Our homes should be a place of comfort…a place where we can relax and just be ourselves.  A home doesn’t have to be perfect {after all, whose house is?} and it doesn’t have to be decorated to the nines…it just has to feel like YOU in order to be comfortable.  And it’s possible to appreciate a space and think it’s beautiful, but still not feel comfortable in it.  It’s sort of like clothes shopping with a friend who brings you something different from you normally wear to try on.  It might look great on you, but if it doesn’t “feel” like you, then it just isn’t right!  Or like a gorgeous room in a hotel that you love during your visit, but wouldn’t want to call home.

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I recently posted a question on Facebook and I found the responses so interesting.  I asked which of the rooms below people like the best.  Now let’s face it, all four of the rooms are beautiful in their own right, but most people had a clear response as to which was their favorite because one felt better than the others to them.

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{Sources clockwise top left: Pinterest, Pinterest, Veranda, Restoration Hardware}

 

Recreating looks from catalogs and window displays is a sure way to create a beautiful room, but for most, a recreated store display won’t create a comfortable place to live.  So how can you make sure that the space you are decorating is really YOU?

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1. Have a Plan but Be Flexible

Most people can’t decorate a room from start to finish all at once.  For most of us, we have to budget for each piece, wait for sales and bargains, and slowly pull a room together over time.  The downside, of course, is that as time passes, it’s easy to get off track if you don’t have a plan to start with!  Creating a plan will help keep your goals in mind and isn’t hard to put together.  Click {here} to read how to create a plan in 4 easy steps!

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{It took me months to collect all of the elements for my gallery wall, but I had a plan from the very beginning that helped me know what to shop for}

 

One thing to keep in mind, often when you shop on a budget, you have to make some concessions in order to get an item as a price you can afford.  Since you may not be able to get exactly what you want, you have to be a bit flexible in order to accommodate things that fit within your budget or things that you fall in love with along that way that weren’t a part of the original plan.  Never be so rigid with your plan that you can’t adapt it to reality when you try to execute it.  For more tips on splurging versus saving, read {here}.

 

2. Browse, Search, Shop and Look

It’s important to know what you like and one of the easiest ways to find it, it to look at what others have done!  There are so many great resources for design and decorating and you should take advantage of them.  Not only will looking at other rooms help you find things that you like, it will also give you an indication as to what you don’t like.  To me, knowing what you don’t like is just as important as knowing what you do because it keeps you from heading down a path you will later regret.  Take the time to look at what others have done to give you inspiration, and be sure to save, bookmark, or cut out your favorites so that you have them handy at all times.

Want to see what inspires me?  Follow me on Pinterest to see what ideas I’ve filed away for later use… :)

 

3. Surround Yourself with Things You Love

The easiest way to feel comfortable in your own home is to love everything in it!  But believe it or not, this is easier said than done.  Sometimes, we make compromises because of price or our partner’s tastes, sometimes we buy things in a hurry and just get what’s available, sometimes we make purchase decisions without thinking them through.  All of these scenarios affect our purchase decisions and before you know it, we can have a room full of things that we think are okay but not great.  While it might take more time and research, try to only buy things you truly love…things that speak to you or are meaningful to you in some way.

Items that you LOVE are items that represent YOU and are therefore, always a good investment.

TIDBITS & TWINE Master Bedroom 5 2014

 

4. Know Your Boundaries {and Then Push Them}

Testing our boundaries and trying new things is the only way that we can change.  And let’s face it, we change and grow as human beings everyday based on life experiences, so in order for our homes to continue to feel like us, they will adapt and change as well.  So in order for our homes to change, our boundaries will need to change over time.  But there’s a difference between expanding your boundaries and crossing them and when people step outside of their comfort zone, they often regret it.  For example, maybe you’ve always had a neutral home but really want to add some color, so you decide to take a big step and paint an entire room red!  There are a few who will be comfortable with such a dramatic change, but for most, they regret taking such a big step and the room never really “feels” right after that.  It’s important to know your decorating boundaries, but don’t be afraid to push them just a little bit.  A small, gradual change often feels more comfortable than a giant one, so take baby steps to ensure you don’t push yourself outside of your comfort zone.

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5. Personalize

No space will ever feel like you if it isn’t personalized.  Whether it’s family photos, kids drawings, family heirlooms, kids clay projects or childhood mementos, be sure to include personal elements that conjure up good memories and help you create new ones together as a family.

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{My silver baby cup sits next to photos of my kids in a bookcase display}

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Living in a space that just feels “right” and reflects YOU is always the most rewarding place to be.  So take the time to know your likes, dislikes, goals and needs.  After all, there’s no place like home!
Tidbits&Twine - Signature

 

 

 

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11 Comments

    1. User Avatar Tidbits&Twine says:

      Hi Kathy – I think that’s really the main reason why I create a plan; otherwise, I get really sidetracked in the store! Lol!

  1. Such great tips – I need to be better about making a plan. I kinda fly by the seat of my pants when decorating and sometimes that works but other times not so much…

    1. User Avatar Tidbits&Twine says:

      Thanks, Kris! Whatever you’re doing seems to be working fine because your home is beautiful! :)

    1. User Avatar Tidbits&Twine says:

      Thank you *so* much, Leslie! :)

  2. Good advice Kim. I feel you should go with what you love and it will feel right. Everyone is different and has different degrees of comfort. So your tips are good and everyone should not go with a trend but with what makes them happy.
    Kris

    1. User Avatar Tidbits&Twine says:

      Thank you, Marty! It’s was really a culmination of my trial and error so I thought I’d share what works for me. :)

  3. Now this is something I can totally relate to lately. I just discovered that colour is not for me. An expensive lesson, but some times you have to try to know. Thanks for all your advice in this post! Regards, Julie

    1. User Avatar Tidbits&Twine says:

      Oh dear! Expensive lessons are hard ones, but it’s always good to find out what you don’t like so that you can move in a direction you do. Love your restyled, reloved projects by the way! Beautiful work! :)

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