Decorating your first home can be a daunting task. Especially with little left in the bank after this massive purchase.
Yet like an artist with a blank canvas before him, that new set of house keys gives you the freedom to make your new home your own, your very own palette to reflect your personality.
High design on a budget does not have to mean low quality.
There are many stylish pieces to be had that will not stress the bank account — and subsequently a new marital relationship.
“What I have found with first-time homebuyers is they are looking for good value and good quality, without having to settle for the standard catalogue piece,” said Leslie Tokayer, broker at Royal Lepage Partners Realty.
“They’re more savvy about where they spend their money and how they spend it, since they just spent a lot on their first home.
“They want to purchase pieces that can grow with them.”
Gone are the days of student living, with stained carpets, movie posters and old-fashioned furniture hand-me-downs.
“First-time homebuyers are no longer decorating with futons, or things you can put together
with an Allen key,” said Tokayer, who works predominantly with first-time homebuyers. “They are no longer using their parents’ old sofa. They are looking for modern and stylized pieces, art, unique pieces that will express their personality, that are functional and practical.”
She says many of her clients this season are choosing dark hardwood on main floors, Berber carpeting upstairs, sectional sofas with chaise lounges and sunweave roller blinds — a contemporary theme with clean lines, compact minimalist pieces, and neutrals with an urban flair.
