned ones everywhere and look at the paint under one of the new bulbs (just move the bulb around while deciding).

I've just changed the bulbs in my whole house and the difference is amazing.

My go to Paint Colour is Dulux Egyptian Cotton.
It's a Grey but warm rather than cool so slightly Taupe and just much nicer than Magnolia/White.

Ps I have lots of grey and neutral tones to my house with accent colours as cushions and throws so interchangeable.

Good luck

@messysurfaces yes it was in the dark so I will look again in the light when I go at lunchtime! Thank you!! Part of me wishes I had someone to share this worry with but I am so happy and proud to have done this alone. Even when I was sat in the middle of my empty living room crying haha!

@namechangedformylivingroompic thank you - that is great advice. I need to go to B&Q today to pick up some brushes so I will look at the light bulb.

I am trying to decide between doing a blush pink feature wall in my bedroom with white/grey walls or doing it all grey i.e. Chic Shadow and then adding in blush pink/gold accessories.

I think I like either Urban Obsession or Warm Pewter for my feature wall in the living room.

Everything else I want white-ish but I am very aware of making it too stark. Anyone have a good 'white' in Dulux for living room/hall/second bedroom/kitchen walls? The rest of the house will be grey tones so I guess something to match that? I never knew there was so many different types of white!

Congratulations ! Whoop whoop! Your own home.

And it's just paint! Whatever you pick will be fab,,,

I quite like the idea of the blush pink wall but all grey and you can mix it up...

If you want to freshen it up I would go with white and a pale grey. I know grey has been done to death but it's easy to live with and is a blank canvas. Then as you do each room individually you can be more adventurous.

OK some tenative decisions made.

Living room - Egyptian Cotton as I have a beigy coach and I am hoping to get light coloured cabinets and mantle piece.

Kitchen - feature wall in Warm Pewter with other three walls in Rock Salt.

Now just the second bedroom, hall, bathroom and my bedroom to go... OH GOD!