How to Prep Your Space for New Furniture or Decor
There’s something really fulfilling about coming home with a new piece of furniture or changing the look in a room. But before all that magic can occur, it’s a good idea to prepare your space. Preparing the space may not be the most thrilling aspect of redecorating, but it is the groundwork that allows for everything else. According to Sofia Martinez, cleaning expert and founder of Sparkly Maid Austin, a clean and organized room makes your design choices look more intentional and polished.
Below is a simple step-by-step process to prepare your house prior to introducing any new furniture and decor.
Start by Clearing the Space
Before you actually begin to clean or organize, take a minute to push everything out of the way. If possible, clear out the room completely. If not, nudge the big pieces around so you can at least get into corners, walls, and floors. Sofia Martinez says this is how you actually get to see what you have to work with and dislodge any hidden dust or dirt that’s built up over time.
Correct the Little Things When the Room Is Vacant
Now’s the ideal time to re-do little repairs. Look for nail holes, scuffed baseboards, chipped paint, or uneven repair patches on walls. You don’t have to renovate completely, just repair the no-brainers that otherwise would leave your completed room not looking as refined. Patching over a hole or painting something now will be so much easier without a new armchair in the way.
Give It a Real Deep Clean
This is the part that everyone will rush through, but it is gigantic. Dust off walls, clean windows, vacuum down where the previous furniture was, and scrub down all surfaces. Sofia Martinez, who also leads the team at Sparkly Maid San Antonio, recommends focusing on spots that usually get skipped, like baseboards, vents, light switches, and door frames. If you have just painted or renovated, this deep clean is essential to remove fine dust or debris that settles in.
If the job is more than you can handle, Sofia recommends it’s worth paying for a professional deep clean to revitalize the area. She states that when a room is really clean, everything that you bring into it is more visible and feels like part of a fresh start.
Reevaluate Lighting
Once all’s tidy, have a think about lighting. Lighting completely transforms the overall look of your decor, so spending time on this is worth it. Do you want to install a warmer bulb? Might you shift a floor lamp? Are curtains allowing too little natural light in? This is the type of detail that makes new furniture and accessories appear even more gorgeous.
Plan the Layout
Think through the flow of the room before starting to put things back in. Create a rough sketch if this is useful. Reconfigure rugs, swap out seating, and try out different configurations. Sofia describes how small changes in placement can give a room a fresh feel without buying one more thing.
Be Intentional With What You Bring Back
With the room tidy and the layout drawn out, don’t go and fill in every space right away. Start with your new pieces you’ve been itching to install. Build in the decor slowly. Try swapping out some accessories from a different area, or see what you can sacrifice for the look of openness. According to Sofia Martinez, this is also an excellent time to cut out your work and get rid of what you do not require or love anymore.
Keep the Floors Safe
If you’re having new furniture delivered, don’t forget to protect your floors. Lay down a blanket or drop cloth just in case delivery men need to pull or set something across it. Sofia recommends keeping felt pads or sliders on hand to prevent hardwood or tile from getting scratched.
Final Thoughts
Preparing a room for new accessories or furniture doesn’t have to be a pain, but it is well worth getting right. The difference between a room that just looks new and one that actually feels refreshed so many times is simply how well you prepared it. Sofia Martinez, a family real estate agent serving both Austin and San Antonio, says starting with a deep clean gives any room a sense of calm and order. It’s not cleaning to clean. It’s about creating the type of space where your new items really show off.
Whatever your method, prepping your home makes each design improvement just that little bit more enjoyable.
