7 Decorating Habits to Give Up in 2026

During my January purge, I didn’t just go through my antiques. I went through everything. Closets, cabinets, drawers, medicine cabinets. I checked expiration dates. I counted blankets and honestly asked myself, “How many does one family actually need?” (And it turns out, it’s not as many as I had.)

What stood out right away was how many things I’d bought in a rush. Stuff that worked once, but that I never really loved. I found a few pieces like that and thought, yep, those can go.

I even told my husband that I need to slow down when I fall in love with an antique. Space is limited, and selling antiques on Etsy is a lot more work that you might imagine!

That whole process reminded me how easily we fall into habits that don’t feel wrong in the moment, but don’t really serve us long-term either. So that’s what today’s post is all about: the decorating habits I’ve learned to let go of, and what I do instead.

Habit #1: Buying decor with no plan

One decorating habit I’m working on letting go of in 2026 is buying decor with no plan for where it’s actually going to live.

I used to bring things home because they were pretty or because I could picture them somewhere. But “somewhere” usually turned into moving it from surface to surface, or tucking it away and forgetting about it altogether.

Now, before I buy anything, I try to know exactly where it’s going and what it’s going to sit next to. If I can’t picture that clearly, I wait. It’s not about being strict — it’s about not creating more work for myself later.

Habit #2: Treating every surface like it needs filling

Another habit I’m working on letting go of in 2026 is feeling like every surface needs something on it.

I think this one sneaks up on you. A table looks empty, so you add something. Then maybe one more thing. Before you know it, every surface has a little collection going on.

During my January reset, I noticed how much better the house felt after I cleared things off instead of rearranging them. Some tables didn’t actually need decor at all. A lamp and a book were enough. In some spots, nothing was the right answer.

I’m trying to get more comfortable leaving space where it makes sense. The goal for me isn’t minimalism, but rather breathing room.

Habit #3: Cheap or generic decor bought just to fill space

This one really came down to a single example for me. A set of gold candlesticks I bought in a pinch for a specific moment. They worked that one time, but I never really loved them, and I never used them again.

That was enough of a reminder. Even though I usually don’t buy decor unless I love it, those rushed purchases almost never stick.

Now when a space feels empty, I’m trying not to rush to fix it. I’d rather wait and bring in something I actually care about than grab something just to be done with it.

Habit #4: Relying too heavily on matching sets

I’ve always mixed and matched — that part isn’t new for me. But I’ve noticed how easy it is, even when you know better, to lean toward sets when you’re trying to make a room feel “done.”

That’s something I keep coming back to when I think about where decorating is headed. Those matchy, showroom-style rooms are very much on the way out. What most of us actually want is a home that feels curated over time, one that reflects how we live and what we care about, not something that looks like it was purchased all at once.

A curated home still feels cohesive, just not identical. Pieces relate to each other through color, texture, or finish, not because they came as a set. That’s what makes a space feel personal instead of staged.

So instead of asking whether things match, I’m more focused on whether they belong together and tell the right story for our home.

Habit #5 Holding onto decor that no longer fits your life

There’s that meme about the Japanese method of decluttering where you hold something and ask if it brings you joy. So far I’ve gotten rid of my scale, my bra, my husband…

Kidding. Mostly.

That idea came up for me during my January purge in a very real way. I realized how many things I was holding onto just because they’d always been there.

Some pieces weren’t bad. I still liked them. They just didn’t fit our life anymore. Different house, different routines, different season.

This kind of decluttering felt different than editing. Editing is about how things work together. Decluttering is about being honest about what still belongs. And once I looked at it that way, the decisions got a lot easier.

Habit #6: Chasing trends instead of building a base

This is the one I’m trying to be most aware of. It’s easy to see a trend and start questioning things in your own home, even when nothing is actually wrong.

I keep reminding myself that trends can be interesting without being something I need to act on. When the base of a room works, there’s a lot less pressure to keep changing it.

Lately I’m trying to let trends pass by without feeling like my house needs to keep up.

Habit #7: Treating a room like it’s ever really “done”

I’ll be honest — this isn’t one I’m personally guilty of as a content creator. But I still think it’s worth mentioning because it’s a very common habit.

A lot of people decorate a room, like how it looks, and then mentally mark it as finished. And if you still love it, it still works for your life, and it still feels like you — that’s great. There’s no problem there.

The issue is when you look around one day and realize the space doesn’t really fit anymore. It doesn’t function the same way, or it just doesn’t feel like you now. And instead of adjusting it, you leave it alone because it’s already “done.”

I’m trying to think of rooms the same way I think about clothes. You don’t buy an outfit and assume you’ll never need something different again. Homes work the same way. They change as life does.

These are just a few habits I’m keeping in mind this year that I’m hoping will help me avoid overbuying, overspending, and honestly… just over-everything.

So if any of this sounds familiar, just know you’re not alone. Hopefully this list gives you a few things to think about too.