DO YOU FEEL STUCK WITH YOUR DECOR
WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU FEEL STUCK WITH YOUR DECOR- Here are some savvy and helpful tips to get unstuck and moving forward to create a home you love.
I have a question for you. Ready? Do you ever feel stuck with your decor? Your color choices? And your furniture? Your style? Well, I have lots to say about that topic today! And the first thing you need to know is I understand and you do not need to feel that way!
I was with a group of friends this week and the topic of decorating came up.
My ears perked up and I just listened. I wanted to hear what my friends were saying about their homes and decorating.
I wasn’t surprised to hear my friends lament about wishing they had changed this or that long ago. And how overwhelmed they often felt when it came to decorating.
They were stuck. Being stuck is a horrible feeling! Today let’s talk about what to do when you feel stuck with our decor.
I think “feeling stuck” is hopeless and resigned. Feeling stuck does not move you forward or keep you motivated! We do not have to feel stuck with our decor. Here are some ways to get unstuck and start creating a home you love and are excited to decorate!
Today I’m putting the best advice I have in a BIG post! I hope this helps to motivate you and get you moving towards decorating your home with what you love!
TAKE A DEEP BREATH!
Sometimes I can make a big mountain out of a molehill! Yes, believe it.
And I bet you can too.
Be thankful for a roof over your head, a bed to sleep in and food on the table. REALLY! Just take a step back, even though you can’t abide those jabot curtains and that plaid sofa anymore, just breathe.
Be thankful for what you have! Being stuck with what you have is really a big blessing. Even if you don’t particularly love it!
KNOW YOUR DECORATING STYLE
Most home decor enthusiasts are stuck living with things they don’t like not because they don’t have good taste. Actually, it’s probably because they do know beauty when they see it! But, sadly don’t know their own unique style!
Unfortunately, they do not know how to filter out all the pretty home decor things they see and then buy that won’t work with their homes!
They buy or redo or repurpose things and end up with a mismatched look that doesn’t look at all like them.
I know! I call this the HomeGood dilemma.
When HomeGood’s first came to my area I would fill a cart or two with lots of things I love. They had so much I loved! Dishes, accent pieces, candles, chairs, rugs, bed linens. Everything looked amazing!
But when I got home, although the items themselves were beautiful they looked jumbled up and confusing in my home. I was too busy loving everything and taking it all home. And sadly, I did not have a style filter!
I did this over and over before I got very serious about truly knowing my decorating style! Now when I go to HomeGoods I can love everything but I don’t have to take it all home.
I have learned to filter all the things I love and only take home what will work in my home. It’s amazing how knowing your style will make decorating so much easier!
I have saved so many headaches over the years and tons of cash just by knowing my style.
I know what I should and should not put in my home. And when I do change things up in a room I have lots of decor options from around my house because many things I own work in almost any room.
The number one most important thing to do is to learn and know your decorating style! You cannot decorate with confidence and get great results if you don’t!
MAKE A PLAN
It takes lots of thought and planning to have an effortlessly beautiful home! One you love and feel good about.
If you fail to plan you plan to fail!!!
Believe it.
Start now. Put your dreams to paper and get a Pinterest board and fill it with things you love.
Think of collecting all the things you love on a Pinterest board as window shopping! Just keep adding all the decor you think is pretty to your board!
When you have a big collection of things you really love THEN do this…
Take a serious look at all it. And find the repeated elements you see over and over again. Notice the things you are drawn to. The things we are drawn to over and over again can give us a good indication of our style.
You will soon be able to pick out those repeated elements you love easily!
Using this process I discovered that I am leaning towards a classic but updated look these days. I’m so over that chippy, farmhouse style I loved so much.
Now I like a cleaner, less cluttered and more curated look!
TACKLE YOUR WORST OFFENDER
If you are not happy with some or even much of your home furnishing remember, you can’t do it all at once. And if you did you would be in the same boat of dissatisfaction again!
Decorating is a process. That includes mistakes. So you will want to take your time.
Decide on one room or one area of your home you are not thrilled with!
When we moved into our Tanglewood home the first thing we tackled was the paint. We had the entire inside of the house painted. Walls and every speck of trim! It was a huge undertaking!
But it was the “worst offender”. Once painted the entire house looked fresher and easier to decorate!
Paint is usually one of the easiest things you can do and it will totally change the look of a room!
