Decorating a house from scratch- do you have the same style throughout?

[Wiggy29]

We're in process of buying a home that will need decorating throughout and as we aren't that mad on our current furniture (cheap Ikea stuff), our plan is to do one room at a time. My question is this:

In the same situation, would you pick a style for the whole house (e.g. Swedish/ shabby-chic/ Moroccan etc) or would you style each room individually?

At the moment my house is just full of random stuff I like and to be honest, looks more hotch-potch mess than 'funky eclectic'! Hoping for something a little better in my next home!

[MaryMotherOfCheeses]

I'm not sure themed rooms are the way to go. It'll look staged and you'll get bored of it.


Just do them as you like.

I like a house to have a palate (pallet? Cant remember how to spell it) of colours, so that it all hangs together, especially if its a small house, but its hardly essential.

[Wiggy29]

Yes, I worried about that, my MIL has a French shabby-chic style throughout and while it's impressive, it looks (to me) like a cold show home with no heart.

[MrsZimt]

Last year we bought a wreck, a blank canvas.
We don't have same style throughout. We probably have a funky mix.

Bathroom is very modern.

Living room has picture rails (I put in), a huge fireplace, red feature wall and squishy (Ikea) sofas.
Kitchen is wooden painted custom made from a carpenter plus dining area with chandelier.
Teens' bedrooms are modern colourful dens.
Baby's (4 yo) bedroom is pink and purple.
Hallway has an original oak floor (to be sanded), dado rail (to be put in) and will be painted in FB Borrowed Light (top) and Cooks Blue (bottom) with white rope twist spindels (to be sanded down and painted) and a blue stripy stair carpet (to be bought and fitted).

Downstairs loo will have a London Transport theme (think Metro tiles and borders, original herringbone wooden floor and Roca London sink).

Not really one style throughout

Go for what you like. Get magazines or look online for things you love. Discover your personal style and get a feel for the house before you start decorating. Some rooms beg for certain colours.
Our hallway begs for Borrowed Light. I have loved this colour for years, seen it in a few houses and bought a tester pot today to find out if my obsession is ridiculous. It looks beautiful on our walls, in the downstairs hallway, on the first floor and the loft. I can't wait to paint it (dado rail needs fitting first).

[MissFenella]

From personal experience I would go quite bland for the 1st year or so. Our house needed every room doing too so we made it tolerable and then got to know the house, the light in the rooms, the feel, how we used them etc and then started doing the real 'us' decorating. Its worked really well and we love out home and there is always a chance to add something new. Good luck and have fun!

[Wiggy29]

Idea of leaving it a year sounds really sensible. I was thinking of doing kid's first (to make them feel at home but also because I know what style I want for them) and then start on the kitchen as I fancy one with free standing units which means we can add to it as we can afford/ find things.

Not sure whether to paint everything else cheap White, at the moment it's all pretty psychedelic/ 70s (nasty headache rather than funky) or just save money/time/energy& leave it until we can afford to do them properly& instead start on what we can do (e.g. Stripping wooden floors/ varnishing etc).

[poocatcherchampion]

we are doing a mixture of both wiggy. leaving the craziness of current decor until we get to the room and have a few ideas (order determined by cost and ideas) and then paint it white - undercoat while we really think. about it.

tis great fun -house is a tip mind!

[BOF]

I think it's worth the time painting it all white for now, I really do. Gets rid of the feeling you are in someone else's house, and really helps you re-visualise things.

[OnePlanOnHouzz]

Agree with BOF ! White wash will give you a true sense of the space available ! Maybe look at furniture that you can swap about from one room to the next... this will give you small changes without cost outlay to stop you getting bored with the look and will continue some sense of flow throughout your home . Neptune has some lovely stuff, I closing freestanding bits and bobs for the kitchen AND fitted kitchen bits - so you get the best of both worlds !! Hope that helps ! :-)

[OnePlanOnHouzz]

*Including - not I closing !! Bloomin predictive text !!

[MortifiedAdams]

Our flat is old, high ceilings etc. We have renovated the hall, bedrooms and lounge. All have a similar feel, white woodwork, sanded floors and traditional.paint colours but with a modern twist. We havent gone too themey.

However, things like bookshelves, side tables etc all match throughout as I like the thought that I can move stuff round as needed. A lot of our furniture has spent time in multiple rooms.

[Beccaboola]

Wiggy29, I agree with MissFenella. It's best to sit in your house for a year or so before embarking on any crazy alterations. You will no doubt have tons of ideas, and only time will tell which ones will stick, and which ones you get tired of.
I'd also think about the following bits which might dictate a few of your decisions:

1. do you want to do any structural alts or is it purely decorative? (The former will soak up more Of your budget obvs)
   
2. is it a period property with any features worth emphasising?
   Giving yourself time to decide what you like will also help you prioritise jobs + budget for the most important/pressing items.
   Also, keep your eyes open. The internet is fab for ideas, but pay attention to places you go (cafe/library/shop etc) to that make you feel lovely, and see if there are any ideas you can steal.
   :-)

[Wiggy29]

Thanks for the advice. I've started some boards on pintrest to get the creative juices following and it's interesting to see that a lot of the décor I'm drawn to isn't the style I'd imagined I would like. Really valid point about swapping furniture too, we do that currently with our cheap Ikea stuff but hadn't really thought about it for our new home. Cheers.