5 STEPS TO CREATING THE SPACE YOU REALLY WANT
We’ve all been there. Once upon a time, when you first moved into your own place – whether it was a student flat, your first place when you started working, or the first time you shacked up with someone – you had big dreams of creating your dream home. Thing is, you cut a lot of corners to save a buck, at the time everything came in duck egg blue, or you bought a set of eight (eight!) kantoorkoppies thinking that you’d replace them with something much nicer later. That day has yet to come. Now, every once in a while on a Sunday, you look around you and scoff. Don’t be so hard on yourself. You’re closer to creating your dream space than you think.
STEP ONE: CRAFT YOUR VISION
Okay, perhaps the words “dream space” might be causing you more anxiety than the fact that the kitchen clock with the knife-and-fork hands needs to go… as in, yesterday. It’s a lot of pressure. Rather, start by making a list of the things you’d like to get rid of, and what you think they’d fetch online. When the numbers add up, you’ll feel inspired to take that first step – and actually see it through.
STEP TWO: START AT THE FRONT DOOR
What’s the first thing you (or other people) see when entering your home? Take yourself on a journey through your house with a pair of fresh eyes and keep a list of every thought that jumps to mind. You can always scratch things off your list later, but list everything. It’s amazing how it gives you a clear overview of how you see your reimagined home taking shape. One trick to getting into the swing of things is to repaint your walls one room at a time. It literally helps you see your home in a new light, and instead of refitting your kitchen with new cupboards, why not paint them first to see how that works for you?
STEP THREE: THINK SCALES
When visualising how you want a room to look, the relative size of things is so important. Have you ever stood in a room where a tiny artwork floats unhappily on a large wall and wondered whether it was quite centre? Well, it’s not a vibe. With a large wall, go big. Bring in a mirror. You don’t have to go the full Rothko, but what about a cluster of smaller pieces? These can be a collection of related art photos, or an eclectic mix of unrelated photos, prints and other ornaments that put a smile on your face whenever you enter the room.
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STEP FOUR: LIVE IT
If only in your head. Visualising how a space would live is an important part of “naturalising” yourself and acclimatising to your vision before actually making your first move. This is also where you can make tweaks to your original vision, like perhaps you were eyeing a set of golden teacups, but have realised that a mismatched set of Delft and other antique cups would be more your vibe. Fun! Also, this is where you can decide which items must serve a practical function in your home and which are purely decorative.
STEP FIVE: IF ALL ELSE FAILS, GET AN EXPERT
There are people, like interior decorators, who specialise in finding the best solutions for your space. And most specialists will scale their offering to your needs (and budget). You might just want to start with your living area for now, and make sure they know that. Also, make sure they get you. There’s nothing worse than getting rid of a bunch of stuff you never wanted in the first place only to replace them with a whole new array of unwanted gemors.