Once you have completed the planning for the rooms, hallways, and closets, you can begin to think about the finishing touches, those special touches that make a house a home. Pages and pages could be written about paint, window dressings, flooring, and carpets so this blog will attempt to give an overview and then you will be able to fill in the details as you desire them to be.
Paint: painting (and sometimes wallpapering) will make or break a room. Color choice is of course of major concern, but there are other considerations as well. What type of paint will you use on your walls, ceilings, doors, and cabinets? In areas of high usage such as lower walls, and doors you will want a paint that is durable and washable. There is also the choice of plain or textured walls and ceilings. Cupboards can be painted or finished wood. Choose colors that you are comfortable with and will also blend in with your furnishings. Neutral colors such as off white, cream, light beige or gray are considered the best for over-all use, but many people like a bit more color and that is fine. Especially in areas like the kitchen, bathroom, and bedrooms color adds a lot to the cheerfulness of the room. Children’s room need color to brighten their every-day outlook.
Window dressings: So many to choose from, it is difficult to know what will work best. There are different kinds of blinds to keep out light. Make sure when selecting blinds you will be able to clean them without a great deal of trouble. Curtains and drapes can be a lovely addition to a room, especially the living room and bedrooms. Here too, you want to make sure you can keep the curtain and drapes clean. Some fabrics will need to be dry cleaned only, and that can get expensive. Many people prefer blinds with a valance over the top. This is very attractive and lets in light with a splash of color over the window.
Flooring: Another essential part of home planning is what type of flooring to have in each room. Some people like the same flooring such as wood or tile throughout the house while others like a variety of floor styles. Again, there are many styles to choose from including wood, tile, linoleum, laminate, and vinyl. You will want to consider what type of usage the floors will receive and then base your choice on the characteristics of floor type. For example, are there young children? Do you have pets with large paws? Are there elderly who might slip and fall easily? Also, the type of floor you choose will need maintaining. How much time will you have or want to have taking care of the floors you choose?
Carpets: More and more homes are doing without carpets in all but the bedrooms. Carpets take a lot of time and expense to maintain and today’s busy homemakers, be they men or women, want to simplify the job of home maintenance. Having as little carpet as possible is one way of keeping maintenance hours and cost down. If you do decide on carpet, there are many styles and types to choose from. Visit a carpet store and take your time investigating durability, type of maintenance needed, and cost to install, including padding. Once you have decided on the carpet best suited to your needs, there will usually be a variety of colors and patterns from which to choose. Before making your final choice, consider children, pets, and elderly as a white or light-colored carpet for these users could be a disaster.
By now you will have spent hours and hours planning your dream home, but in the end, it will be worth it. Generally, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity so you will be glad you took your time in creating the vision you have. If there are others who will be living in the home, including children, it is a good idea to involve them in the planning as well. Find out their favorite colors, textures, and fixtures and see if you can work those into the plans as well as your own ideas. Have fun and enjoy your new home as your dream comes true.
