Medium-size, three-bedroom houses are popular with many first-time homeowners.
Three-bedroom houses present great opportunities to experiment with home decor. Large enough to allow for some variation in color and theme, but not so large that you need to spend a fortune or a lot of time decorating, they can be a great chance to develop your home decorating skills. First-time homeowners can develop their own sense of style, while not going over budget, with simple decorating tips.
Mix up Design Styles
Choose different design styles for each bedroom. Base designs on the uses of the room and the occupant's ages and tastes; it's possible to do this and still create a consistent look for the entire house. For instance, if your home is Victorian, but your kids want a sci-fi theme for their room, and Grandma loves mid-century modern, you should let each person in the house determine their own style. Keep common areas, such as the dining room and living room, consistent with the style of the house. Hallways and the exteriors of each bedroom's door can all have the same decor. Guest bedrooms should usually follow the main decor theme of the house.
Choose a Multipurpose Room Layout
If you really don't use all three bedrooms, don't feel that you need to make extra bedrooms into guest rooms, especially if you don't have overnight guests more than a couple of times a year. Instead, transform a bedroom into a multipurpose room, such as a study or game room, and have a foldout couch in a living room or den for guests instead. This way, you maximize use of your space, especially important if you have a small ranch or cottage-style house.
Group Parts of the House Into Different Color and Design Themes
Depending on the floor plan, some rooms may naturally work together to create sub-sections of the house, each with a different theme, allowing for more variety in your decor. For instance, if your living and dining rooms flow together, either with an open floor plan or simply a wide entry and no door separating the two--common in ranches--keep the design theme the same for both rooms. If your house is on two levels, you can have a more casual style of design on one floor and a more formal one on the main floor.
Use Similar Colors Throughout the House
If you're stumped for ideas for each room, choose a single set of colors to make other decorating decisions, like wallpaper and furnishings, easier. You can apply the same basic palette of six or seven colors to every room, emphasizing different shades for each. For instance, you can use yellow as the main color in one room, while keeping it as an accent in another. This way, you have a basic set of guidelines that you can use as a starting point for decorating the house.
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