DO ONE MOTIVATING THING
Being stuck with furnishings you have grown out of or decor that has never really worked for you can make you feel unhappy and unmotivated.
Again, I KNOW and feel your pain.
It may seem impossible to create a home you love to live in but you can. Rome was not built in a day and either is a home you love. It is a process!
Actually, your home should never be done! If it is you are bound to get stuck again.
We should keep up with our homes and our styles as they both evolve.
When I start to feel a bit stuck with my decor or creatively dry I ask myself a few important questions…
- Is there one thing I can do now (or work on now) that will move my home and my style in a positive direction?
- What are three things I would love to change the most?
- What is holding me back and is there a way around it?
- Can I break these changes up into smaller projects so I feel more successful and creative?
Questions like these usually help me make goals for changes in my home.
When an idea moves into goal magic happens! A goal gives me something concrete to do! And that moves me, and you, forward.
Don’t stay stuck. Start with one thing that will move you forward and motivate you towards your goal!
Do not resign yourself to living with things you don’t love! Make even the smallest changes that make you happy!
CHANGE WHAT YOU CAN
Let’s get real! You may not be able to change everything in a room or your home but you can change some things. These are wise, true words.
If you really don’t like your cherry dining room set anymore but you spent too much to get rid of it (I understand!)… don’t be resigned to living with it.
Keep the table, paint the side chairs and add a dropcloth cover over any offending material on it (or have it reupholstered)! Then get inexpensive but pretty new head chairs!
I did that exact thing to my matchy-matchy expensive set!
And when I stopped feeling guilty about letting go of my old, but beautiful, outdated furniture it was freeing! We don’t have to be stuck with decor that is in bad shape either!
CLEAN IT UP
The easiest way to feel better about your space is to clean it up. Get rid of anything that is tired or broken or does not give you joy! And organize.
Why hold onto things that don’t serve a purpose anymore. Donate them and let them give someone else joy!
I’ve lived with some pretty sparse rooms in my day. I just am determined to clean up and weed out what is not working in my home!
LIVE WITH LESS
I’m a s-l-o-w decorator. I like to live with things for a bit before I add another layer of decor. So living with less, for me, is a way of life.
I love the idea of giving a room… room to breathe!
Most of us actually overdecorate. So live with just enough in your home to be comfortable and beautiful!
Gone are the days of layer upon layers of decor!
Here is my favorite decorating mantra…
BIGGER IS BETTER AND LESS IS MORE!
Seriously, decorating words to live by!
DON’T BE PENNY WISE AND POUND FOOLISH
I think many home decorators spend way too much on furnishings that are not anchored pieces of a room.
There is a time to spend our hard earned dollars to get something that will literally make a room spectacular and a time to buy something nice that will work with a room.
Here are my best 4 pearls of wisdom
- not everything has to be the best quality
- only spend as much money as years you are willing to keep something
- expensive items should be timeless and neutral
- cheap is cheap
Today we can find things for our home that are very good quality but we don’t have to always buy the best.
One thing I insist on splurging on is a lampshade. An inexpensive lamp can fool you and look good but a cheap lampshade gives itself away. Now a good lampshade for me is one in the $20.00 – $40.00 range. I could find one for $200.00 and love it but that would blow my budget! Pound foolish for sure!
The more we spend on an item the more classic it should be and the more neutral in color too. Very smart! Classic furnishings don’t date themselves as quickly as other styles.
Accessories are great things to add a more trendy look to your home because they cost less and are much easier to replace.
Lastly, we often get what we pay for. Cheaply made items get tired and worn out faster, break more easily and well, often look cheap! Don’t go the cheap route for larger things in your home to save a few pennies. You might be sorry!
ALL DECOR HAS AN EXPIRATION DATE
Like the milk in our refrigerator, ALL decor has an expiration date! PLEASE remember this. Every decade in history is marked by its signature fashion and home decor.
What decade are you living in within your home?
If it makes you happy, then great! But if you are stuck with decor that is decades old and it makes you cringe then break out of the past! Use the tips above to help you.
Our mothers and grandmothers (and maybe us) would often get home furnishings and keep them forever. But with the advent of the internet and great online sources for decor and accents, we have a world of great quality home goods right at our fingertips. Affordable things! There is a price point for almost anyone!
