Most people either love or hate decorating their home. What’s your take? Personally, I love the excitement of changing things around, finding new colors to showcase my family’s personality, selecting key furniture pieces to enhance a current scheme or replace it if it’s become worn. (With two young children, worn furniture is kind of a given.)
I understand the angst people might feel when faced with decorating decisions. Not everyone has an eye 
If you simply hate even the thought of decorating your home, you might seek to hire a professional interior designer. They work with you in creating your decorating plan. This will include colors, flooring, furnishings and accessories. Interior designers are masters of their craft. They’re the catalysts that put your plan in motion, but you may be left with the job of hiring painters or flooring installers. Not all interior designers work this way, so interview several before making your decision. Working with a designer is a fun option, especially if you have the discretionary funds to go this route.
If you love a challenge and getting your hands dirty, or hiring a designer just isn’t an option for you, then you’ll be living in DIY-Land. DIY stands for “do it yourself.” The nice thing about being a “DIYer” today is that most of the big-box centers offer classes in various home improvement projects such as faux painting, tiling, simple wiring, etc. So what you don’t know you may be able to learn from a professional before you start in on your project.
In addition to classes, there are a plethora of home decorating magazines available that often provide step-by-step instructions on how to accomplish a particular project. There are also books and, don’t forget, videos on YouTube that describe just about any type of project you can imagine. You can find decorating and home improvement shows on a number to television channels now as well. The only limitation is your budget, your abilities and your willingness to try something you’ve never done before. (It also really helps to have a handy friend or two just in case you get in over your head.)
Of course, before you hire a designer or sledgehammer through your first wall, you’ll want to consider exactly what you want to do and where. If you’re a novice DIYer, you probably shouldn’t try to tackle the biggest and most expensive room first. Get your feet wet doing a smaller job. Then you can decide what to do next once you have one success under your (tool)belt. If you’re hiring a designer, the room to update/change may be more dependent upon your budget. Discuss your options with the designers you interview and see who resonates most with your tastes and ideas.
Making changes to your living space while you’re living in it can be exciting and frustrating. In the end, being able to sit back and admire your new space, regardless of who did the work, will make the pain and angst all worth it.
