You’ve bought a new house and you’re dying to get each room painted and decorated. You rush out and go from store to store looking for everything you need to finish each room, to only realize you can’t find exactly what you were envisioning for the space. I’m sure we can all relate in some way or another. We get a plan and when we don’t find everything we hope to find in one shopping day, we either give up or settle for those decor pieces that we don’t love, they just fill the space.
Don’t do that friends!!! You will regret it. It might be a year, two years, maybe only two months when you realize that you’re truly not happy with the space. You want your house to be a reflection of you and your family. You didn’t become who you are right now over night and neither can your room! Here are some easy tips and tricks on designing your space.
1. Make a game plan. Decide what the function of the room is going to be. Then decide what furniture pieces are needed in that space to make it work. Choose the items that are in the room that you want to keep. Anything that doesn’t work in your room or doesn’t fit your vision for the space, get rid of. Purging is a great way to get inspired!
2. Shop around. Don’t buy the first things you see. I’ve done this many times before and always found something down the road I liked better. Don’t just buy something because it’s on sale. It’s better to save an extra month and get the items you really love! I tend to splurge a little on bedding…but I use it everyday, right. I walk through Pottery Barn like a kid in a candy store. Honestly though, I’ve never regretted it. I can’t say that for my husband, ha! Everyone has those couple of things that they just love and tend to splurge on and that’s okay! This takes me to my next tip.
3. Don’t feel guilty to splurge on priority pieces. There are some things that are not worth cheaping out on – couches or seating, rugs, appliances, etc. Make sure that the most used items in your room are also the higher quality pieces. I had been wanting this particular rug for our living room for over a year. I would talk myself out of buying it every time. I would tell myself it was too much. After over a year of not finding anything else that compared, I broke down and bought it. Let me tell you, I loved that rug more and more everyday. It completed our space and has received much love over the years. You’ll spend more money replacing those things short term than spending the extra initially for the better quality items. There are so many ways to save elsewhere in your space.
4. Always look for things that say something about you or your family. I hate walking into a room that screams generic! I think we’ve all done it. We’ve bought that one thing that really meant nothing to us, we just needed to fill that wall space above the sofa. Your home is a reflection of you. Each item should also reflect your personality. I love having items that are special, something that was passed down in the family, an item that was a reminder of a great vacation or those photos that bring back fun memories. Decorate with items that mean something to you and say something about you. Keep away from the knickknacks and generic stuff! Buy ONLY the things you LOVE!
5. Take your time! I can’t emphasize this enough. It is not a sprint, it’s a marathon! Repeat this to yourself when fill the urge to just race through the decorating process. It takes time for the room to evolve into the perfect space. Search outlet stores, yard sales, and thrift store. If you’re only shopping department stores you’re missing out. Sometimes all your room needs is an older, interesting piece to bring conversation to the room. It’s all those special touches that really bring interest to a room. Those are the items that take time to find. I typically find them when I’m not looking for them. My mom’s living room has been in the process for years. Slowly collecting each thing. After a couple of years it’s almost perfect.
I hope this encourages you to slow down and take your time. In a world of instant gratification, we want to do all or nothing. We really need to take the opposite approach!
This is so perfect! My husband and I moved into our first little rental home a few months ago and I have to remind myself daily that decorating is an intentional and steady process, not a sprint. 🙂
Thank so much Mandy! It really is. It’s so hard sometime… I lack patients so it’s something I’ve had to learn over the last nine years of home ownership. You’ll get it done 😉
This is so true. I’m an instant gratification person. I have to remind myself that nothing is perfect and a home isn’t made overnight. Sometimes it’s easier said than done – – but I try:). Thanks for sharing a great message.
It’s something I struggle with on a regular basis Teresa! Especially when I’m styling a clients home, I always see so much I’d love to have for my own home… darn budget! lol Thanks for reading 🙂