Your decorating dilemmas solved, part II
How to carry off a feature wall, why white paint is wrong, how to choose a sofa, quick fixes for rentals, and remembering that walls are not magnetic. Read on for the answers.
Last month I did a round-up of the 10 most common design questions I am asked and it seemed to go down well, so I thought it might be helpful to tackle some more topics that arise again and again. And as I said last time, if the same things are coming up repeatedly, they must be affecting and possibly holding up a lot of projects – so let’s dive right in.
1. HOW DO I KNOW IF I’VE MADE THE RIGHT DECISION?
The rest of that sentence goes: “and because I’m so scared of getting it wrong, I won’t make any decision at all”, which is a slightly different take on last month’s ‘analysis paralysis’.
It’s about making a decision and letting go because you feel comfortable with that choice – and not constantly returning to it and changing it because you’re worried it wasn’t the right thing to do in the first place.
There’s probably no completely satisfactory answer to this situation – but I do believe we have often lost the ability to listen to our gut instinct. You know how, when you make a decision but you want to keep talking about it? When that’s me, it signifies that I haven’t found the right answer because it’s not going away and allowing me to move on to the next thing. And, at other times, you make a decision and you almost forget about it, because somewhere inside you know it was right, so you can just stop thinking about it.
When it comes to interiors I suspect we get stuck around the practical stuff such as cost and the possible knock-on effects (resale) and feel that we must always make sensible choices rather than choosing things which are completely right for us and the way we live. But if you love love colour and pattern and that is what makes you feel you, then surely that’s a more sensible decision for you and your home than a magnolia ceiling. Plain decor might please the estate agent, but if you’re not planning on inviting them round for a few years it’s a rather pointless choice.
When it comes to cost, of course we all have budgets to work within (or around!) but taking the time to make the right decision for you and the way you live means you will only have to do it once. Can you put a price on peace of mind?
Don’t decorate your house for the person who may live in it after you – chances are they will be looking for an excuse to personalise it for themselves anyway, so by doing things your way, you have just given it to them (the one concession to selling I would make is tidying up and showing that there’s plenty of storage).
That means decorate for you. Don’t worry about trends, but do what you feel will make you happy. As always, look at your wardrobe. What is it about your favourite shirt that still appeals, 10 years on? Is there a colour, a pattern, a style that you always reach for because it makes you feel your best? Your home should do that for you too.
2. QUICK FIXES FOR RENTALS
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