And unlike our mothers, grandmothers, or great-grandmothers we no longer have to choose our home decor when we are in our early 20’s and live with it until we die!
We’ve talked quite frankly about money in this post. Because changing our style and look is not free. But here’s the thing… think of decor like clothing or hair or makeup.
You are not wearing the clothes you wore in college. Oh how I wish I could fit into mine, but I digress.
And I hope you are not wearing the same hairstyle or makeup either. No, blue eyeshadow does not make your blue eyes any bluer!
Things change. Our taste changes and so does everything else around us. Why do we think our homes shouldn’t continue to evolve? And why are we not budgeting for those changes?
If at all possible make home decor part of your budget. Shop sales for quality items. Buy neutrals and classics. Start now!
ALWAYS be freshening up your home. I’m not saying always buy things for your home.
But here’s what I am saying… always be thinking of ways to keep your home a place you love to live! And make sure your home reflects your style and lifestyle!
BE THANKFUL
I know it is hard to be thankful when we feel unhappy and stuck with decor! But we ARE blessed!
If you have a home you are one very blessed person! No matter how it is furnished.
So start there.
LOVE your home and love it just the way it is. Then as you change it remember to be thankful for every little bit of change.
It’s hard to feel discouraged when we are grateful for our blessings!
Now, go decorate your home!
OTHER POSTS THAT WILL HELP YOU DECORATE…
DECORATING IS ALL ABOUT THE DETAILS
What an absolutely fabulous post, one which I think I will keep forever. It certainly has given me plenty to think about. I am not happy with our lounge. Living in England my house is tiny compared to even average American homes (I think (my only point of reference for this is TV, Pinterest and blogs such as yours)), so it should not take too much to improve it. However, making a start has proved impossible. I will probably re-read your post a number of times before I start. Thank you for your thought-provoking post.
Margaret, pin this post and you will always know where it is.
Thank you for all of the great tips and advice, Yvonne!! I’m not quite to the point of feeling “stuck” with my decor, but there are changes I would like to make and at times it feels quite overwhelming! I would also like to declutter and get rid of all the extra “stuff”….but it always seemed to be wasteful, since I bought those things, and I could always seems to rationalize that I might “use it someday”. Your ideas and suggestions today have really helped and given me a new perspective!! So thank you……and happy new year!!
Do you feel bad about throwing away empty plastic bottles? They are reused. And the furnishings we have grown out of can be reused and repurposed in the homes of others. Let the pretty things you no longer want or need bless others.
I read your posts often and to say that I love your taste in decorating is an understatement! I usually look and am so “wowed” by your beautiful home and decor and how it all just perfectly blends, that I become overwhelmed with my “fixer upper” home. Your post today, gives me renewed inspiration and allows me to realize how blessed I am! I will put more thought and energy into using your suggestions of purging or changing up items in my home that can make a tasteful, less cluttered difference. Thank you always, for sharing your abundance of talents.
I never post to make anyone feel overwhelmed Martha! I have determined within myself not to let anyone else’s home make me not appreciate mine. I share my home to inspire my readers. I love you all so dearly!
This is one of the best decorating related posts that I have ever read! Had me laughing out loud (your yellow couches) because I so identified with what you are saying. We learn we can’t have it all and when we purchase something, it’s not just what I like but will it suit this house? That’s been a game changer for me. It’s helped me say no to myself. This post is an inspiration.
What a great post!! Thank you!!
You are so welcome, Jamie!
Cannot compliment you enough on this wonderful lesson on decorating and loving just the fact that we have a home. Am very tired of an Ethan Allen dining room table I have but it is too good to ditch. Am going with the gel paint to give it a new look. And for under $50. What a bargain.
Thanks for all you do to help make our houses a home.
YOU will love it! I know, I had an Ethan Allen dining room table too. And kept it for years after painted the chairs and added new head chairs. Ethan Allen makes incredible furniture!
This is a GREAT post at this time of year! Its taken me 6 years to get rid of the 80’s look and bring in the NEW. Still have a long way to go, but I’m slow and taking my time because I too made costly mistakes in the past. Thanks for the inspiration !!!
Oh my word Yvonne, this is such a great article ! It happens to all of us. This was fabulous. I have that yellow sofa! Only its light blue with small yellow bumble bees! Ethan Allen,(country french) paid a fortune and can not take another year with it. Cornices too! HELP!!! What about toile wall paper? What to do about wallpaper? Thank you so much for this article. I am not afraid any longer….Happy New Year!!
