5 Bad Decorating Habits to Stop: How to Decorate For YOU!
I don’t know about you, but I second-guess every decorating decision. We moved into this house nearly 7 years ago, and most of the rooms still feel “unfinished” because I just can’t figure out what I want a room to look like.
I know, I’m lame.
I would like to contribute my lack of decorating productivity to being super busy (just blame it on the kids, right? LOL). But the truth is that I have been making 5 bad decorating habits ever since moving into this house.
And it’s time to knock it off, already!
1. STOP asking for permission on how to decorate.
If you want turquoise on every square inch of your walls, do it! Why do we need to ask our friends…..our mom…..post it on Facebook to let social media decide how our homes should look? If you like a look, just do it.
For me?? I love turquoise. Seriously, nearly all the painted walls in my house are some shade of turquoise-y goodness (my favorites are Sherwin Williams Rainwashed) like my bedroom, and Sherwin Williams Sea Salt in my master bathroom and foyer. My blogging room is Sherwin Williams Window Pane, with is the lighter version of Rainwashed.
You see where I’m going with this, right….? 😉
Decorate how you love.
(Oh, and my thrifted craft room was also turquoise!)
2. STOP ignoring your feelings.
I am tired of cringing every time I come home. I want to come home and feel like a queen in a pretty, clean, well-organized home (um, I wish my kids could read this–clean, I say!!). If you’re walking into your home and you’re not feeling like it’s your oasis, it’s time to change some things. That’s what I’m trying to do! Listen to what your gut is telling you, and if something is not working, change it.
Watch My Home Tour
3. STOP comparing your home on Pinterest.
I have a love/hate relation with Pinterest. This is why:
My house looks nothing like what those other chicks’ places look like. My house feels like an “Eclectic Nightmare” because everything doesn’t fit well together yet, and I have limited time and money to pull a room together to look so Better Homes and Garden-worthy. But you know what? We’ve got to stop this comparison. Inspiration is good, but let’s not have inspiration cause frustration. Let’s appreciate the fact that we even have homes, when so many people are homeless, living out of cars. The home we have, we’ve got to be thankful for it. And make that home as pretty as it can be. And love it for protecting us in cold winters and cooling us in hot summers.
Here’s a video I recorded to bring home this message — Stop Thinking You Have an Ugly House
4. STOP buying “anything” and “everything.”
Okay, you know how we thrift divers love a good deal (and if you’ve been a long-time reader of this blog, you know I fully support impulse buying at the thrift store.) I have bought many ‘a things just because it was a smokin’ deal. But later, I realize that it’s either “not me” or that I just don’t LOVE it. But for some reason, I’ve got it sitting around for whatever reason. I’m on a new kick now to start buying only the things I love, and leaving the things I “like” for other people that may “love” it!
5. STOP trying to be perfect.
I spend too much time trying to make things look and feel perfect. Do you do this, too? Going forward, I’m going to fill my house with the things that I love and that make my house my oasis of coziness and comfort! Every picture won’t have to be perfect. My sofa won’t have to be manicured perfectly with pillows. In fact, it may even be milk-stained with mashed veggie nuggets underneath of it 🙂 But as long as it’s cozy and cheerful, it will be perfect for my family 🙂
Do you struggle with any of these bad decorating habits, too? Leave a comment below and add to the discussion!
Photo: Courtesy Free Digital Photos
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Sounds like you & I are alike in our decorating/shopping woes. I recently had the same “talk” with myself about the decorating and picking up that “good deal” because it may look great…only to find it looked much nicer on display in that store.
I like good deals, I love finding the special things that make me happy to see them every day in my home. They are harder to find when I am indecisive on colors, decor patterns, etc…
It is my time to start the change process again in my home. I like so many different colors and heard quite a while back that is is best to use a nice color palette throughout your home and add shades of the same coordinating colors for accents. (Is that a perfect world, or what?)
So glad I found your site. I am enjoying reading these posts because now, I don’t feel so alone in this decorating dilemma!
I like your color choices.
OMG, Elizabeth, I just saw that you posted a comment to this blog post of mine and I don’t think I ever responded! EEK! I’m so sorry! 🙂 Sometimes a comment will slip through.
Hope you don’t mind me responding now? 🙂
Yep, you’re not alone on the decorating dilemmas! I finally realize that I love soft color palettes that are pastel-y with light colors furniture. It feels so much more breezy and pretty than dark colors. BLEH! How has the change been going in your house? Are you making much progress? I still have a couple rooms in my house that haven’t been TOUCHED since we moved in 3 years ago! I”m talking GREEN, worn toilet in the kids’ bathroom! And the laundry room, don’t get me started on that…. LOL
I am totally guilty of the first two! Especially #2…I know exactly what you mean about cringing when you walk in the door. There are rooms in my house that I totally avoid for that reason! It’s ridiculous. 🙂
Such great advice, Serena! I think all of these have applied to me at one point or another. I know I have a hard time not comparing to others and worrying about what people will think of my choices.
#4 and $5 should be posted on my wall and in my truck so I can see them before I leave the house and get out of my vehicle to go INTO a thrift store! Sigh…maybe a tattoo would work better. 😉
Thank you for this post!!!! I love junk, vintage and anything from the 50’s. However, I also have a love for vintage doilies! Of course I went a little over board and now my place looks like a old funeral home. Luckily, I have a few people who are willing to take some of them off my hand!:)
This is a great post! I’m guilty of comparing as well! I’m sharing this on facebook! ~Sonya
Thank you, Sonya!!
Hi Serena! Guilty as charged with #3! As a blogger and in my own home, I get so frustrated sometimes that my house (or photos of my house, for that matter) don’t look like the magazine ready rooms I see all over Pinterest. But you know what my house is ME! And that’s all that matters! 🙂 I just love this post!!
Thank you so much, Candace! We have to keep in mind that those homes are STAGED. I sure they’re beautiful in person, too, but we probably don’e see the mound of toys pushed to the side out of view! HA! 🙂 Thanks for commenting!
Ooh Serena -your post totally hit home. I’ve spent too much time being frustrated and questioning. I now am appreciative of what I have and take pride in the fact that I’m not in debt for fancy couches. I turn to Pinterest and magazines for inspiration. I no longer look at a complete picture in a magazine and wish I had it, I take bits and pieces and turn into my own. This attitude did not come overnight, it came after years and years or personal therapy-lol.
HAHAHA, personal therapy… I love it! I have a friend (who probably won’t read this, so I can talk about her, LOL) who I visited in June. Her apartment-sized coop isn’t decorated fancy at ALL. But she’s made it SUCH a reflection of what (and HOW) she values, that she’s got birthday and Christmas cards having on the walls….along with artwork from her 7 year old….along with shiny balloons that someone had given her for her baby shower months ago (that are now deflated and used as wall art). It isn’t by any means something that you’d ever see on a blog, per se, but it’s COZY, and it’s a reflection of what she cherishes. I am learning from her 🙂
Thanks for commenting!!!
Preach it, sister. I love this post. Is it ironic if I go pin it?! 😉
LOL, not at all! Go spread the love/hate. HA! 🙂 Thank you!
This is seriously great advice. We are in the middle of building a new house and I am getting seriously overwhelmed by all the choices and trying hard to reflect on what I’m buying because I actually like and will like forever and what I only think I like because it’s trendy right now.
Oooh, congrats on getting a new house built! That sounds so exciting! And CLEAN 🙂 A blank slate for you to begin. YAY! Maybe try taking it one room at a time? When I have just honed in on one room, I’m more successful. Good luck and congrats on your purchase!