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Please help me to decorate my new home!

22 replies

TurkeyTwizzlers2 · 05/11/2024 20:57

I've just moved into a beautiful new home but it's a blank canvas. Every room is white.
Furniture is just about sorted, but I have no imagination when it comes to decorating a room, both walls and decor.
How do you get ideas? Are there websites which give you pictures of say, bedroom ideas and tell you where to actually get the stuff on show? I'm thinking places like Next, John Lewis, M&S.
I can use Pinterest but sometimes there's pictures of fantastic wall art or ornaments which I just can't find online, or they're from the US, or whatever.

Help me get some practical inspiration!

OP posts:
chocolateybuttons · 05/11/2024 21:08

What age is your house?
Do you like colour?
Are you more of a minimalist or maximalist?

Pinkmoonshine · 05/11/2024 21:09

Go with the orientation that the rooms have, so cooler colours like blues and greens in east facing room, warm pinks in west facing. I really think it works for limiting choice and working with the natural light

parietal · 05/11/2024 21:16

The Houzz app does exactly what you asked - shows you 100s of pictures of bedrooms and you can favourite the ones you like and get (at least some) info on the things in the photos.

buy design mags in the supermarket too - Ideal Home etc.

DappledThings · 05/11/2024 21:19

I just painted every room a different colour that I liked without considering if they flow or clash. They are separate rooms so I like having loads of coloured walls in whatever colours take my fancy. I'm allergic to white walls, don't have a single one.

If you decide you don't like a colour you can just paint over it again.

SatansBobbleheadedDashboardOrnament · 05/11/2024 21:19

Is your house a new build or a Victorian townhouse? Is your furniture antique/vintage or modern? What is your favourite colour? Floorboards or wall paper or painted? Minimalist or maximalist? So many questions before you even begin.

username7891 · 05/11/2024 21:26

I redecorated a few years ago and this is the best advice I read. Treat the house like one space. That means ensure all the rooms complement each other.

I decorated in a Scandi style but after having all white walls I wanted colour so I chose complementary 'nature' colours and used fittings,/fixtures of brass and black. For example I have black picture frames, a black wall lamp, black shelves. Brass picture frames, brass lamps etc

I also used the same complementary colour in each room which in my case was grey. In my bedroom I have grey bed linen and in the sitting room, grey sofas.

Lytlethings · 05/11/2024 21:28

You need to start with how you will use each room.
Living room. Is it calm relaxing place where you can unwind. Big squidgy sofas in pastels. Tone on Tone with walls floors and window dressing in similar colours.
A vibrant place place for lots of entertaining. Bold colours and patters. Furniture that can accommodate friends. Maybe a dining table

Do that for each room in the house, picturing yourself in each room.
Which rooms need to be multi purpose. I would get some magazines to see what appeals.

There are no right on wrongs, sometimes it is better to be over bold that too cautious.

endofthecorridoor · 05/11/2024 21:37

username7891 · 05/11/2024 21:26

I redecorated a few years ago and this is the best advice I read. Treat the house like one space. That means ensure all the rooms complement each other.

I decorated in a Scandi style but after having all white walls I wanted colour so I chose complementary 'nature' colours and used fittings,/fixtures of brass and black. For example I have black picture frames, a black wall lamp, black shelves. Brass picture frames, brass lamps etc

I also used the same complementary colour in each room which in my case was grey. In my bedroom I have grey bed linen and in the sitting room, grey sofas.

I agree not specifically grey but get a bit of card and some testers and see what is harmonious. Then Whatever combination you use seems to flow through. My colours were
Mizzle muted light sage
Zophany silver and half silver
Hague blue
Muted gold frames
White woodwork and picture rails
Linen curtains
A few nice statement blinds picking up all the colours in a classic pattern
French Grey doors (they look green)
And not too matchy. Old family stuff combined with ikea and stuff picked up over the years
Oh and tons of plants

KeebabSpider · 05/11/2024 21:37

I always find it easier to choose paint to go with whichever fabric I have chosen, as there are literally thousands of paint colours. So I buy fabric for curtains, sometimes reupholster chairs or sofa, choose all other soft furnishings, or bedding, all of these will have been chosen because they compliment my rugs (antique) and then finally choose paint colour for walls. I tend to go for warm colours in north facing rooms. I have made less mistakes starting with carpets/soft furnishings first. I like muted/sludgy/mid tones or darker colours. I have also found that dark colours do not always make rooms look smaller as shadows fool the eye so that you don't see corners. So I have ignored a lot of mainstream decorating advice.