An expertly made slipcover may save your Ethan Allan sofa. It is such good quality. That’s what we did for a 1980’s sofa.
Deb, I know it’s hard to part with some things. Slipcovers are a great idea.
Rose, did you know you can actually paint over wallpaper. Go to YouTube and find a video about it. When Bobby put up wallpaper in our home he stuck it so good. So if our house blew up the walls with wallpaper would still be standing! LOL!!!! Our upstairs hallway had wallpaper on it so we primed it and waited a month (really more like six- we are slow!) and we are going to use a modern repositionable wallpaper. But really we could paint it to match the rest of the walls in the upstairs hallway.
Thank you, Yvonne. This is a very freeing post today. My husband and I emptied both our parents’ two homes in 2018 (only one father is alive now), and we have inherited a TON of classic but huge furniture. Both our dads were master craftsmen and built timeless, superb furniture (armoires, tables, kitchen islands, and even a replica 19th Century icebox and a 1920s Hoosier cabinet). While we dearly cherish all the love and superior workmanship, we are overwhelmed by all the right angles in our house! Our millennial aged children (like most of that generation) aren’t interested in “old wood furniture” as one dubbed it. I plan to read through your blog to look for more inspiration on what to do with all these beloved items. I know one thing for sure, though, I’m getting rid of the yellow walls throughout my house! Thanks.
Debbye, what a treasure trove you have. It must be so hard to filter through it all and pick what you love best and can use in your home. I know what you mean about our kids not wanting our stuff. My mom can’t give her furniture away! Things change! But your home will have lots of pieces with wonderful memories!
Yvonne,
Great time to reevaluate our decorating style with our homes in January bare bones decor. It’s another dreary rainy day so perfect for writing a list of what we would like to change in 2019. Also starting on a collection of ideas from blogs, pinterest and magazines before I clear them out. Thanks for the inspiration.
I don’t comment very often. One of your best posts ever! As I’ve gotten older and an empty nester, I’ve been drawn to a neutral palette with pops of color. Great advice. Looking forward to your posts in the new year.
Thankyou for this post, it has taken me many years to ‘get it right’, although a few things still have to change, your words of wisdom come from many ups and downs and you can only learn from the mistakes made, its a long journey for some, but not if they read this…x
Oh I hope I can help!
When I return to my summer home in Wyoming I’ll be getting new flooring throughout. What l learned from you has made me form a plan. I’m not putting anything back in those rooms that’s dated unless I truly need it in the interim. This will give me a firm plan going forward.
Thanks for all the help and ideas and most of all for the plan for my plan.
Joan
How wonderful to get new flooring. Thank you for letting me know StoneGable has helped you!
Yvonne, thanks for posting this EXCELLENT article. I learned a lot that will be put to good use in the course of decorating our new home. Question: Where did you purchase your dining room side chairs; the host and hostess chairs, and your kitchen table chairs? Thank you.
Hi Lois! The side chairs are here:https://rstyle.me/n/dd9h9tb6by7
Right now they are out of stock but get on Wayfair’s waiting list to let you know when they are back in
I love this post, but you haven’t addressed my biggest problem, and that is a husband that refuses to give up the stale old decor that we invested in when we were young. So much of our home looks like his parents’ home, and that’s just fine with him, but I am seriously depressed over it. I have slowly integrated a few new pieces that update our home a bit, but now I feel like it looks like a mish-mosh of styles. Any advice for dealing with fuddy duddy hubby, short of divorce???
Hi Teresa, I obviously steered clear of this topic but I know it is the reason many home decorators have trouble decorating their homes. Men think differently than women and the aesthetics of a beautiful home are just not important to many. My husband is pretty change adverse but I had a frank talk about how I felt about our home and we worked out a compromise. I went over the idea of an “expiration date” and I could see the lightbulb go on! Now that I blog about decor the issue is mute, but I am still very conscious not to overwhelm him with change and not to get too far ahead in planning. In my mind I have the next 10 years for StoneGable mapped out but he doesn’t know. We discuss plans about 6 months out. Sorry I could not help you more. The LAST thing I want to do is to create marital conflict! LOL!
Teresa:
I don’t have a solution for you but know that I am right there with you. I am married to Mr. “No”.
