New here!

sklopfer

Hey all. I've been using the nest for a while, but I don't think I've ever used the community boards. I just (well, 'We' just) bought a house, but my husband right now is in afghanistan. I've been a renter for 6 years, and I'm really excited to be able to make modifications on my house! 

Since I've been renting, I don't have a ton of furniture, or decorations. And to be honest, I'm not the best interior decorator in the world. I was just wondering if you all had any tips on where to get started? Or any tips in general about owning a new house.  

TarHeels&Rebels

Hi

You should copy this post over to the Decorating & Renovating board

sklopfer

I realized that after I posted it, but I figure I'd come say hi anyway, lol. 

hillysuze

If you know what color paint you like, the home stores should be having Labor Day sales which usually includes paint. That stuff can really add up!

I'd also say don't do too much at once because if you planning on being there for a while, pace yourself or put items on a gift wish list for the holidays so you don't fly thru the budget (that's what DH and I did, we got a ton of tools and gift cards and most importantly, free help from friends and family when it came time to paint)

sklopfer

hillysuze:

If you know what color paint you like, the home stores should be having Labor Day sales which usually includes paint. That stuff can really add up!

I'd also say don't do too much at once because if you planning on being there for a while, pace yourself or put items on a gift wish list for the holidays so you don't fly thru the budget (that's what DH and I did, we got a ton of tools and gift cards and most importantly, free help from friends and family when it came time to paint)

Thats a great idea. I moved a few states away from my family, so we usually get gift cards as gifts. We plan on being here for about 6 years, maybe longer if we can get jobs here. But right now, we're just going to school (5 years for me, 4 years for him after he gets out of the military). I'm glad that the seller staged the house,  because I really like the color they painted the living room! It saves me a ton of work. 

SparklerSpades

Congrats on owning your first home! So exciting My husband and I started decorating by going to the library or book stores and just sifting through decorating/design magazines. It took a while for us to agree on ANYTHING If your hubby wants to be a part of the process you could check out the design pages on the site and email ideas to him.

Copying other people's designs is a good fool-proof way to decorate for the design-blind (I'm one of them! couldn't come up with an original idea if i tried!). 

We started slow and just picked up pieces we liked along the way. Our space is small so it didn't take us too long to fill it up. If you're on a budget check craigslist and garage sales - but don't just buy things you like, buy things that will work with the look you want.  Best of luck to you both!!!

SparklerSpades

P.S. If you need appliances - never underestimate what you can find on craigslist! We bought and REO (forecosure) and the previous owner took EVERYTHING! We found brand new stainless steel refrigerator and beautiful 5-burner ss range for less than 1/2 we could find retail. Just thought it was worth mentioning in case you need any appliances. (My hubby is obsessed with craigslist, so we find lots of things on there)

silversparks

Welcome! We also bought our 1st home just over a month ago - I think we now have 3x the space and the same amount of furniture = a lot of time and $$$ to decorate. I think the best advice we got is to pace ourselves and PRIORITIZE. Like you said, you're hoping to be there for awhile, so take some time to figure out how you're actually using the space, especially since your DH is overseas. I made an Excel workbook with a spreadsheet for every room of the house listing all the furniture and any other decor and repairs needed, expected budget and priority for each. It's a work in progress... maybe I'm just OCD but it does help me feel less overwhelmed. And I do spend more time lurking on the D&R board...

sklopfer

deborahandsteven:

Welcome! We also bought our 1st home just over a month ago - I think we now have 3x the space and the same amount of furniture = a lot of time and $$$ to decorate. I think the best advice we got is to pace ourselves and PRIORITIZE. Like you said, you're hoping to be there for awhile, so take some time to figure out how you're actually using the space, especially since your DH is overseas. I made an Excel workbook with a spreadsheet for every room of the house listing all the furniture and any other decor and repairs needed, expected budget and priority for each. It's a work in progress... maybe I'm just OCD but it does help me feel less overwhelmed. And I do spend more time lurking on the D&R board...

 

Fortunately, my husband doesn't really care much about decorating, so I can do whatever I want!

 I like your idea of the excel workbook, I like lists and organized stuff like that, it makes me feel less anxious about all the work I have to do. I like when people post their pictures of their bedrooms! I've seen a few with white furniture and dark blue walls, which has helped me a bunch. When I move there, I have about two weeks before my lease is up here, so I will have a lot of time to paint without furniture and boxes being in the way. That's my first priority, everything else can wait a while.  

mypalbabs

I think we have dog twins!  Do you know Indiana's breed?  No one has ever been able to guess Gypsy's breed with any accuracy.  She's an absolute mutt.

 

 

sklopfer

Cute!! No I have no idea what he is. When I got him from animal control, they said he was a pit shepherd mix. I don't believe them because he's like 27 lbs. Does your dog's ears stick up? I'm thinking of doing that DNA test, because I'm really curious!