Whether you’ve just moved or your living arrangements have been the same for a while, it’s a good idea to give renovating your NYC home some thought. Since we’re talking about New York, chances are that the apartment you’re living in is on the smaller side of the spectrum. Sometimes it can be quite difficult to make tiny places look organized and put together. However, it’s not mission impossible. You just have to pay attention to some well-known and others not so well-known dos and don’ts. By following this article and not being scared to get your hands a little dirty, you’ll get there in no time.
Preparation is key for renovating your NYC home
First and foremost, you can’t just begin moving furniture and hoping for the best. This won’t work and you’ll just end up frustrated and unmotivated to continue. Try to sit down and write out your goals regarding the finished look, the practicality, the comfort, etc.
Find the time
Don’t try to do embark on this journey headfirst trying to tackle your job, kids and hobbies on the side. You need to make some room in your schedule. This means you should take some time off of work and maybe consider sending your kids to their grandparent’s place. Renovating your NYC home is not an easy task, so you should take it seriously.
Find the space
If you haven’t just moved in, you probably already have a few things in your possession. Supposing you don’t mean to throw out all of them, you need to think about finding some storage space where you can dispose of everything for the time being. This can be anything from a friends garage to renting a storage unit. If you’re not familiar with this, there are a lot of tips for renting a storage unit online. You should also think about decluttering your NYC apartment and putting everything into labeled boxes. This way, you’ll be able to put your things back to their place in no time.
Get everything you need for renovating your NYC home
Seeing that you’ve probably been thinking about redoing your NYC home for a while, you probably have some ideas of your own. It’s great if you can afford to search for these pieces in stores that are more high-end. Nonetheless, you can get some pretty good deals in flea markets and maybe even at garage sales. You just need to know where to look. For this, it is a good idea to ask older residents of your neighborhood. Who knows, they might even be trying to get rid of something you’ll find useful.
Lookup different design ideas
If you’re not the most talented interior designer out there, or, in other words, don’t have much of a sense for color coordination and feng shui, fear not. You can find a great deal of ideas online. Thanks to the ease of access that is present today, there’s an abundance of styling tips to transform your home and make it look like you had professional help. Tutorials with photos or even videos are the best place to go to, because you’ll have a better understanding of what you like or dislike. You might even stumble upon some wild ideas like making your own furniture or creating a basement apartment.
Start from the outside in
When decorating your NYC home, walls are the first thing you should think about. They can make or break the overall impression of your place. It’s highly recommended to look for lighter colors that are going to make the apartment look clean and bright. Light walls also affect how big the place is going to seem. However, if you’re a major fan of darker colors, so be it. You can compromise by painting one of the walls grey or Bordeaux and making it pop, while still maintaining the openness and luminescence of a light-painted room.
Think about redoing the floors to jazz up your NYC home
It’s likely that you won’t be able to do this alone, but you may want to consider splurging on some good quality hardwood floors. If done right, flooring can last for a long time. This way, if you really think about a long term plan, you’ll even be saving money by not having to remodel every few years.
Invest a bit more in the statement pieces
If you don’t feel the need to invest in floors or already have fairly nice ones, statement pieces are an alternative which you can spend your rainy day fund on. These pieces are usually the big things you thought about spending more on anyway. Furniture like couches, beds, closets are a good example. On the other hand, this can be merely an item that you think will make the place nicer. So anything can be taken into consideration, as long as it makes your place joyful.
The devil lies in the details
So you have your bigger pieces in order and are almost ready to move in. At this point, all that is left is to do is think about the details. Even though it might sound like an unnecessary part of renovating your home in New York, this will help the apartment shine and come together. Without these little bits and pieces your place would be left looking unfinished:
- Details on the walls
Here the accent should be on pictures of your friends and family, mirrors and some shelves you managed to find at the flea market. It will make your walls warm and homey. - Rugs and carpets are essential when furnishing your NYC home
You can play with shapes, sizes, textures, and colors. - Lighting
Lamps and candles will make your home feel cozy and serene. - Extra decorations
Anything from some daisies on the dining room table to a cookie jar in the kitchen is a great choice.
Final thoughts
Finishing touches that you’ll get to over the years to come will make renovating your NYC home complete. Be it height marks that will show your kid’s growing up or an indentation on your favorite couch spot, these little scars and bruises are what make a house or an apartment into a home.