I can give decorating advice, but not marriage counseling!
Fantastic post! The best decorating advice! I have always loved white decor and have added some gray into the mix to freshen things up…..love the change with minimal effort. Shopping is so much easier because I have streamlined my decor and I know what will or will not work. I also think being intentional about shopping for decor is important as well. Sometimes going into a store without a plan or intention can prove “pound foolish” as I have been too many times to count! Definitely is a learning process. But the best advice you gave is being grateful! Thank you for that reminder.
I’ve been pound foolish too! Great lesson learned though!
I so enjoyed this post !
My passion is decorating , but admit that at times I can be indecisive . I know my style , what I want , but have difficulty finding the items for my project .
So … here are some questions … where are your favorite places to shop other than the internet or Homegoods ?
I really like to see and touch to avoid any returns or disappointment. Where do you buy quality lampshades ?
I live in Maryland , so Lancaster is not far away !
Thank you for any helpful hints !
I’ve become a very savvy online shopper, Christine. StoneGable, the blog, keeps me so busy I often do not have time to go out and shop. If I do I like Pottery Barn, Ballard Designs, Soft Surroundings. But I also buy things online from them too. Look at Wayfair, Birch Lane, One King’s Lane, Hayneedle, and Amazon for online sources. Hope this helps.
Love this post Yvonne! Just wondering where/brand you purchased your white with wood top side table in your first photo next to your blue/white chair. It would be perfect in my home. Thanks again for your wonderful post!
This table is amazing! I thrilled I got it! LOOKED FOR IT FOR FOREVER! You can see it HERE:https://rstyle.me/n/c7qu49b6by7
I also LOVE the table described above but the link you listed says unavailable. Can you let us know the brand and/or store please??
Hi Janet, can you tell me which table? There are a few in this post. I’d be happy to help.
It’s the one that Doreen describe as “your white with wood top side table in your first photo next to your blue/white chair.” I have also seen it in what I believe is your entryway. It looks like it folds out into a larger table. I have very similar table that folds out in my bedroom that I am currently using ask a desk since I am teaching from home right now but it is dark wood with an iron base. Now that I have seen yours I feel I NEED that one instead. LOL
Oh, I know which one you like! Here you go Janet. I found this table at Hayneedle. It is amazing!!!! You can see it here: https://rstyle.me/+nNhtl93tJs0rrVrblHfedQ
Janet I found it at Hayneedle. Here is the link:https://www.hayneedle.com/product/greatroomsdropleafconsoletableterracegraywashedlinen.cfm?rNtt=%23UNIR1791-1
Hooray! Thanks for the new link. It’s sold out right now but there is one just almost identical to it by Liberty Furniture on there too. Thanks for your help!
Gotta say I love your blog. You are honest and your points are helpful, always. I’m always curious about the ‘fails’, though. Like what did those 2 silk couches look like?! We have a great room style home with vintage Hawaiian vibes. I have 2 modern couches in orange which I love. We just remodeled the kitchen in a calm, pale pallet so it wouldn’t compete with the great room nor overwhelm the senses. The back of the house is a window wall looking out at a ‘lake’, we live in a community on the Delta. My hubs is an Architect so I rarely get to choose serious decor on my own…we had a serious disconnect re the style of couches! Modern won the day, thank heaven! I finally feel like my home is my sanctuary. Still working on that master bedroom, though 😉
Wow, your own source! And living right in your home. So glad you are loving your home, Holly!
Love this post. Perfect timing as I contemplate our re-do of our main living space. It is so hard to move past some of the things we love and I give you credit for plunging in to change some of your furnishings. My generation has been so tied to cherry/mahogany finishes. My rice bed is in the garage. We replaced it with a metal bed which is better suited to our much smaller bedroom. I think about changing the matching bureaus but I don’t think I can get my husband to agree to paint them. They’re about 35 years old but look like new. I’ll be checking out the gel paint.
Yes, husbands aren’t often as adventurous in the decorating arena as us! They are even more afraid to make a mistake than we are! Bless their little hearts!
I love this! We’re renting right now and I definitely feel stuck with all of the rules we have to follow. No paint, no changing out the flooring or hardware or anything else, and minimal holes in the walls. I finally decided to work with what’ve got a few months ago and I’m loving it. The carpet was the worst, a gross brown color and even though we’d had it cleaned (and the cleaners did their best! It’s just an old carpet) it still always looked dirty. We finally bought a rug to go over the carpet, which might sound silly, but it’s made a huge difference in the feel of the room. This post has inspired me to look and see what else I can add to the room to make it feel more at home and like me! Thank you!
