Fun Houzz: 9 Things All New Homeowners Know to be True
Just moved into a new home? Congratulations, the fun is just about to begin...
You’ve secured the mortgage, you’ve got the keys and you’ve sent out the new address cards. Congratulations and welcome to your new home! The hard work is over, right? Well, no. A new phase is about to begin and it will be familiar to anyone who’s ever bought their own home. A world of paint charts, fabric swatches and furniture decisions awaits. But don’t worry, you’re going to love it. Here are some of the steps you might recognise.
2 You will spend your weekends at DIY shops
With the new-found zeal of the recently converted, you will find yourself happily browsing the shelves of your local DIY store on a Saturday morning, humming to yourself as you fill a trolley with paintbrushes, rollers and tins of emulsion. Weekends will consist of DIY challenges as you experiment with feature walls and upholstery projects.
Check out 10 brilliantly effective upcycling projects
With the new-found zeal of the recently converted, you will find yourself happily browsing the shelves of your local DIY store on a Saturday morning, humming to yourself as you fill a trolley with paintbrushes, rollers and tins of emulsion. Weekends will consist of DIY challenges as you experiment with feature walls and upholstery projects.
Check out 10 brilliantly effective upcycling projects
3 You will steer every conversation to home-related issues
When friends come over to visit, you will find yourself dragging them into the living room and quizzing them on the relative merits of carpet or wooden flooring. You will bring out fabric swatches and paint chips and eagerly ask their opinion on feature walls. They will nod politely and sidle into the kitchen to make their own cup of tea.
When friends come over to visit, you will find yourself dragging them into the living room and quizzing them on the relative merits of carpet or wooden flooring. You will bring out fabric swatches and paint chips and eagerly ask their opinion on feature walls. They will nod politely and sidle into the kitchen to make their own cup of tea.
4 You will happily swap fashion for interiors
Your formally fabulous wardrobe will take second priority as your focus (and disposable income) moves from clothes to cushions. You know that savings tin that used to fund your shoe obsession? It’s about to be upgraded to a sofa fund.
Your formally fabulous wardrobe will take second priority as your focus (and disposable income) moves from clothes to cushions. You know that savings tin that used to fund your shoe obsession? It’s about to be upgraded to a sofa fund.
5 You will dream of paint charts
If the words ‘Elephant’s Breath’, ‘Mouse’s Back’ and ‘Down Pipe’ mean anything to you, you have already reached this stage. (For the uninitiated, these are Farrow & Ball colours.) You will obsess over the perfect shade, and the difference between indigo blue and petrol blue will take on an overwhelming importance.
You will paint swatches all over the walls and live with them as instructed to – watching the way they change according to the light at various times of the day. You will look at so many different options, you might even forget what your favourite colour even was in the first place.
If the words ‘Elephant’s Breath’, ‘Mouse’s Back’ and ‘Down Pipe’ mean anything to you, you have already reached this stage. (For the uninitiated, these are Farrow & Ball colours.) You will obsess over the perfect shade, and the difference between indigo blue and petrol blue will take on an overwhelming importance.
You will paint swatches all over the walls and live with them as instructed to – watching the way they change according to the light at various times of the day. You will look at so many different options, you might even forget what your favourite colour even was in the first place.
6 The same goes for fabric and wallpaper
You’ll order endless fabric and wallpaper swatches and pin them up all over the house to see how they work with the aforementioned paint colours.
There may well be a period of confusion before you arrive at the phase of enlightenment, as you wrestle with pattern and colour combinations. If you find this stage a bit overwhelming this could be the time to call in the experts and consult a professional.
See how professionals can help with small projects
You’ll order endless fabric and wallpaper swatches and pin them up all over the house to see how they work with the aforementioned paint colours.
There may well be a period of confusion before you arrive at the phase of enlightenment, as you wrestle with pattern and colour combinations. If you find this stage a bit overwhelming this could be the time to call in the experts and consult a professional.
See how professionals can help with small projects
7 You will drool over the ‘before and after’ images on Houzz…
…and dream of the day when your house will look more like the ‘after’ photo, rather than a building site. Hold your nerve – you will get there. Revisiting your inspiration ideabooks at this point will help to keep your spirits up and your motivation high.
…and dream of the day when your house will look more like the ‘after’ photo, rather than a building site. Hold your nerve – you will get there. Revisiting your inspiration ideabooks at this point will help to keep your spirits up and your motivation high.
8 You will become a sofa expert
Don’t know your modular from your chesterfield? Just wait, you’ll be an expert in no time. In fact, you may well find yourself debating the merits of corner sofas over cosy two-seaters with the Houzz community.
Anyone who has ordered a sofa or large piece of furniture will also be familiar with the moment of doubt when it arrives and you wonder whether it will actually fit into your living room… Or even through the front door. But when it finally takes pride of place in your new living room, it will be worth all the drama.
See how to choose a sofa you’ll love for years
Don’t know your modular from your chesterfield? Just wait, you’ll be an expert in no time. In fact, you may well find yourself debating the merits of corner sofas over cosy two-seaters with the Houzz community.
Anyone who has ordered a sofa or large piece of furniture will also be familiar with the moment of doubt when it arrives and you wonder whether it will actually fit into your living room… Or even through the front door. But when it finally takes pride of place in your new living room, it will be worth all the drama.
See how to choose a sofa you’ll love for years
9 You will finally finish your makeover
Settle back and savour the moment. All the hard work is over and you’ve created a home. Enjoy this feeling – chances are you’re already looking around for your next decorating project. And then it will all begin again.
TELL US…
Have you recently moved into a new home? What else would you add to this list? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
Settle back and savour the moment. All the hard work is over and you’ve created a home. Enjoy this feeling – chances are you’re already looking around for your next decorating project. And then it will all begin again.
TELL US…
Have you recently moved into a new home? What else would you add to this list? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
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Think you have a lot of ideabooks now? Give it a few months and you will find you spend every waking minute trawling Houzz, finding the best pros for your projects and creating ideabooks for each room in your new home. Night will fall as you keep on adding ‘just one more’ photo…