Earlier this year I moved out of my fully decorated Austin home and into a blank slate space in Brooklyn, so this post is as much a reminder for myself as it is for anyone else. Making decisions in your home can feel like an overwhelming long-term commitment, and often we put off making them for months and even years. There are myriad reasons why we do this, but today I want to debunk a few of them in case you too could use the motivation to finally replace an uncomfortable sofa or hang that gallery wall you’ve been plotting. Once you do, there’s a 99% chance you’ll find yourself proclaiming “Why didn’t I do this sooner?”
1. Because your home reflects your state of mind
If your home looks and feels chaotic, this translates to mental clutter and stress. When our homes are unfinished or don’t suit our lifestyles, we don’t feel the sense of release and comfort that we should when we come home from a long day of work or travel. If I added up all of the time spent thinking “I really need to hang that painting,” I know it would far outweigh the amount of time it takes to hang it, freeing up my mental energy for other things!
2. Because a renter’s home is still a home
This is one of the biggest excuses I hear for not creating your dream space at home, and as a renter I get it. But then I walk into other renters’ homes who have fully made their homes their own and quickly realize that this reasoning doesn’t hold water. Today there are more options than ever before to customize your home temporarily. Create a statement with peel off wallpaper, cover up ugly flooring with a large area rug, or retile your backsplash with sticker tiles (I’ve done this, it doesn’t leave any residue behind!). Just because you’re renting doesn’t mean you can’t invest your time and energy into it, a year is a long time to not love coming home.
3. So you can finally have guests over
If you’re avoiding this altogether because you’re embarrassed or just not excited about your home, think of the memories and experiences you’re missing out on! One of the biggest motivators I’ve found for decorating my home is to have guests over. If you’ve started a DIY project and never quite finished, I personally find that a dinner party, movie night, or hosting friends or family from out of town will generally give me the kick in the butt I need to finally take the last bit of blue painter’s tape off!
4. Because it’s okay for your style to change
I have spent so much time asking myself “will I love this color forever?” or “will I get tired of this print?” and it’s true, home furnishings are a commitment, but that’s no excuse to live in a personality-free space either. I like to hunt in thrift stores and antique malls because if my style changes I don’t feel bad about buying and donating them once I’m done with them. I admire the inspiration image above because they committed to a bold color palette and made a statement with this space, and if that statement changes over time as your tastes do that’s okay too! Art can be hung in a different room, furniture can be covered with different throw pillows and blankets (this couple switches out the blanket covering their sofa regularly) and rugs can be layered over or under others.
Inspiration image by Max Burkhalter for Architectural Digest, print Paul Inglis, lamp Anthropologie, settee One Kings Lane, black white print Jennifer Ament, Rothko rug Beni Rugs, wall hanging Anthropologie, rolling cart Amazon, bowls and vases Coming Soon
