Whether your home consists of 2 rooms or 20, your home should make you smile, feel like a big warm hug and be the place for you that you'd rather be than anywhere else! As you go about the process of making your house your home don't be as concerned with "decorating" in the traditional sense as you are with "creating" a home that reflects your sense of style and is pleasing to you. Above all, fill your home with love, joy, peace, compassion and warmth!
Trends come and go so focus on what will work for you and your family. Keep in mind that creating a home is a process that must not be rushed. Creating a home requires time, effort, thought, consideration, and patience. Your home will be ever changing as you grow through life. So....relax and ENJOY the journey!
1. Surround yourself with the things you love. It is better to live with an empty space than to fill it with things you don't love. Take time to go through your home and identify the items you love and the ones you don't. Of the items you don't love, get rid of what you can and begin planning to replace or makeover what you can't get rid of right away. Some items, like a sofa or a bed, may take awhile to replace. What can you do to make them more appealing in the meantime? A slipcover? A coat of paint? There is always a creative solution to make items more "loveable".
2. Focus on creating spaces that work for you and your family. Creating a home that accommodates your unique lifestyle is a priority. Rethink your rooms in terms of the activities that go on in that particular space or the activities you would like to accommodate in that space. Creating spaces for family meals-a table with plenty of chairs, for homework-a desk with adequate lighting and comfortable chair in a quiet area, for quiet time, family game night, may require some rearranging and reassigning of spaces in order to make your home work for you. If there's not a place for "it", "it" will most likely not happen.
3. Bring in colors and patterns that make you happy. Consider how you want to feel in each room-happy, relaxed, energized-and infuse colors and patterns into that space that make you feel that way. I've included lots of sunny yellow and colorful floral patterns in my homebecause that's what makes me (and my hubby) feel happy, peaceful and energized. The "experts" say to never use yellow in a bedroom because it's an energetic color. I chose yellow for my bedroom because I want to be energized when I wake up. I want to feel like the sun is shining even when it's not. When I go to bed at night I turn the lights off and close my eyes, therefore the yellow walls don't keep me awake. You must do what works for you!
4. Consider your God given senses.
Sight, sound, smell touch and taste are all gifts God has given us. They are a very important part of everyday life. If we forget to include them we miss out on many delights.
Sight can be satisfied by selecting only items you love to look at to furnish your home and by making sure you have plenty of ample lighting.
Sound plays a very important role in influencing the mood and tone in your home. Beautiful music, laughter, positive words spoken in love all create a positive atmosphere of peace, joy and love. Whereas, "trash TV", yelling and screaming, and angry harsh words create a negative atmosphere of tension, stress, discord and hopelessness. It is important to never underestimate the power of the sounds in your home! The sense of smell is another strong influence in the home.
Scent brings back memories. My children all recall the "scents of home"...favorite meals like corned beef and cabbage, brownies, candles in the scent of the beach roses from our favorite family get away spot, my perfume and their daddy's aftershave. What scents bring back happy memories for you?
The sense of touch is especially important when considering upholstery fabrics and bedding. Soft and snugly is much preferred to stiff and scratchy. Flooring is another area to consider touch. Tile floors can be cold and uncomfortable in a bedroom for instance, whereas a soft cushy rug under your bare feet is so much more comfortable. Where can make adjustments for a more comfortable home in the area of "touch"?
Taste is a consideration when planning your meals. Little things like adding fresh herbs to your favorite jar of spaghetti sauce add a depth of flavor that will delight your taste buds. There are many ways to "doctor up" fresh vegetables and basic dishes to give them a more pleasing and satisfying flavor.
5. Details are the "little" things that make a big difference The details you add to your home are what add another layer of your unique personality to your home. Do you have any collections? I collect teacups. I have lots of them, each one a unique work of art. I have them displayed in cabinets, on shelves and in vignettes on tabletops. I use some in my bedroom to hold earrings and makeup items. I also have lots of books. Books are everywhere....stacked under side tables and the fireplace hearth and in bookshelves. Anyone can walk into my home and immediately identify my interests by observing the books displayed throughout my home. My collections are pieces of my personality reflected in my home. Other details to include when creating your home are artwork and family photos seasonal décor, creative vignettes on a side table, a dresser or a mantle. Fresh flowers are a detail I especially enjoy in my home. Think of these details as the jewelry that adds the sparkle and flair to your home.