Whatever the motivation, for some beginners getting into home decorating can be a challenge, necessitating thinking about colors, surfaces, lighting and furnishings across a whole house. As with any major undertaking, however, the trick is to tackle decorating room by room, rather than trying to launch a complete makeover in one fell swoop.
Walls, floors and colors
A professional interior designer always begins by checking on how a given room is to be used. From this firm base, they can then select appropriate colors and lighting and take decisions about floor and wall coverings.
In most cases, beginners can get good advice on decorating ideas from their local company, including tips on hanging wallpaper and fitting Earthscapes vinyl flooring. Taking advantage of the stylish trend of using wallpaper on a feature wall and painting the rest is a great idea, as wallpapering is a skilful job and doing an entire room is time-consuming and hard work.
In a bedroom, it makes sense to choose calm, neutral tones for walls and either carpet or cushioned vinyl flooring with shag pile rugs. Living areas and circulation points, such as stairways and entrance halls, get heavier traffic so hardwearing flooring is essential, and, if there are children at home, washable wall surfaces can be a lifesaver.
Most kitchens and bathrooms benefit from waterproofed flooring, and decorators often opt for brighter, cheerful colors and lighting in a kitchen and more muted shades in the bathroom.
Choosing furnishing
In living rooms and dens, specialists aim to make sure the furniture and the décor are closely integrated. Contemporary furniture can look good in a traditional room if it is accentuated through matching or complementary colors reflected in drapes, cushions and other accessories.
Most rooms look much more interesting and cleverly coordinated if the eye is drawn to a centerpiece such as a fireplace, or a classic or unusual piece of furniture or artwork.
Installing vinyl flooring
Vinyl is extremely versatile and can be installed on any surface, however correct preparation is the key to achieving an accomplished and elegant finish. For example, to lay Earthscapes vinyl flooring directly onto a concrete floor, specialist companies always make sure any bumps have been removed and all cracks and holes have been repaired.
It’s certainly possible to lay new vinyl over old, as long as the existing floor is in a reasonably good state of repair. Professionals use a coat of embossing leveler if there are any indentations so the existing vinyl floor is rendered smooth.
When a floor is really uneven or made of hardwood, and if it is not practical simply to remove it, using plywood underlayment before fitting vinyl is recommended. Carpeting and vinyl experts always remind their clients that when an underlayment is used the floor level will rise – so some attention needs to be paid to the need for altering doors or floor trim molding to accommodate the new floor.
Enjoying the experience
Home decorating doesn’t have to be a daunting chore – most beginners find they get into the spirit of the task and positively enjoy the planning, taking time to achieve great color matching and choosing appropriate furnishings, making the whole experience about turning a house into a special home.
