You will, of course, make a plan for decorating or renovation. But you also need to prep your home to make sure nothing gets in the way, to do a good job, and to make sure it is safer.
Move Out as Much as You Possibly Can
First, remove everything that isn’t nailed down and is safe to remove. A cleared room is much easier to work with. And you also ensure that you can usually access hard-to-reach areas such as ceiling corners or behind things. Otherwise, you risk damaging items or hurting yourself if you are moving heavy furniture. Further to moving, use services like Allied Van Lines to help you take your valuables and furniture to temporary storage as you work safely in empty rooms.
Keep Windows Clean and Clear
Sometimes you can’t focus too much on getting the furniture out of the room and completely forget about the windows. This is a mistake because working around the windows is one of the trickiest parts of decorating. For example, you need to accurately measure the wallpaper to hang it correctly. And you cannot do this with curtains, blinds, and poles in the way. Additionally, you will need to give these areas a good cleaning as they attract a lot of dust and cobwebs.
Prep Your Home by Protecting Valuables
Of course, you may not be able to remove everything from the room you are decorating. If this is the case, then you must protect your valuables. For instance, if you have a large and heavy TV, cover it with bubble wrap and place it in the center of the room out of the way. If you don’t, you can almost guarantee the screen will be damaged. Or, at the very least, there will be specks of paint all over it. Also, do this for valuables like custom furniture and put them in another room.
Don’t Forget to Scrub the Walls
You should never begin painting a wall or attempt to hang wallpaper without first cleaning the walls and letting them dry. If you don’t, you will get smears of dirt that will come through when the paint dries. And you also run the risk of wallpaper not sticking. Use sugar soap and large sponges to clean the walls properly. And make sure you also remove dust and cobwebs first. Additionally, suit up and wear a mask to avoid breathing in all the dust and dirt that will fall.
Buy All the Necessary Tools
Getting the right tools for the job is essential when you decorate. Not only do the right tools make the job easier, but they are also safer. If your brushes weren’t cleaned last time, then get new ones. They don’t cost much and will do a much better job. And don’t use your dining table for pasting wallpaper. A wallpaper table doesn’t cost much more than a cup of coffee, so there’s no excuse for not using one. Finally, buy some coveralls to avoid getting paint on your clothing.
Summary
It helps to prep your home like a pro before decorating. Move valuables out of the home, clear the windows to make it easier, and make sure you buy all the right tools for getting the job done.
I live in a small Georgia town that you most likely have never heard of and I LOVE it! My house is more than full as I am a single mother of four & caregiver to my aging mother and uncle. Lover of all things Outlander. Goes to the beat of her own drum woman.
Rita Wray says
It’s a big job but is so worth it when you see the results.
Tina F says
I usually always forget something when we plan to re-do a room. I need to learn to slow down and plan ahead better. good tips.
Bea LaRocca says
Thank you for sharing these great tips, Rita. As I’ve mentioned several times, we just moved recently to a nicer place with much more space and I’ll be spending the next few months putting my own decorating stamp on the place as finances allow. I will be referring back to your posts on the subject that I have bookmarked
heather says
We so need to paint the living room and these are some great tips to remember thanks for sharing.
Elizabeth says
It’s a lot to think about, so I’m glad to see things all spelled out!