Who do I get to help me sort out / decorate/ organise my front room ? Interior designer?

[bizzey]

Thats it really .
I have some money to do up my front room ( rented) .
I dont know where to start .
I dont know who to use .
I dont even trust my own decisions any more !!
Please help x

I have 1k ...which is massive to me !!

£1k to spend on the interior designer…. Or £1k to spend on doing you the front room?

If the latter you aren’t really in the ‘paying for an interior designer’ price range.

Get some home magazines, look on Pinterest, houzz. What do you have? What do you like? What are you keeping/buying new?

Are you going to do the decoration yourself or pay a decorator to paint/wallpaper?

How exciting. Do you have any idea how long you will be living there? Do you need things you will be easily able to take with you if you move ?

Do you know what sort of look you like - cottage, boho, minimal, scandi etc? Have you searched on Pinterest for the sort of look you like? What are your storage needs? I made a board using Pinterest of looks I liked and then went from there choosing paint testers, looking for shelving etc.

I absolutely love interiors and am always changing things up etc. I would def use the 1k on items rather than pay a designer. Pinterest is your friend as is the homes magazines which are a couple or pound each unless you want the stately homes ones 🤣 Do a mood board. Think about what colours make you feel good. Then think about texture as in soft furnishings. What do you need to change most? If you can live with most of the furniture have a declutter to see the room and get a feel for where the sun is etc. Paint swatches on paper rather than walls and move them around to see how they look on each wall. Xx

Wow ..thank you all for your replies !
I still need someone to tell me what to do !
I have an idea in my head ...whether it would work or not.. i dont know ...

Bet you all want photos now !

If i am going to paint the sittimg room ...what colour ?
Stick to magnolia ?

£1k won't get you much time from an interior designer. Or is that your total budget in which case you just can't afford an interior designer.

I have a chimney brest ..different colour...wirh something over it ?

1k was everything. 😐

I need help!

I just need to utilise my areas .
Wall shelving in alcoves type of thing .

You can't afford an interior designer you just need to decide on a style you like and go for it. I would spend too much on decoration or anything you can't take with you given you are renting. What is there now in the room? Can you post a photo or describe it?

Re: paint - I assume your landlord has agreed you can paint it?

I might spend on paint, but definitely not on anything else I couldn't take with me. Draw up a list of the things you might like (e.g. shelving units for alcoves £500, side table £250, lampshades £50, cushions £30), and work out your approximate budget for each one, staying within the £2k total.

Then have a look at Pinterest / home decor pictures online and decide on a colour scheme / look you'd like.

Then lots of browsing and online shopping to find examples of all the things in your list which fit the look you'd like, an which fit within your budget.

£1k total, sorry, not £2k!

I am renovating my house and I've done spreadsheets when I've done each room. I make a massive list of what I'd like, cost it up and tweak as necessary.

Get on Pinterest and buy as many home decor magazines as you can carry! Seriously, you'll see examples of rooms that are bound to inspire you. Can you paint it yourself? Not sure where you are, but in London where we are £1k wouldn't go far with professional decorators, so you'll save a ton of money if you DIY. Then you'll have loads left for furnishings too.

How big is the room?

John Lewis has a free home design service. They will recommend items from JL but no obligation to but, so you can use it for inspiration and advice on what type of things go well together.

www.johnlewis.com/our-services/home-design-service

Could you share some photos of the room?

Has your landlord agreed to you painting/decorating? Do you plan on being there long term - or do you want things that can be taken with you if you move?

I agree on home decor magazines - go and buy 3 or 4 from Tesco; Real Homes, Ideal Home etc (the cheap and cheerful ones).
They usually list the paint colours and sources for their featured rooms.
Make a note of any rooms you like the look of and the main colours/fabrics/accessories, then see if you can get them within your budget by canny shopping/ebay etc.

Also go to Ikea and a few home shops and browse around the room sets.
Don't be too matchy (e.g. Next directory kind of look).
TK Maxx/Homesense are great for accessories .

You know you say you have an idea in your head? Have you tried a Pinterest search to look for ideas about how to decorate your living room based on that idea? My living room is narrow and long and I knew I wanted it to look light and uncluttered so I searched for long, narrow living room with light and airy look. Loads of ideas came up and that gave me more ideas that I searched for . So at one stage I searched things such as ivory and sage green living room, shelving for narrow alcove, gallery wall ideas, hall storage for small, narrow hallway etc. I found it so useful as I know what I like when I see it but can’t come up with original ideas myself.

Definitely focus on things you can take with you if you move . I decorated my entire flat just before the first lockdown. It’s housing association and my tenancy is assured but the HA announced they want to redevelop this part of the estate and are now waiting on planning permission. So unless you are totally confident you will be living in your flat for a good amount of time, I’d focus on things that you can take with you if you move.

I agree tk Maxx /homesense are great for accessories, towels, bedding.

Post some pics here!
Otherwise I second the suggestions of Pinterest or Instagram. Lick paint has lots of examples of how people have decorated their homes. Also a mooch around IKEA can be good for inspiration on a budget.

Pinterest is useful BUT my top tip is to look on rightmove for houses that look similar to yours (doesn’t have to be in the same area, just same type of house) and find ones you think have been decorated nicely. That way at least you know it works in the same style of house.

1k will cover paint and accessories maybe small furniture but probably not a new sofa as well, so what sofa do you have already? Anything else you have already that you really like?

I'm happy to help you I'm into interiors, follow people on Instagram, and people who've been to our home tells me it's beautifully done. Drop me a line. Gratis!

I think i just need ideas for the walls .
Thinkinking of textured wall paper ..not just 0oe colour.
Not changing the sofas