Create The Room Of Your Dreams

Experts suggest the best way to color coordinate a look for your new living room: Take the color selected from your sofa and pick two complementary colors and repeat each color a minimum of three times throughout the room.

Decorating doesn’t have to be confusing for first-time homebuyers.

Starting with the basics and slowly adding small, decorative touches can help first-time homebuyers feel more at home. Here are some decorating tips:

Begin with a Budget

Allocate dollars for flooring, paint, furniture, decorative accessories and any additional items.

Then make a list of “needs,” such as a sofa and coffee table, and a list of “wants,” such as a portable kitchen island or a plasma television.

Start with the Basics

Take inventory of furniture items that will make the move into the new home and those that will not.

Select furniture to keep based on your new decorating style or start with a new sofa.

For those facing space challenges, look for furnishings that combine fashion with function.

A sleep sofa, for instance, performs double duty, turning a den into an instant guest room when out-of-town guests arrive.

Likewise, a storage ottoman can double as a cocktail table, while hiding magazines, toys and DVDs.

Plan Ahead

Before making furniture purchases, plan the layout of the room.

First-time buyers may have a hard time visualizing how their favorite chair and new sofa group will all fit together in the same space.

Add a Touch of Color

Once furniture fabrics are selected, homeowners can start building a color scheme.

Take the color selected for your sofa and pick two complementary colors.

Repeat each color a minimum of three times throughout the room in wall coverings, pillows, rugs, window treatments and accessories. This will help tie all items in the room together.

Get Personal

It’s time to accessorize.

Use a wedding photo album as a coffee-table book, frame pictures of family and friends or display shells and rocks collected on vacation to make the home more warm and welcoming.

Personal touches are what truly transform a house into a home.