Overcome Home Decorating Indecision, step by step
Q: First, I want to say that I enjoy your journal! Your home seems so fresh and inviting! I enjoy your style! On the other hand, I feel like I have so much trouble with decorating indecision. I think I have a strong plan all laid out for a room but when I get to the store I immediately find a million other things that I like even better! I cannot focus on a plan! I think part of the problem is that I like so many distinct decorating styles. I get bored quite easily, and I think my husband gets tired of me changing things around constantly (although he would never say anything, he’s a gem!). Anyways, my question is… does this mean I have an eclectic style? Any pointers for pulling it together without making my rooms look like confused spaces? Thanks a million! -Kristina
A: We totally know what you mean! It took us years to truly figure out what we enjoyed and what materials, styles and colors would work together to create a cohesive and inviting home. It is essential to note that what you enjoy and what should come home with you are not consistently the same thing! There are plenty of things that we enjoy but they would not work with other items, color schemes, and elements that we already have in our home so we are perfectly glad admiring them from afar! For example, here is a boldly patterned navy rug that John and I both adore, but recognize that it does not jive with our light and airy existing aesthetic.
Our best advice for pinpointing your style once and for all (and feeling more focused and less frenzied on shopping trips) would be to tear out go-to rooms from magazines and collect online images that inspire you in a desktop folder. That way you can easily pick out the reoccurring themes that may otherwise have been less obvious to you (ex: all your go-to rooms have a lot of white in them, most of them are punchy and colorful, they all feel uncluttered and minimal, etc). For example, many of the rooms in our inspiration folder have a similar serene feeling, soft colors, and natural textures accompanied by a bit of dark wood or metal.
Once you have a better idea of what you consistently like, take a good hard look at what you have. If all of your inspiration rooms have white slipcovered sofas but you are working with brown leather ones, you might want to grab a few inexpensive slipcovers to instantly add more of the style you gravitate towards. This will also assist you to develop a foolproof shopping plan that you can effortlessly stick to. For example, if your go-to inspiration rooms have warm yellow and burn orange accent colors, it will be easier to steer clear of that cool blue and white pillow that happens to be on sale.
This home that we crashed is a strong example of how every room has its own points of interest but it flows together well and feels cohesive (more on it here).
It is also consistently a good idea to keep larger items neutral (rugs, sofas, walls) if you find yourself attracted to a lot of colorful eclectic accents, which can truly assist the mixed & matched thing work without creating a chaotic room that feels like it is fighting with itself. Here is an example of a strong eclectic living room that does not feel frenzied or overwhelming thanks to a neutral rug, sofa and walls (while the smaller pieces add punches of color and interest from all distinct eras). Or, like the living room above, if the walls are white and the furnishings are all fairly neutral, a bright sofa might be a lively pop of color and interest in the room.
And at last, the most essential thing to mention is that a room is never truly done (and especially is not done in a day or a week). A place that feels like home will constantly evolve and grow with you, so do not despair if it takes a while to create a space that truly feels like you. It is all about trial and error, learning as you go, and having lively along the way!
What about you folks? Do you have any pointers and tricks to add to the mix? Tell us how you make sense of a room full of eclectic pieces or how you keep your eyes on the prize when you are shopping for home decor!
