Top tips for decorating a new build!

purplecow1977

With so much to think about and consider, what are your top tips for decorating or buying things for a new build?

(Apologies if something like this already exists - please send me in the right direction if it does!)

Fia11

I would also liked to be directed to any and all resources! Also, any recommendations for wood/laminate and carpeting in Dublin?

Have heard good things about floordesign.ie/ but they don't do carpeting.

charlietheminxx

Not much help as I'm at the same stage as both of you! MCS Carpets have been great to deal with for flooring though, we are getting carpet upstairs and laminate downstairs with them. They're based in Swords and very reasonable.

Top tip I've been given is not to bother doing too much painting for the first year as there will be settlement cracks.

Fia11

Thanks for the tips!

I've heard some vague rumblings along the lines of 'go up North for your floors/beds etc'.

Has anyone done so and found a benefit? I imagine delivery might be tricky across the border, but if this is routinely done and there is a saving to be made I'm all in.

Salary Negotiator

We got laminate from these in Belfast and found them to be a good bit cheaper than anywhere down south.

I think they'll deliver as well, but we drove up and collected as it was cheaper. We got about 40 sq meters of laminate and underlay into the car with the rear seats folded down easily enough.

charlietheminxx

Fia11 wrote: »

Thanks for the tips!

I've heard some vague rumblings along the lines of 'go up North for your floors/beds etc'.

Has anyone done so and found a benefit? I imagine delivery might be tricky across the border, but if this is routinely done and there is a saving to be made I'm all in.

Definitely wouldn't go up north for floors, imagine the hassle of sorting out your fitting. Beds you might get a bargain on, but there's plenty of savings to be made this side of the border if you shop around. I'd suggest having a look at bigmickey.ie, they are very active on the Bargain Alerts forum and do solid deals on beds, customer care is excellent as well. For your small appliances it's definitely worth looking online/up north.

Fia11

I think I would do ok if the floor was measured out well and I had someone closer to home who agreed to fit it, I'd happily chuck the laminate in the back of the car to save cash! I obviously know the square footage of the area to be floored - but this includes counter spaces etc so I would need to have it measured, or end up seriously over ordering.

Thank you for the big mickey tip - I was very afraid of what I would find on that URL, turns it it's cheap beds! Not porn. Every day is a school day.

GingerLily

For flooring, have your choices picked out before snagging to that you can let your fitters in the day you get keys!

For the rest I think it's best to move in slowly!

If it's timber framed wait 12 months before painting..

We purchased a few necessities in advance and had them held for us until we got in (always expect delays for getting keys to new builds).

Set aside a decent budget for flooring, curtains/blinds and alarm.

We prioritised a dining room table and chairs, couch and bed after that, and have slowly been getting the rest.

The only white goods we needed was a washer and dryer bought in black Friday sales and held for us.

purplecow1977

charlietheminxx wrote: »

Definitely wouldn't go up north for floors, imagine the hassle of sorting out your fitting. Beds you might get a bargain on, but there's plenty of savings to be made this side of the border if you shop around. I'd suggest having a look at bigmickey.ie, they are very active on the Bargain Alerts forum and do solid deals on beds, customer care is excellent as well. For your small appliances it's definitely worth looking online/up north.

Where do I find Big Mickey? Lol

Fia11

They're in Longford

https://bigmickey.ie/

Has anyone bought from them? The furniture is so affordable, I'm wondering about the quality. Seems like there has to be a catch! Has anyone bought from them?

charlietheminxx

Fia11 wrote: »

They're in Longford

https://bigmickey.ie/

Has anyone bought from them? The furniture is so affordable, I'm wondering about the quality. Seems like there has to be a catch! Has anyone bought from them?

I've bought a bed frame for my master bedroom and a second bed frame, headboard and mattress for another room. Lovely to deal with and even offered to loan us a display bed base if we needed one while we were waiting for our custom one to be made.

They've been around a while, I think they get lots of end-of-line stock from the UK or something but they're top-notch on customer service.

Graham

Fia11 wrote: »

They're in Longford

https://bigmickey.ie/

Has anyone bought from them? The furniture is so affordable, I'm wondering about the quality. Seems like there has to be a catch! Has anyone bought from them?

Several times, no problem recommending them.

So impressed with the first double bed, ordered a second one. It was delivered about 3 hours later :eek:

ontour2

Paint whole house white. Put in all the furniture you own, acquired etc. Use the Dulux app to pick paint colours that work with the furniture, light, desired atmosphere etc.

Brooks on Naas road were good for floors, good discounts, local if there is any issue or you need more.

+1 for the man in Longford, great beds.

For larger furniture in IKEA, ask if they are replacing the floor model any time soon, as that can give you 20-40% discount.

Make a comprehensive list for everything in every room. Identify what is 'need now' versus 'buy it when you find what you like'

Pricing and discounts are cyclical. For furniture we are heading in to the rush of people wanting things for December so less pressure to discount.

