Knowing Where to Start with your Home

It’s so easy to point out the things that we don’t love in our home sometimes isn’t it? The outdated tile, the bathroom toilet that needs to be replaced. Or perhaps it’s the lack of storage in some very needed areas throughout our homes, or that beige carpet you are desperate to change over to hardwood someday. I’ll admit I have totally been guilty of walking around this house, that I prayed for mind you, and complained about all the things that it didn’t have. But that only left me frustrated and discontent. If you caught my post earlier this week about it being ok that you don’t have your Pinterest perfect dream home, then you know I have spent sometime analyzing the quirks in our home, and how to make them more pleasing to the eye. But sometimes it’s hard to even know where to begin? So today I’m sharing some tips on how to know where to start with your homes decorating journey.

Tip 1 – Take your time. I think the biggest mistake we can allow ourselves to make when it comes to decorating our homes is rushing the process. I get it. We watch the shows on HGTV and in 30 minutes flat people have completed a total room makeover with new flooring and all. While it might be great for tv, it’s just not reality. Neither is being able to complete your whole house decor in a day. Yes sometimes things go smoothly, and you can get a lot done, but I’m talking about the places that stump you, or heck even knowing where to start at all. I stared at the tiny wall space in our kitchen at the end of our island for months before figuring out what would be the best solution for that area.

Because of how our island is placed in our kitchen, it’s too narrow for any furniture to be placed there, and adding cabinets just took away more space. Sure I could do artwork, but it just didn’t feel like the right solution. I’ll never forget my “ah-ha” moment one day while I was eating breakfast at our island, and neither will my husband either. It took some convincing to get him on board with the idea, but now that our DIY plate rack wall is there, it looks like it’s always been apart of the original kitchen design.

Don’t rush the process. If you are having trouble with a room or a particular space, spend some time in it thinking of possible solutions.

Tip 2 – Start with the easiest room first! That might sound like a no brainer, but inevitably there is bound to be one room in your house that would be easier to start with vs. the others. Maybe it’s a room you have most of the furniture for, or perhaps you already know exactly what you want to do in that room. Start there. Sometimes we just have too many ideas clouding our brain making it hard to decide on other rooms, but start with the one you have the clearest picture for. Trust me, once you get one room looking the way you want, you will feel more confident about tackling the next one!

Tip 3 – Come up with a budget. Wait, what?! I know this is supposed to be about decorating your home, but trust me nothing is worse that starting a project and not having enough money to finish it. Or better yet spend all your money, and feel like you have nothing to show for it. Before any decorating can being you need to know what funds you have available, because that will determine a lot. Do you have the money to give that bathroom a complete makeover? Is there room in the budget for new furniture? Having money in the budget can be a big obstacle when it comes to decorating our homes. It took us over 6 years to finally tackle our master bathroom makeover, something I thought for sure would happen in the first two!

Write down a list of what you hope to accomplish in your new home, then put them in order based off of priority and then what the budget allows. Allow your available resources to dictate which areas you tackle first, while you save up for bigger projects. And remember friends, don’t ever underestimate the power of paint! It’s the most inexpensive way to give a room a new look!

Tip 4 – Stay True to YOU! It can be easy to get swept up in home decor trends when we are wanting to freshen up our homes. I’ve done this myself, and it ended up resulting in a $300 rug that was all wrong. They best thing to do is figure out your style. Picking only the things you truly love. I shared more about that process HERE, and don’t be afraid if other people don’t like it. Decorate for you, because after all you are the one that lives there. Keep the style of your home in mind too. Yes you can incorporate pretty much any style of decor into a home, but be careful you don’t incorporate too many. There are many things I like, even currently, about other home decor styles, but they just wouldn’t flow right in our home, which would then throw off our entire homes cohesiveness.

I’ve tried adding in bolder colors, trendier throw pillows and art, and at the end of the day I’m just not as happy with my spaces so I go back to what I love. Listen to your heart, don’t be afraid to take risks in decorating, because it’s the best way to find out what you truly love, and what to love from afar.

Tip 5 – Knowing Your Style. I know this could merge with tip #4 easily, and I wasn’t sure if this tip should be first or last, because knowing your style will make executing all those tips easier. I know this can feel daunting to those wondering where to start, but thankfully we live in a digital world where loads of inspiration are at our fingertips with one quick search on google. When I was really trying to narrow down my style, I began to really pay attention to what it was I liked about certain photos of rooms that caught my eye.

What were the recurring themes? Did they all have the same paint color? Was there similar furniture used in these spaces? What were the fabrics used, and which accessories did I really love? I began writing down a list (remember how much I love lists from yesterdays post?!) so I had a clear definition of what I wanted to be sure I incorporated into my home.

I hope these tips help, and I hope they give you some place to jump off of. Remember, don’t be afraid of making mistakes – it’s how we learn what we really do love to decorate with. If a room feels too dark, try a lighter paint color, and lighter accessories. If a room is lacking character, add in some texture! And don’t forget to add layers. Rugs, window treatments, picture frames, throw pillows – Yes, all those fun elements are a great way to add warmth to a space and share your personal style!