Moving into a new (or your first) home and not sure where to start with decorating? Here's the method we follow!
When we moved into our first home, we knew that we wanted to makeover our entire house. Some rooms, like the kitchen, needed major work, while other rooms just needed paint and decor.
However, our time and money are limited. We needed to know where to focus and where to start when decorating our new home. Here is my advice, it's what we did and it worked great for us!

Before decorating
First, address anything un-safe or un-livable. This should be done prior to move in if at all possible.
For us, the day after closing on the house and the day before we moved in, we had the whole HVAC system replaced. It wasn't a fun way to spend money, but it was full of black mold and so very nasty.
The first room to start decorating
Now the fun part. When it comes to decorating and design, I suggest that you start with the master bedroom. It might seem unimportant compared to more visible areas of your home, but hear me out.
Your bedroom is your sanctuary. Even when everything else is in chaos, it's so important to have a beautiful, comfortable place to retreat to at night, especially if you are escaping messy renovations or projects elsewhere in your space.
Your first new furniture? A king bed and mattress. The first room you paint? Your bedroom. Trust me, you will appreciate it during the next phase.
Decorating open spaces
Phase three is all of your public spaces. Living room, kitchen, entry, dining room, deck - wherever you plan on entertaining. You'll have to prioritize these by budget and time requirements and by how bad they each are.
Decorating additional private spaces
Finally, work on other more private spaces. Guest bedrooms, laundry room, play rooms. You'll get to them, but you probably want to work on the areas that your guests will see first.
This is the method that works best for us. I would love to hear what you think and what has worked best for you!
If you like this post, be sure to check out our post on the biggest mistakes new homeowners make!
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Hello, I'm Morgan, half of the creative force behind CharlestonCrafted.com! With a passion for DIY that dates back to 2012, I've transformed three homes and now I'm dedicated to helping others craft their dream spaces. Let's turn your house into a home together!
Afton Jackson says
It made a lot of sense to read the part of your article that talked about how important the master bedroom is to decorate when moving into a new home. I've been so engrossed in looking for homes to buy that I never put much thought into what I'd do when I finally move in. As someone who does get tired very easily, I'll definitely keep your bedroom advice in mind when I continue looking for home listings that are on sale.
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