The excitement of decorating your first home, whether it’s your own property or a rental, is hard to beat.
As you fill your home with knick-knacks and pieces of furniture, it’s best to be mindful of creating a personal zone that feels like a comforting refuge after a long, hard day at the office.
The last thing you’d want, is to create a cluttered area that looks like a garish nightmare!
It’s also important to consider decorating for greater functionality, fused with a pleasing, sophisticated visual style that you can grow into.
Here are some tips to help you design and decorate with a refined style as you transition into adulthood:
1) Start With Sufficient Storage
Project: Bandar Puteri, Puchong
It’s likely that your first home is going to be a modest sized space (that’s more affordable). Thus, it’s important to ensure that you have plenty of storage.
This will help maximise the space you do have and make it easier to keep your home organised.
If you own your home, consider built-in storage; if you’re renting; buy furniture that doubles as storage (e.g. sofas or bed frames with hidden compartments).
Putting everything in its rightful place reduces the appearance of clutter, is easier to keep clean, and adds to the illusion of more space.
2) Choose Classic Kitchenware And Cutlery Combos
Project: Fen Yang Mansion, Butterworth
Buying matching kitchenware is the perfect start to having a ‘grown-up’ space. This way, you can entertain and throw dinner parties like a bona fide adult!
You can’t go wrong with a simple set of white plates/bowls and silver cutlery that will suit just about any occasion.
While you’re at it, be sure to pick up some matching bath and hand towels that will add a touch of class to your bathroom.
3) Know When To Splurge And When To Skimp
Project: Banyan Tree Signatures, Kuala Lumpur
Decorating your own space doesn’t need to be so costly. The key is to invest in one piece of quality furniture per room, while hunting for bargains for smaller and less important side pieces.
Main pieces of furniture (e.g. a dining table and sofa) can set the tone of the entire room – and this is where most of your decor budget should be allocated.
If you have money to splurge on just one main piece, spend it on a good mattress.
Taking into consideration that a substandard mattress can cause body aches and pains, you’ll end up losing out on many nights of good rest.
It may even cost you more money in the long run to either replace the mattress or to deal with health issues that could result. Also, your comfort counts!
4) Frame Your Art And Showcase Your Collectibles
Project: The Arte, Subang West
Decorating like an adult does NOT mean forgetting your inner child. If you have a great Batman poster that you love, frame it up instead of pasting it on your wall with messy adhesives.
Choose earthy, dark wood frames to add crispness on a light background in pale pastel posters and images, while a thin barely-there border would work best for colour-rich, dramatic prints.
However, keep in mind that overcrowding your wall is not a good look; consider displaying art and other pieces sparingly.
If you have cool collectibles, show them off in a lighted showcase or display case. The idea is to simply highlight your ‘personality pieces’ in a more polished way.
5) Decorate With Indoor Plants
Project: 1A Kundang Estates, Selangor
Adding indoor plants way is a cost-effective way to add a touch of sophistication to your home. Nothing says ‘responsible adult’ like caring for another living thing.
A few well-placed plants will not only freshen up your space, it may also provide a calming visual respite to reduce stress and anxiety after a long day.
If you don’t spend a lot of time at home, opt for low-maintenance greens like snake plant, aloe vera, cacti, jade, or pothos plant. These no-hassle plants are also great for purifying the air.
Home decor that is also good for the environment? Now that’s adulting done right!
PropertyGuru Tip
BEWARE: The snake plant contains an active substance known as ‘Saponin’, which can cause vomitting, diarrhoea and rashes if accidentally eaten, according to the National Poison Centre.
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This post was contributed by Qanvast
Qanvast is the go-to renovation platform for homeowners to meet a right interior firm for their home makeover. Submit a simple form to start meeting interior designers, discuss your home design and compare quotes.