How To Start Decorating Your Home

Start decorating your home by putting the accessories, patterns and colors you like in one pile.  Gather together things that put you in a good mood and make you happy.  These things could be as simple as a flower you picked up on the way from work, a paint chip, a picture of a pattern you like, an earring with pretty colors, a vintage picture frame and anything else you like to look at.   

Put together as many things as you want, and you can go through them and pick out the ones that especially work later.  This process will help you find your personal style that will be unique, just as you are. 

Once you have a good amount of things, pin them up.  You can use a foam-core board, a door or a bulletin board.  Tape down or pin all of the things you have collected and take a look at the overall result.  This is your personal style board.   

Stand back and take a look at it again.  Get rid of some objects that now don't feel like they belong there.  You are done when you feel very happy with your design collage.  

After creating a style board, think about what it says about you.  What elements stand out the most?  What are the patterns, colors, shapes and textures that repeat again and again?  What is the overall mood of your board?  Is it classical or modern?  Is it simple, rich, complicated, calm, busy, graphic or playful?  Ask other people what they think about your board. 

Here are some additional questions to ask yourself to help you find your inner decorator: 

What are the things you like hanging on your walls?  Do these things have a theme?  Are they favorite photos?  Is it only one thing because you like the clean, minimalistic look?  Do you like looking at original art pieces? 

When shopping for accessories for your home, do you pick anything that catches your eye?  Do you deliberately put things together that match in colors and styles? 

Do your favorite color combinations include mostly neutral tones with white, black and beige?  Or is it warm palette with reds and yellows, or cool palette with blues and greens?  Do you just like to mix a variety of colors together and then see if you like it? 

What are some of the most important things for you in your home?  Is it physical comfort and coziness?  Is it home's style and creative impact? 

What do you have most of in your house?  Is it candles and baskets?  Books and magazines?  Or art pieces? 

Answer some of these questions, and incorporate your answers and your personal style board into decorating your house.