Do you want your home to look like the beautiful images you see on Pinterest or TikTok but aren’t sure where to start with decorating your house? I got you.
After following these 7 steps, you will have a home that feels more like home. They are:
Ready to get started? Let’s go!
How to decorate your house
Decorating a house can be exciting, overwhelming, fun, and frustrating all at the same time. Whether you are moving into a new home or just want to refresh the space you’re in, the enormous number of choices to make when decorating your house can make the process feel impossible.
But the thing is, decorating your house is not impossible; it just takes time. To be fair, it also takes skill, creativity, and money – but all of that can be figured out with time.
Now, I’m not going to tell you how to decorate your home, just how to figure out how to decorate your home. If you’re a home decorating beginner, or just need a little bit of guidance, let’s go through the steps of where to start with decorating your house in more detail. I am working on making super in-depth guides of each step of the home decor process, if you want to be notified of when they are ready, you can subscribe here:
Step 1: Prioritize
It doesn’t matter if you have a huge mansion or a tiny apartment, you need to decide what home décor areas you should focus your attention on first. Head to the area you want to decorate and take a look around. First, think about why you want to redecorate this space. If you want to successfully redecorate your home, you need to have this figured out or else you’ll just be unhappy again in a couple of months. For example, if you’re annoyed at how cluttered your office space is, you should probably prioritize storage solutions. If your living room just feels cold and boring, find design styles that make you feel warm and cozy.
Now, while you’re looking around the space you’d like to redecorate, ask yourself the following questions:
- How often does this space get used?
- What is it used for?
- What do you like?
- What would you like to improve?
From there, make a list of all the things the space needs to make it look and feel the way you’d like it to. Does it need new furniture? A different paint color? Just something simple like refreshing the home accents? Then, decide which improvements you want to make right now and which can wait a few months – or, let’s be real – years.
Congratulations, you just completed the first step in where to start with decorating your home!
Step 2: Plan the layout
Before buying anything, plan your layout to figure out where each item will go. Focus on functionality first when planning your layout. One of the biggest mistakes home decorating beginners make is just trying to make the room look good but then finding it hard to live in.
This step should be taken very seriously since good flow is key in home design. How seriously? I’m talking measuring tape, graph paper, and maybe even some online tools like Houzz Pro that allows you to input your room’s dimensions and try out different furniture arrangements.
Tip: Once you have an idea of what you’d like to add to your space, take measurements! You’ll need these when ordering things like furniture, rugs, and even artwork. Believe me, ordering the wrong size couch is a horrible mistake!
Step 3: Set a home decorating budget
I’m not going to sugarcoat it: decorating a home is expensive. And I’m not just talking about doing a major renovation – even freshening up a small space can add up quickly. That’s why it is important to take an honest look at your bank account and decide how much money you can spend on your home decorating project.
Before you pull a number out of thin air, it’s a good idea to list all of the items you want and need for the space you have decided to work on. For example, if you choose to decorate your living room, you need to think about what you already have, what’s missing, and what you’d like to replace. Maybe you already have a couch, but you want to update your old rug with a trendy floral rug, add that rug to the list. Do you need lighting? Add it to the list – you get it. But make sure to be specific. You should include specifics like “table lamp” and “tall lamp for the corner” to your list instead of writing down “lighting.”
Now, you can start looking through websites to find home decorations you think would fit in your space to get an idea of how much they cost. Write the numbers down on your list, add them up, and see if it’s do-able for your budget. If it is, YAY, move on to step 3. If not, look at where you can cut costs in order to get to a number that you feel more comfortable with.
Tip: Shop secondhand I am a huge fan of thrift and antique stores! Shopping secondhand is more sustainable and SO much more affordable than the big box stores. Plus, you have a better chance of finding unique items that will give your space more pizazz.
Step 4: Define your home décor style
Defining your home décor style sounds intimidating, doesn’t it? Tastes change, and so do home décor trends, so try not to put too much pressure on yourself during this part of the process. Look through Pinterest, design magazines, and social media to find inspiration of what you like, and then get to work!
If you’re lucky, you’ll find that most of the images you are drawn to fit into the same home décor style category. But, there’s a good chance that you’ll have some eclectic home décor ideas saved along with a few coastal home décor styles, and maybe even a few moody academia home décor style ideas. Don’t panic – that doesn’t mean you’re hopeless and will never like how you decorate your home. It just means you get to create a more unique space – which will take a little more work.
I find that choosing a color palette before you start shopping helps me focus. The colors you use and the design style you want to focus on go hand in hand since the color palette sets the tone for your entire home. Now, you don’t haaaave to use the same colors throughout your home, but it makes it more cohesive, and a cohesive palette will make your home décor feel intentional and balanced.
When choosing your color palette, pick a base color for things like walls or large furniture. This is usually a neutral shade like white or beige. Then, add accent colors for décor and artwork. Most designers recommend picking two or three complementary colors.
Keeping your design style and color palette in mind, you can start the fun part – let’s go shopping!!
Step 5: Choose anchor pieces
Finally – the fun part!
I recommend starting by buying the key furniture pieces when shopping for home décor. These are things like the bed, the dining table, the sofa—you know, the piece that makes the room you’re redecorating. There’s a good chance that this is also the piece that will take up the largest chunk of your budget, so don’t spend all your money on one item.
If you’re doing a larger remodel, this part of the process would include picking out things like paint colors, flooring materials, and cabinets – again, the main parts of a space.
While you’re shopping for furniture and materials, don’t forget about the work you already put in. Remember to think about the layout, the measurements you took, and the home décor style you are hoping to achieve.
Step 6: Give the space some personality
Once you have all the anchor pieces and foundations of your space taken care of, it’s time to make it feel more like you. Adding texture to the space with rugs, curtains, and throw pillows will add dimension and make it more interesting.
Using art is another great way to insert your personality into the space. I love finding vintage travel posters of places we have visited and adding family photos to pretty much any flat surface.
Last but not least – add some greenery! You can never have too many houseplants. They bring so much life to a space and they have tons of health benefits too.
Tip: Get free art images. You can download art images for free by searching online for public domain art. I love to scroll through Getty’s art collection to find pieces that match my space, have them printed at Walmart, and put them in a thrifted frame. It’s a budget-friendly way to give your space a high-end look.
Step 7: Don’t forget the lighting
The last steps in where to start with decorating a home is to add lighting. Your space will not look complete without having multiple light sources. I made a detailed post about the different lighting sources you should include in your home décor, but here’s a quick breakdown:
- Ambient lighting: Overhead fixtures for overall brightness
- Task lighting: Desk lamps, under-cabinet lights, or reading lamps
- Accent lighting: Wall sconces, string lights, or candles for ambiance
Welcome to your new space!
What do you think? Do you love your updated home decor? It’s okay if you love it today but want to make changes a few months from now – decorating is a journey, not a race, and it takes time. Your style and your needs will evolve and that’s totally normal!
Most importantly, this is YOUR home. I firmly believe that you should decorate your home the way you want to. Some interior designers and people on the internet might say something you love is out of style or dated, but if it’s something you love, do it anyway!
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