The North is hit and miss regarding savings, it is not always cheaper. Sometimes you are getting shops and brands that we do not have even if we have the same retailer in Ireland.

Pricespy.ie is handing for checking comparable items like white goods.

My advice is to wander around shops and take photos of furniture on your phone. Take photos of artwork you like, clocks, etc.

When you go home, transfer them to your computer if you have one, or use a collage app on your phone, and put the bits you like together. It'll help you get an idea what kinda look you like.

I'm a real 'dermot bannon'. I individually purchased most of the items in my house, but almost everything is white or grey. Walls are white, kitchen is white gloss, real minimalist kinda look wherever possible (albeit I enjoy large canvas prints on the walls). Funnily enough I'd never seen room to improve until after I was finished the bulk of my efforts and it was only then I seen how similar my taste was to that show.

I'd have no interest in a wooden, cottage-style kitchen with olde-worlde open hanging wooden spoons on the wall, and a range cooker etc. but it might be your dream kitchen. If you photo stuff you like and mix/match the photos together afterwards of the different bits, you'll invariably end up on a 'scheme' you're into.

anewme

My advice would be to get the best quality flooring you can afford downstairs.

When I moved in 12 years ago, I put solid wood in hall and sitting room. It was very expensive at the time. Now, doing a total refurb and a quick one day sand brought these back to new. Everyone coming in comments on them. It will be a lifetime job.

I bought cheaper tiles for kitchen and I’m sorry I didn't buy better as it’s a harder job now to lift them and I’ll probably have to leave them as it’s a big cost to re do. But at least they are neutral.

Stay v neutral but classic with flooring and tiles.

I’m more a classic style, than modern, if you like this - you can pick up some fab furniture in vintage shops, adverts or done deal likewise. I mix old with new, modern curtains and couch mixed with antiques - you need to find your own style.

Dining/Kitchen table and chairs- you can’t beat IKEA, these look way more expensive than they are. Personally, you cant beat the Ingolf Chairs for 50 each. There is a table to match, but I paired them with a solid oak table.

https://www.ikea.com/ie/en/p/ingolf-chair-white-70103250/#opi3175038355

Don’t rush to do it all, do one room at a time.

Buying sofas, measure, measure, measure. People over estimate the amount of seating they need and can end up with a room with just couches in it. Measure depth as well as width. A lot of sofas are over 100cm deep and in a standard new house this can be large. Its always a lot bigger than it looks in the showroom.

If you have the money, get an interior design consultation, even just for colour advice in your own home. It is not that expensive. I painted my sitting room a very soft grey, but could not finish the room, as I just did not like the colour in that room.. One I got the right colour, everything flowed. I could have saved myself the cost of a repaint though. if not, paint shops such as Stillorgan Decor or Colour Trend have a consultant. The way the light or sun comes into your room has a huge bearing on how a colour will look in your room.

Plants are another cheap way of bringing life and colour into your home and to make it look homely. This one is lovely with a large fern on the top and a small peace lilly underneath.

https://www.ikea.com/ie/en/p/lantliv-plant-stand-white-10186111/

A photo wall with family photos (four or five grouped together in different sized black frames (IKEA)) is a way of bringing personality to your home.

Pinterest is a great research tool. As is Instragram.

KWAG2019

Old trick to see if sofa /suite will fit in room: put newspaper sheets together in the floor size of the suite and see if you can walk around them comfortably. And the Houzz app is good for ideas.

Fia11

anewme wrote: »

My advice would be to get the best quality flooring you can afford downstairs.

When I moved in 12 years ago, I put solid wood in hall and sitting room. It was very expensive at the time. Now, doing a total refurb and a quick one day sand brought these back to new. Everyone coming in comments on them. It will be a lifetime job.

I bought cheaper tiles for kitchen and I’m sorry I didn't buy better as it’s a harder job now to lift them and I’ll probably have to leave them as it’s a big cost to re do. But at least they are neutral.

Stay v neutral but classic with flooring and tiles.

I’m more a classic style, than modern, if you like this - you can pick up some fab furniture in vintage shops, adverts or done deal likewise. I mix old with new, modern curtains and couch mixed with antiques - you need to find your own style.

Dining/Kitchen table and chairs- you can’t beat IKEA, these look way more expensive than they are. Personally, you cant beat the Ingolf Chairs for 50 each. There is a table to match, but I paired them with a solid oak table.

https://www.ikea.com/ie/en/p/ingolf-chair-white-70103250/#opi3175038355

Don’t rush to do it all, do one room at a time.

Buying sofas, measure, measure, measure. People over estimate the amount of seating they need and can end up with a room with just couches in it. Measure depth as well as width. A lot of sofas are over 100cm deep and in a standard new house this can be large. Its always a lot bigger than it looks in the showroom.

