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Let the Decorating Begin!

Six tips to get you started on outfitting your first home

By Laura McDonald, ASID
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Solve practical problems inexpensively.
Previous: Use color to tie everything together.
Creative solutions are commonly budget-driven. Why? if you had the bucks then you could rip out and start over. An empty bank account is truly the mother of invention. If your kitchen cabinets are drab, you can freshen them with paint and easily change out the hardware. However, keep in mind that the hardware is the "jewelry" of the room, so just as you tend not to wear pearls with sweat pants, don’t bother installing overly decorative (and very expensive) cabinet hardware on cheaply fabricated woodwork. It will look out of place, and the money can be put to better use elsewhere.

In the bathroom, something as simple as replacing the lighting can immediately improve the room's appearance (and possibly your own!). If you find the typical incandescent R-type lamps in your new place, replace them with the less "yellow" PAR-type bulbs instead. Another inexpensive solution with a big payoff is to install dimmer switches to keep light levels low for a midnight bathroom break or to create a romantic mood for bubble baths for two.



Clean house before you move in.

Decide which room to decorate first.

Don't buy everything all at once.

Resist the urge to match.

Use color to tie everything together.


Solve practical problems inexpensively.


Quiz: What's Your Style?
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Laura McDonald, IIDA/ASID, grew up in rural West Texas obsessively playing with Legos and poring over her mother’s issues of Architectural Digest. After earning a BS in Civil Engineering and MFA in Interior Design, she gained valuable industry experience by working on commercial projects for 7+ years. She has now combined her love of design, writing and education with the online interior design magazine, PLiNTH & CHiNTZ, and the online forum for design and decor enthusiasts, CLUB CHiNTZ.

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