Good for you Emma! A throw rug is brilliant!
I’m with you, Emma… I’m a renter, as well. Yvonne actually encouraged me to get a huge rug for my gold carpet (the carpet is in great shape… just really don’t like the color). I’m on the hunt for an affordable, comfortable rug, since I sit on mine all the time. Here’s to renters making their space a home! 😉
THIS was an amazing post, Yvonne! I read every word… my favorite was, “Being stuck with what you have is really a big blessing. Even if you don’t particularly love it!” LOVE this! And, I may have to agree on gray walls. 😉 May have to look at Sonnet again and have a few painting days at My Wee Abode. 😉 I’m looking forward to what coming to Stone Gable in the future weeks/months! Hugs!
Oh, I needed to read this today! There are rooms in my house have matching furniture sets that I used to love but now am painting, moving some pieces to other rooms, or giving away. My grown kids are not interested in any of it. Regarding sentimental pieces that you no longer want to decorate with, it doesn’t diminish the love you had for your grandmother if you don’t display her silver tea service. Take a picture of it to keep and then let it live in someone else’s home who decorates with that kind of vintage things. Editing the items in your home allows you to fully enjoy what remains. My “yellow sofas” are art on the walls that I paid too much for and are no longer my style (Thomas Kincaid). Ugh!
I could not say it better Kathy!
Great post.I think the home is a constant work in progress.Slowly getting rid of the old and in with the new.Blessed and grateful.
I don’t think I’ve ever pinned an entire blog post, but I did on this one! This was a wonderful and much needed read! Sometimes decorating is so overwhelming. It would be nice if we could wave our magic decorating fairy wand and “poof!”…a new perfect room. The reality is about making decisions, finding what’s in your head, finding the money, the time, the support of your spouse…However, your statement of attacking the worst offender really got my attention…and my spirits up. I can tackle one thing…the worst thing…and go from there. I find that if I at least start, I’m one step closer to my end product!
Thank you for all of your inspiration and willingness to share.
Hi Yvonne. I received an email about Stonegable’s color scheme and when I tried to read it I could not locate the post. Was it removed? Thank you
Great post Yvonne! I have been doing pretty much everything you’ve talked about with the exception of painting furniture. Blogging set me off on a path for several years of constant change but now I have learned to upgrade with things I choose that I can live with for a longer period. We are getting our first Home Goods and I know I’ll frequent it but I am not as easily tempted these days. I have learned to let go and donate or in some cases sell some items so I am not stuck with the things I’ve decided weren’t working but I do need to do even more shedding. You are a natural at decorating and no matter what look you put together it always works! (formerly Infuse With Liz)
So encouraging for all! Thank you for sharing. I am especially encouraged to hear how long it has taken you to fully decorate your home, though like you said, we are never really “done.” We have lived 2.5 years in our home and are conquering one remodeling project at a time. It just feels like forever! Thanks for the re…reminder to enjoy the process and be thankful!
WOW! Great post, and it’s very much what I needed to hear today. The glitter and sparkle of Christmas is gone, and everything looks old and tired. Already I’m inspired and looking forward to those posts you said were coming! Thank you!
I love all these suggestions. A couple of things I did that really brightened up our home are: #1, I bought all new white linen drum lampshades throughout the home – family room, living room, master bedroom, reading room. I love continuity throughout a home and these really did the trick. #2, I did the same with draperies – All rooms have lightly lined cream color sheer draperies with brushed gold rods throughout. They look fresh, modern and I just love them. They dry clean beautifully. I like them so much that we are taking them with us when we downsize next year. I also have, in addition to the drapes, comb blinds that open from top or bottom. My house is farm style/ Pottery Barn/transitional in design.
Thank you Lyn! Great suggestions.
I loved this article and you have inspired me in many ways. I’m a victim of Home Goods shopping without a good plan. I’m off to start my Pinterest board to define the look and style want to spend my life in. Thanks!
Good for you Barb!