If you have the money, get an interior design consultation, even just for colour advice in your own home. It is not that expensive. I painted my sitting room a very soft grey, but could not finish the room, as I just did not like the colour in that room.. One I got the right colour, everything flowed. I could have saved myself the cost of a repaint though. if not, paint shops such as Stillorgan Decor or Colour Trend have a consultant. The way the light or sun comes into your room has a huge bearing on how a colour will look in your room.

Plants are another cheap way of bringing life and colour into your home and to make it look homely. This one is lovely with a large fern on the top and a small peace lilly underneath.

https://www.ikea.com/ie/en/p/lantliv-plant-stand-white-10186111/

A photo wall with family photos (four or five grouped together in different sized black frames (IKEA)) is a way of bringing personality to your home.

Pinterest is a great research tool. As is Instragram.

Thank you! Great tips here. Considering getting an interior designer in to throw an eye, seems like a decent way to spend 200 quid before committing to larger spends.

MastiffMrs

Would agree with not rushing on getting stuff. Better to wait and save for something you love than buy cheaper stuff that you don't love, and find difficult to justify replacing. Owning a house is expensive, always something to be done/changed/improved on.

We built over 10 years ago and here's a few things I'd recommend...

Avoid tiles in hallway if possible. We were told to get them as we've a gravel driveway and the stones in shoes would scratch wood floors. The tiles are rough so non slip, and neutral. From a distance they look good but even after mopping I can see dirt and the grout won't stay clean, and they're cold (we couldn't afford ufh). I've learned that a good rug at the door would have done a better job and wood looks nicer. Will be quite a while before I'd be replacing tile floors though.

Plan an extendable dining table/eating area. We currently can squeeze 8 at the table and have a counter with stools but I'd love to be able to sit at least 10 comfortably around the table. Wait until you can afford the bigger set up.

Window sills behind sinks should be quartz/granite type material. I detest my pine sills with the water stains! And tiles needing to be re-grouted regularly at kitchen sink. So much easier to do these at the start too.

As others have suggested, I'd recommend bigmickey.ie also. We bought a king bed about 5 years ago and recently bought a superking and a single. The products are great quality and really can't be beaten on value. Will be buying more from there in near future too. Well worth a visit.

For lights, I recently purchased about 10 different fittings from lights.ie. they ship from Germany and I found them very good. Huge choice, good quality and wide price range. No complaints from the electrician either!

For bathroom stuff I found Tubs and Tiles to be the most reasonable and easy to deal with. They've the expensive brands if you want, but I found the likes of Hansgrohe to be reasonably priced with them and they always were genuine when trying to help me with my millions of questions.

Would love to be building another house, even though my own still needs plenty of work! Happy planning, buying and living!!

Cyrus

anewme wrote: »

My advice would be to get the best quality flooring you can afford downstairs.

When I moved in 12 years ago, I put solid wood in hall and sitting room. It was very expensive at the time. Now, doing a total refurb and a quick one day sand brought these back to new. Everyone coming in comments on them. It will be a lifetime job.

I bought cheaper tiles for kitchen and I’m sorry I didn't buy better as it’s a harder job now to lift them and I’ll probably have to leave them as it’s a big cost to re do. But at least they are neutral.

Stay v neutral but classic with flooring and tiles.

I’m more a classic style, than modern, if you like this - you can pick up some fab furniture in vintage shops, adverts or done deal likewise. I mix old with new, modern curtains and couch mixed with antiques - you need to find your own style.

Dining/Kitchen table and chairs- you can’t beat IKEA, these look way more expensive than they are. Personally, you cant beat the Ingolf Chairs for 50 each. There is a table to match, but I paired them with a solid oak table.

https://www.ikea.com/ie/en/p/ingolf-chair-white-70103250/#opi3175038355

Don’t rush to do it all, do one room at a time.

Buying sofas, measure, measure, measure. People over estimate the amount of seating they need and can end up with a room with just couches in it. Measure depth as well as width. A lot of sofas are over 100cm deep and in a standard new house this can be large. Its always a lot bigger than it looks in the showroom.

If you have the money, get an interior design consultation, even just for colour advice in your own home. It is not that expensive. I painted my sitting room a very soft grey, but could not finish the room, as I just did not like the colour in that room.. One I got the right colour, everything flowed. I could have saved myself the cost of a repaint though. if not, paint shops such as Stillorgan Decor or Colour Trend have a consultant. The way the light or sun comes into your room has a huge bearing on how a colour will look in your room.

Plants are another cheap way of bringing life and colour into your home and to make it look homely. This one is lovely with a large fern on the top and a small peace lilly underneath.

https://www.ikea.com/ie/en/p/lantliv-plant-stand-white-10186111/

A photo wall with family photos (four or five grouped together in different sized black frames (IKEA)) is a way of bringing personality to your home.

Pinterest is a great research tool. As is Instragram.

great advice on the floors, dont listen to anyone who tells you you cant take it up in the future, you wont, so get the best you can now.