9 Interior Design Tips for New Home Buyers

La-Z-Boy Southeast | February 27, 2018

Are you purchasing your first home or moving to a new part of town? These interior design tips for new home buyers will bring a fresh start to your new living space.

At La-Z-Boy Home Furnishings & Décor, we’ve helped thousands of new home buyers furnish their living rooms, dining rooms, and bedrooms.

In this article and video, we will share nine interior design tips for new home buyers.

1) Clean Out Your Old Home

Moving into a new home is a great opportunity to take stock of your current belongings. You can get a fresh start by cleaning out the things you no longer use.

Items in good condition can be donated or sold online with apps like Craigslist, LetGo, or eBay. Then you can use these funds toward your new home furnishings.

Cleaning house will make the process of moving much easier because you’ll have less to pack. It also opens up space for your new living areas.

2) Measure Your New Room

Pull out a tape measurer and write down the dimensions of your new rooms. Most people type the feet and inches into their phone so they always have the numbers with them.

While your phone is out, go ahead and take pictures of the room you’re updating. This way you’ll be able to reference these pics as needed.

Start with the walls then measure the walkways in the room. Knowing the dimensions of the room will help you with the room layout.

3) Sketch Your Room Layout

Now that you’ve written down the dimensions, you can make a sketch of your room layout.

These sketches don’t have to be perfect. They simply need to give you an idea of what you can fit inside the room.

Be sure to make note of the design features of your room like doors, windows, fireplaces, etc.

4) Visualize New Furniture

After the room is sketched, visualize where you’d like to put your new sofa, loveseat, rug, and other furniture. Try a few different layouts and see what you like best.

Bring your sketches and tape measurer with you when you’re shopping for furniture. Measure the width and height of furniture that catches your eye and see how it’ll fit in your room.

Write down the furniture dimensions and estimate their position in your sketches. When you’re back home, measure the area again to see if these pieces will fit.

5) Get Free Interior Design Advice

Furniture shopping can be complicated because you’ll have to choose from a wide variety of:

Design Styles
Furniture Combinations
Available Options

This is why most people seek out advice from an interior designer.

At your local La-Z-Boy Furniture Gallery, you can meet with a degreed interior designer for free. This completely personalized and free service is tailored to your life, style, and budget.

They’ve helped thousands of new home buyers complete their interior design projects.

Seeking guidance from friends and family with good taste is another way to get free interior design advice. Always make sure the person giving you advice understands your personal style.

6) Invest in Primary Pieces

Your sofa, couch, and sectional will be the focal point of the room and your largest investment. These primary pieces of furniture need to be timeless so you can build around them as your style evolves.

Picking a neutral color for your primary pieces allows you to style the rest of the room with a variety of accessories, tables, and chairs.

Purchasing primary pieces with a timeless style and neutral fabric helps you get the most out of your investment.

7) Choose Your Fabric Before You Paint

It’s much easier to match your paint to the fabric of your primary pieces.

At La-Z-Boy Southeast, you’ll find hundreds of fabric options. But there’s a near infinite amount of paint colors to choose from.

Bring samples of your fabric when you’re picking out paint. Look for colors that complement the fabric. And ask for advice if you’re not sure.

8) Mix & Match

When everything in your home matches, it can make for a bland and linear design. Let your personality shine by mixing different colors, fabrics, and textures into each room.

Start with a common theme or color. Then find curtains, rugs, and accessories to compliment the rest of the room.

You can also update your accessories as your style and the seasons change. This will keep your home feeling fresh as time marches on.

9) Set Up Landing Places

The first thing most people do when they get home is toss their keys and hang up their coat.

Setting up a “landing place” for your keys, coats, and other accessories keeps your home clean and organized. Have fun with it by setting up a custom coat rack or monogrammed key hanger in your entry way.

You’ll also have a harder time losing your keys by putting them in a designated place every day. But chances are they’ll still find a way to get lost.

Check Out These Additional Resources

We hope these interior design tips help you make your new place a home.

At La-Z-Boy Home Furnishings & Décor, our free design service gives you access to a degreed interior designer at no extra cost.

You may like to take a look at these additional resources before you start styling your new home:

We’d be happy to help you bring your dreams to life at any of our locations in NC, SC, and GA.