words Alexa Wang
Your home is your haven and it should be a place that delights you to be in. Decorating your home and adding art to your decor is a fun and exciting experience. Your rooms are your canvas to express your style and personality.
But where do you begin sourcing items to create your own unique look? Shopping for art and decor can be overwhelming and stressful. And what if you can’t, or don’t want to, leave your home?
Luckily, the internet puts literally millions of art and decor choices at your fingertips. You can create custom pieces of furniture and even buy fine art online. Here’s everything you need to know to successfully shop remotely to create the interior design of your dreams.
Finding and Defining Your Style
First, whittling down the choices of the vast inventory is essential to online shopping. One of the best ways of narrowing down the selections is to define your individual style. Many websites will allow you to view choices in selected types of styles, making browsing far less overwhelming.
So how do you define your decor style? First, look at the pieces you have already added to your space that you enjoy and love. These can give you some helpful clues as to which of these categories you are drawn to. Consider the characteristics of styles that are pleasing to your eye.
Characteristics of Decor Styles
- Contemporary – sleek lines, monochromatic color schemes
- Traditional – simple shapes, neutral colors
- Modern – crisp, clean, and bright
- Farmhouse – wood tones, rustic, greys and whites
- Coastal – natural fibers, blues and greens, nautical themes
- Eclectic – bright colors, mixed metals, bold graphics
- Glamourous – animal prints, fur, polished metals
Of course, your style could be a blend of two or more of these. Many of these components complement or play off each other. Don’t pigeonhole yourself in one style. But having a good idea of your preferences can give you a good jumping-off point when browsing online for art and decor.
Making a List
The internet is a dangerous place for impulse shoppers. Finding a great deal or spotting and appealing item can lead to rash decisions. You might end up with a decor item that simply doesn’t work in your space or a piece of art that you have no use for. Making a list ensures that you only purchase items that you can integrate into your home.
Go room by room and assess what needs added or replaced. Maybe you are looking to revamp your dining room. Do you need a new table or sideboard? A list of not only the items you need but the details you want can be super helpful. What colors are you looking for? What are your ideal dimensions? Having all of this info in one place will make the shopping process much smoother.
Your list should include everything you are looking for to fill each room. Furniture is an obvious inclusion, but diving deeper can make sure you order everything you need for a complete look. Think about the types of art you would like to add to your space. Accent pieces, linens, and accessories should all have a place on your online shopping list.
Sticking to Your Budget
When making your list, think about how much you want to spend on each item. And stick to your shopping budget! You don’t want to end up with a partially decorated space because you blew your budget on one coveted piece.
What’s great about online shopping is that it makes it super easy to look for items in your price point. You can often search by a specific range and only view items that fit your predetermined budget. Sorting by price from low to high is also a helpful way to find art and decor you love for a steal.
Look for sales and promotions when shopping online. This can give you the chance to get that stunning item for a lower price. When buying pieces for your home online, promo codes are your best friend. Install an automatic app in your browser that will search for promo codes for you at checkout to get the best deals.
Know your budget and get familiar with online shopping sites. Browsing a site that is well out of your price range will leave you with nothing but sadness. Stick to sites that offer great items at price points that make sense for you. Oftentimes, they will have similar items as the more high-end sites for a more reasonable price.
Creating a Design Board
One of the most awesome things about online shopping is the ability to easily create a design board. This allows you to clearly see how the items you are considering fit together. You can visualize what meshes well and what pieces are best left out.
To do this, open a new doc in your publishing software. Then, when you spot an item you love, copy and paste the picture in the document. Add everything from that stunning oil painting to paint swatches from the hardware store website. Include photos of flooring and furniture you are considering to get a real feel for the room.
Make a separate design board for every room you plan to decorate. Then, switch things out and update your board as you browse online. This trick allows you to foresee how your room will fit together before you place a ton of orders. It will also give you a reference point to see what items belong in which rooms as they arrive.
Decorating Your Home From Your Home
Styling your space can be a fun adventure in creativity. The internet’s vast inventory guarantees that there is a piece of decor or art to fit every style or budget. Shopping online for your home gives you the chance to decorate exactly how you desire.
Make a list, check it twice, and stick to your budget. A design board can help you make sure you have a well rounded and appealing space. It will be exciting as your items arrive and you are able to bring your vision to life. Be patient and have fun on your online journey in creating a space that you adore. Happy decorating!
