Getting Started with Decorating - Square Move. The first step in getting started with decorating is to make a realistic budget. With a budget in hand, you need to analyze your space. Is it big, small, odd-shaped, or problem-ridden? Brainstorm about the basics: walls, floors, and ceilings. How can you use paint, wallcoverings, and more to create effects? How do you choose the best flooring and the right lighting? Is there any way to dress up a boring ceiling? Consider color, patterns, and textures — they need to work together. Take some time to become familiar with different decorating styles, such as Traditional, Country, Modern, Cottage, and so on (see Chapters 9 and 10).
As you can see, home decorating calls for much more than painting walls a pretty color and buying furniture. From a decorating perspective, two types of rooms exist: the easy ones and the tough ones. You need decorating know-how to create the three tough rooms: the kitchen, the bathroom, and the home office. Entertaining at home is bigger than ever.