Home redecorating

[hannah.jenkins]

Ok, so i have been inspired by this new ikea site

to revamp my whole house. its a little overwhelming and i was wondering if anybody had any success or horror stories concerning their own house?

im going to be using a lot of ikea upholstery, pattern and print now as it just looks so vibrant and my whole house just seems bland...very 'beige' if you like.

am i taking on too much by attempting the whole house?

Thanks!

[professorpaul]

We just made a major move to a new house 15 months ago. Got rid of a LOT of furniture, etc., from old place, and essentially started over. Maybe retained 25% of old furniture. These thoughts:

1. Have an overall theme or plan. General color scheme, trim, ceilings, etc.

1. Painting first, if possible.

2. Papering, unless it is something small, like a bathroom.

1. Hang fixtures in bathroom, etc.

2. Next, window treatments & carpets, if not wall-to-wall

1. Furniture, pictures, accessories, etc.

Do large areas first, then bedrooms, baths, etc. Closets present a problem, as then have to be cleaned out, shelves taken down, etc. You could pass on the closets, perhaps.

We have used a lot of Ikea stuff over the years -- #2 son used to work for them. Excellent value for the money. I have a desk and a couple of book cases in my office that are at least 15 years old, and still in excellent shape. Need to tighten them up occasionally, but that it is it. You can paint the wood stuff if you wish, but break the lacquer finish first to get good paint bonding.

If you have every visited homes in Europe, they are generally apartment/city dwellers, and frequently have to deal with older buildings. Ikea's products are targeted to that market, IMHO.

Try to minimize disruption in such areas as kitchen, bathroom(s). If you are going to do a kitchen renovation, be prepared to eat out a lot during the process. We had a major overhaul of the kitchen at one point at our old house, which took 6 weeks. Be warned...

Having a reasonable overall plan is very helpful. Do the stuff you can, contract out what your budget can afford. You really don't have to do it all at once. It can be overwhelming, so it is easy to loose heart and get bogged down.