These are great tips…and above all else as you say BE THANKFUL! It seems every year after I take down Christmas and it’s the new year in January, I like to refresh my home. I just bought a few replacements to get rid of things I’ve had for nearly 18 years (wall decor and a couple of other decorative things). My husband doesn’t always understand, but styles change. When we built our house in 2002 and moved in, I loved an ornate style of decorating. Now to me, that’s too heavy. My house is traditional, but with touches of modern farmhouse/rustic, and of course I love your home and Magnolia Market/Pottery Barn look. I try to do it a little cheaper though, and shop discount stores like Home Goods, Hobby Lobby, etc… by the way your Sanctuary Armoire is absolutely gorgeous!
Thanks Karen! Great ideas!
Very wonderfully put! I love your outlook and adore everything you post. I too feel thankful and blessed for this roof over my head, clothes to wear and food to eat. We are so blessed. Very slowly we can update and change what we don’t like. As you said it has an expiration date anyway, so what we are changing will need changing again in the future. We are never finished, so just work slowly and love what you have at the time. Love your blog. Keep the great posts coming!!
Hi I have been following you for some time and enjoy all of your post! I have been looking for an entry table for some time and really like the white table in your entry!! Could you let me know where you got it? Thank you
Hi Gwen, the buffet is not being sold right now. I found it a Wayfair. Here’s a buffet I have in my dining room that I LOVE and it would work great in a foyer. See it here:https://rstyle.me/n/deq2meb6by7
Fabulous advice Yvonne. Thank you!
Great information! I recently sold a beautiful dining room set that was no longer my NEW style. The lady who bought it came into my house and kept saying “I like your style”. It really made me feel good about the new changes I had made and the new furniture I have. However, I thought that this is a new style for me and as a Baby Boomer, I have been through many styles. Is that normal? or am I just a fickle style kind of gal? Anyway, I am loving the neutral colors and how easy it is to add a new whim with just a few accessories. You have provided me with so many ideas and such helpful guidance in your blog. I look forward to every post you send. XOXO
Good Morning! Wow what a terrific blog.
I have learned so much from reading this.
I also love to get our moneys worth on items we have in our home.
A few months ago we changed out our living room sofas. After living with a set for 35 yrs.
I had custom slipcovers ( two sets) made for the sofas and changed the slipcovers every 6 months. So happy I don’t need to change slicovers anymore with our new furniture we purchased.
Now we have suede neutral furniture that looks
So much nicer.
Thank you thank you for encouraging me!
Have a great day
Brilliant advice Yvonne! Especially about decorating expiration dates!! I too had been stuck with an expensive piece of furniture I thought I had to keep forever till after ten years I decided time to go and donated it to a shelter.
You are a smart one Leslie!
Hi Yvonne,
i love your post and look forward to every email filled with your suggestions and insights.
I have been looking for a basket (tray) that you have pictured in many of your posts. I have found something similar on Potterybarn and Wayfair. I am concerned about quality since the stores are all closed these days. Its seagrass and has two handles and the shape is rectangulare. Can you tell me where you purchased yours? I see Potterybarn has a newer version that is much more refined so I am considering that also. thank you
I found the seagrass baskets at The Pottery Barn. They are very nice quality! Pottery barn baskets are very nicely made.
Thank you for this timeless advice. I too am a white and warm neutrals in a world of grays. I would love tips on how to duplicate every look in your home on a budget! For example the drapes & bedskirt in your master are to die for but not in my budget.Loved Stonegable but love Tanglewood too!
I know Sherry! The drapes and bedskirt are so worth the price. They will last for years and years! Maybe just get one! They are a splurge!
Such good advice and all so true! I , too, bought an expensive sofa set from Ethan Allen many years ago. Guess what, I am still living with it, and it has long gone out of style! Happy to report we will soon be updating.
Love all of your suggestions, and best of all is the advice to be grateful for our homes. God bless.
I swear, just when I think you can not top what you have already done, and/or said, you go and do this fantastic thing. I love these ideals/tips of yours. I apply them, and they work so well for me. What I have learned to do, because of you. To focus on one room at a time.
I would often be so excited about an idea I had for several rooms. Instead of writing them down, to use the ideal for the next room, later, I would find myself trying to work on two or three rooms at a time. Doing that caused me to buy things that later did not work, or I did not need. Thanks to you, I learned to stop buying things I might not need, or did not really have the money for. Because of you, I learned to use, or checkout other rooms in our house, to see if there something that fits better in another part of my home. Thus, saving $$$
It took me a long time to adopt “Learn to return” I think we waste a lot of money by taking things home that don’t work and not returning them in time.
