Decorating is not a subject taught in school. For some it is an innate skill they can do with their eyes closed, for others they struggle significantly. Not everyone finds this a walk in the park. Many experienced decorators still get stumped by certain projects and need to refer to all sorts of resources to find a way to make it work. Keep in mind that you are decorating your home for you, that’s the ultimate goal – your overall happiness in your home. Don’t decorate for the sake of being ‘on-trend’ or for other people and wanting to impress your guests. It’s nice to create a space for friends to enjoy too but that shouldn’t be your driving factor. Embrace the imperfections along the way, it’s what gives your home life authenticity and character. Own your style wholeheartedly, if you aren’t honest with yourself about your style, you’ll forever feel like a guest in your own home. Now more than ever are we focusing on what we can do at home to make it more cosy, more inviting and more of an escape from the strange world we’ve found ourselves in in 2020.
Think about how you want to feel when you come home each day (when we’re allowed out again) and how your home supports you and the people who live in it. If you’re feeling burnt out at work, coming home to a cosy haven to escape is the perfect cure. You’re decorating for your own happiness.
It is totally fine to ignore certain things you have less control over or require a larger budget to tackle. You don’t have to do everything at once. Have patience and accept that things will change along the way. You’ll find treasures on your travels (when we can travel again that is!) that you’ll want to bring home and incorporate into your décor. Don’t deny yourself these little trinket treats because they’ll give your home life and character and will tell your story. Some of my favourite things in my home are items I’ve found in far flung places. I also purposely leave some surfaces free of things in the hopes of finding something cute the next time I travel. I don’t buy trinkets for the sake of having them on the fireplace mantel, I buy things that I’m drawn to and know I’ll love for a long time coming.
Approach your decorating and styling journey like you would a travelling journey, you know the end goal will be an awesome holiday but you don’t know the specifics of how it’ll all unfold. Looking for decorative items for your home is a similar process. We have access to so many different ways of purchasing homewares from online stores to retail shops near our homes to flea markets in the city of Prague. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself to finish it immediately, let it take time and it will come together in a way that reflects you.
Emma x
Extract adaptedfrom Keeping House, 2019. Purchase your copy here.