username7891 · 05/11/2024 21:38

endofthecorridoor · 05/11/2024 21:37

I agree not specifically grey but get a bit of card and some testers and see what is harmonious. Then Whatever combination you use seems to flow through. My colours were
Mizzle muted light sage
Zophany silver and half silver
Hague blue
Muted gold frames
White woodwork and picture rails
Linen curtains
A few nice statement blinds picking up all the colours in a classic pattern
French Grey doors (they look green)
And not too matchy. Old family stuff combined with ikea and stuff picked up over the years
Oh and tons of plants

My house isn't grey, I chose nature colours like blue and green.

Seaside3 · 05/11/2024 21:57

How exciting!
If you use Instagram, I'd look on there for inspiration. Save any that appeal, and go slow. You don't need to do everything at once.
I'd also scout 2nd hand places and auction rooms. You can get unique things, so your home reflects you, not someone else's idea if what you'll home should look like.

TurkeyTwizzlers2 · 05/11/2024 22:05

chocolateybuttons · 05/11/2024 21:08

What age is your house?
Do you like colour?
Are you more of a minimalist or maximalist?

It's an old farmhouse with Georgian features, but it's been completely modernised. It has exposed beams, low windows and high ceilings upstairs, and very thick walls throughout the house, so huge oak windowsills and an oak staircase.
I'm definitely more of a minimalist. I don't like fussy wallpaper unless it's maybe one feature wall.
It's a big open house, so it needs big features.

OP posts:
Lytlethings · 05/11/2024 22:39

That sounds amazing. I hope you will do photos. I did a make over on my garden a few years and did a follow me thread on here. It started with the heartache of getting rid of the old garden.. The help and support I got was amazing. I call it my Mumsnet garden as so much of came from here.

TurkeyTwizzlers2 · 06/11/2024 14:19

As a starting point, these are the sort of windowsills I have downstairs. I've just bought a stunning big stone vase but I don't like the fake flowers that are in it. Any ideas on what would look good? And any other ideas for other windowsills like this? I've only got two where the walls are as thick as this so this size vase would be probably too large for the lower, less deep ones upstairs.

Please help me to decorate my new home!
OP posts:
Seaside3 · 06/11/2024 14:59

I'd get some interesting twigs. You can hang stuff off if you want then, like Christmas Dec's.
Candles in hurricane lanterns are nice, plants too.

Lytlethings · 06/11/2024 15:03

Dried grasses , good quality ones or forage for twigs. It is stinging enough though to stand alone s piece of pottery

MellowMauveQuail · 09/02/2025 17:45

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Rellotello · 09/02/2025 18:04

I’d be creating some general Pinterest boards to identify the style and colours you like for each room - more as a starting point and not to buy directly from images. With your house I’d then be going to flea markets and vintage fairs and etc not buying brand new. Go with your gut and buy what you like - you can then pull it together with fabric and paint. Georgian houses lend themselves so beautifully to being a bit bold with colour, but I’d defo be looking at heritage colour pallets from f&b, little greene etc

Puffykins · 09/02/2025 18:08

The House and Garden website is a really great resource too - you can literally google House & Garden paint colours/ House & Garden farmhouse / House & Garden bedrooms etc. and there are loads of ideas and advice and pictures.

HereForTheFreeLunch · 09/02/2025 18:11

The vase is lovely - it doesn't need much. Mix and match with actual dried flowers or twigs and some nice flowers and grasses from IKEA or Dunelm. Or just top with a string of fairy lights.

Pick a colour you love and keep that as a theme. Pick different sets of contrasting and complimentary colours for different rooms with the single theme colour as accent colour throughout. But most important pick colours and things you love so you can stand and go ahhh even if it doesn't make great design sense.

LizzyOb · 11/06/2025 20:29

Just wanted to recommend FN Prints if you’re decorating. Their collections are lovely and everything’s printed with non-toxic, eco-friendly ink. https://fnprints.com/

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https://fnprints.com

Persephoknee · 11/06/2025 20:36

LizzyOb · 11/06/2025 20:29

Just wanted to recommend FN Prints if you’re decorating. Their collections are lovely and everything’s printed with non-toxic, eco-friendly ink. https://fnprints.com/

They seem to have hardly any choice? Very limited? Is it going to expand at all?

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