How To Decorate a New Build Home in the UK

Picked up the keys to a UK new build? Our room-by-room guide shows you how to decorate pristine spaces.

Whether you’ve just picked up the keys to your first home or you’ve moved into your fifth fresh build, decorating a new build property is a whole different kind of journey. The rooms are pristine. The walls are blank. The possibilities are endless. But so are the decisions…

And unlike older homes, there are a few rules to follow before you grab a paint roller or hang that pendant light.

Let’s walk through it, room by room, step by step. Whether you're starting fresh or just looking for ideas on how to decorate a new build, consider this your decorating companion. From bare plaster to a place that truly feels like you.

Our Guide For Decorating a New Build

Step 1 – Follow Our New Build Timeline

Think of the first year of a new build as four clear phases. Over the opening month concentrate on comfort by installing blinds, lamps and basic seating; perfection can wait. Between months one and three, test paint colours on sample boards, add interim storage fixes and chase the developer for snagging repairs, because by now you know how each space truly works. 

By the time month four rolls around, the walls have dried, settlement cracks have appeared and been filled, and you can paint with confidence, fit statement lighting and order major furniture without fear of warping moisture.

After the anniversary, once warranty snags are resolved, feel free to tackle wallpaper, panelling or even light structural tweaks, safe in the knowledge that the shell has finished its earliest shift.

Step 2 – Let the House Breathe

Fresh plaster, timber and concrete continue to release moisture long after the developer hands over the keys, so resist the urge to seal everything under vinyl paint straight away. Fine hairline cracks are normal settling scars, but anything wider than the edge of a pound coin belongs on your snagging list while the NHBC warranty still covers cosmetic fixes. 

Traditional advice is to hold off on wallpaper and impermeable paints for at least six months. Finally, remember that large plumbing or electrical alterations can void parts of your warranty, so check the small print before chasing walls.

Step 3 – Work On Day One Essentials

Begin with privacy and warmth: dress every window with blinds or curtains as soon as possible. Next, unload core furniture: a bed, a sofa and a dining table and live with those pieces before ordering anything else; the way you actually move through each room will refine your layout. Sprinkle early personality through rugs, house plants and framed prints stuck up with removable strips, then open a spreadsheet and record every dent and scuff while they are still obvious. 

For the moment, park ambitions that demand heavy drilling or wet trades, such as full height tiling, built-in cabinetry, feature wallpapers or wall mounted televisions; the lighter your touch during these first weeks, the easier any warranty claims will be.

Step 4 – Decorate Your New Build Room by Room

Start in the living room by anchoring the layout around the sofa and layering texture upwards: an oversized rug visually zones the space, a pair of dimmable floor lamps invites evening relaxation and a gallery wall hung on removable hooks lets you swap art without pock marking plaster.

In the dining room, soften pristine cabinetry with under-cupboard LEDs and a bold splashback, then introduce a slim prep island or a small round table to maintain clear circulation in tighter footprints.

The bedroom demands comfort before anything else, so invest in a supportive hybrid mattress and an ottoman bed frame that hides clutter while you postpone fitted wardrobes until you understand your hanging versus folding ratio. 

Bathrooms wake up quickly when you swap a developer grade mirror for an illuminated model, corral toiletries in a tall slim unit and cover any exposed plaster with mould resistant matt paint until you commit to tiles. 

Finally, give the hallway star treatment: position a slim console for keys, roll out a runner to protect flooring and hang a mirror opposite the door to bounce light back into the space.

Step 5 - Ensure Sensible Budgeting 

Spreading spend over twelve months protects your cash flow and your nerves. A full suite of window treatments tends to land somewhere between five hundred and one thousand pounds, while new carpets or luxury vinyl tiling for a three bed house hover around three to four thousand if you shop the sales and order samples first. A combined ticket of two to four thousand covers a decent sofa, bed and dining set if you stage purchases in batches. Paint, lighting, mirrors and upgraded hardware usually sit in the £500-£1500 bracket. Total everything and you are looking at roughly three to seven thousand pounds over a year; far more forgiving than a single, frantic weekend blow out.

Step 6 - Keeping It Looking Fresh

Treat maintenance as part of the décor plan.

• Each spring, touch up scuffs with leftover paint
• Later in the year bleed radiators before the first frost
• Squeegee shower screens to dodge limescale
• Rotate sofa cushions and vacuum upholstery to keep fillings even Test smoke alarms monthly

Step 7 - Decorate Sustainably and Economically

Low VOC paints safeguard indoor air quality while saving you from harsh chemical odours. Swapping every bulb for an LED variant slashes energy bills and postpones ladder time for years. Upcycling injects character and keeps landfill in check: a vintage sideboard sanded and sealed becomes a dining room hero, or orphaned charity shop chairs turn glamorous with nothing more than primer and daring colour.

Step 8 - Avoid Classic New Build Mistakes

Measure doorways before purchasing furniture, there's nothing worse than buying your dream sofa only to realise later it won't fit through your door! Hang artwork so the midpoint sits at eye level; too high and the room feels off balance. Add layered lighting in addition to your "big light", think table lights and floor lamps.

The Build’s Done. Now the Fun Bit.

Decorating a new build is a marathon, not a sprint. Let it breathe, layer personality over time and pick pieces that make daily life smoother. When you’re ready for that fluted sideboard, boucle accent chair or larder unit that actually swallows the cereal stash, MFI has the good stuff waiting.

Happy decorating – and welcome home.