Wonderful suggestions. One thing I always say to my husband or daughter is that when anyone ever walks into our home I don’t want them to think two older people live here. I think the less is more is the way to go. We are on the hunt for a downsized home and I can’t tell you how many homes look like they are in a bad time capsule. Having a freshly painted home, neutral colors and just the right accents always gives a great first impression. Was it Coco Chanel that said after a woman gets dressed to go out they need to remove one item of jewelry – this works for our homes as well.
“…when anyone ever walks into our home I don’t want them to think two older people live here” That is where my head is, as well. Since my mother died I have been in a mental transition and I am looking at everything, including my home, differently. I see how very dated my decor is, and I don’t want people to subconsciously think I am dated, too.
Hi Terry! The most important thing is that you love what you live with! If you are unhappy start making small changes. Sometimes just moving forward and making decisions will help us get unstuck and able to see things in a whole new light.
, I didn’t think I needed to read about being stuck, but what great advice!
So many of your ideas really struck home. I’m the HomeGoods queen and so guilty of doing exactly what you said.
I will definitely look at my shopping differently now! Thank you for this post,
I plan to read it over and over!
This was a great post! I believe in decorating baby steps. Less mistakes are made. And most of all….be thankful for what we have.
Thank you for this post. It speaks to me in many ways. Being thankful for what we have. I listen to K- love and some one made a great point, “ Some one is praying for what you have.” That made me sit back and really process the full meaning. Have a great day, thank you for sharing so much info.
When I grow tired of things as they are I move furniture and accessories around, maybe repaint furniture or walls. Painting the master bath this week to help deal with the hurricane that hits tomorrow. We’ve survived one tornado that put us out of our home for almost a year. Now the possibility of one is pretty frightening.
Pray for all in the path of the storm.
excellent , thank you and God Bless
I like your beautiful home and try to follow your advice.
Thank you Karolina!
You are such a great communicator and it’s so evident that one of your strong giftings is encouragement! Thanks so much for the sage advice.
PS: I still think that the table between the sectional and the floor lamp, in the sunroom, is commanding too much attention. Maybe just remove it for a week and see what you think?
But hey, YOU have the award winning decoration blog and not me, so take my advice with a grain of salt! ha ha
Yvonne, I always enjoy your posts! They are all so interesting and informative. You have a real gift! We appreciate you so much. Thanks for always being so willing to help us with everything. You always make us feel that “we can do this”! Bless you!
Hi Mary-Ann! that is exactly how I want you to feel, my friend! Because YOU CAN do it!
Yvonne, I love this post. This post gave me a lot to think about. I wish I could meet you in person.
God bless you.
Love all your whites and off whites! I’ve done the same in my Florida home. May I ask the color of your walls? You are such an inspiration ,for all your readers! Thanks!
Hi Pamela, our walls are Benjamin Moore Simply White in a flat finish. The trim is the same in semi-gloss.
Great post!!! Thank you, take care
Such great advice! I love your style! May I ask where you found that beautiful piece of Porto under the clock?
Very encouraging article! I find working with my husband the hardest part of creating a space.
You are in good company. Many women do.
So true…thank you are sharing
Thank you with the help on stuck on your old stuff….
Once I start reading these blogs of yours I find myself late for work. Such great inspiration! At lunch, I hope to stop and check out the sizing on some of your clothing favorites.
I have too many things in my small living room. A work in progress.
This is a wonderful post! There are so many take-aways from this that I can apply.
I am always inspired by your articles! I love the fall wreath so easy yet pretty too. God bless you for all that you do to try to make our homes and lives beautiful!! ?
Thank you Brenda.
I just want to say THANK YOU!
I never leave comments but I have been reading your blog for years.
So much information about design, textures, colors and decorating it has changed my home and made the process so enjoyable. I especially like the posts on appreciating what you have.
I look forward every week to your posts!!?
I’m so glad you commented Sherrill!
Great ideas to get “unstuck” when decorating. Very helpful.
Thank you for the encouragement. The way you have decorated your home is goal-worthy!
Thank you for the tips and the links. I’ve found it a challenge to create spaces when there is more online shopping now and less stores to view, touch and see possible ways to put the decor together.