We all have that one friend. You walk into their house and it’s like the pages of Pottery Barn came to life right before your eyes. Every decoration is on trend. It’s the perfectly staged Instagram picture, in real life.
Well, that’s not MY home.
And despite that fact, I seem to have a steady influx of compliments on my home and my decorating style. The one I hear most is how “homey” it feels, and to me, that is the best compliment anyone could give me on my home because that’s exactly my style. I don’t think you have to be an interior decorator with a hefty budget to make your house feel like a home. Below I have highlighted some of my personal favorite home decor “go-to” tips. Full disclosure: I am just a regular Mama with no background in anything having to do with decor/fashion/style, etc. Just a gal who knows what she likes!
Let’s talk about TRENDS.
I’m just going to use “farmhouse” as an example (because it’s everywhere!) Personally, I avoid getting too trendy or sticking to a “theme” for my entire house. Instead, if there is a trend that I like, I will kind of sprinkle it around my house. That way when it’s no longer “in,” or I’m just over it, I can easily swap it out without spending a ton of money and redecorating my entire house.
Buy what you LIKE.
That sounds really lame and obvious, but it’s the truth. I firmly believe that if you always just stick to the things that you like, you will eventually have a cohesive look going on in your home that you are truly proud of and that feels like home to you. Don’t feel like you have to have a trendy home to have a beautiful home.
Get Thrifty.
One of the most satisfying things for me is finding something amazing in a place that I would least expect to. I’m talking about curbs the night before trash pick up. I’m talking about Goodwill. I’m talking about garage sales. Find something with good “bones” and it is one quart of paint away from becoming a custom piece that could look like you spent hundreds. Two of my favorite pieces of furniture were someone else’s trash. One was free and the other was maybe $3. They just needed a little lovin’. You don’t need to shop at the most expensive stores and buy all the fancy things to make a beautiful home.
All the pillows and rugs.
There are few things that I love more than good rugs and throw pillows! Can I get an AMEN? (No…just me?) Pillows and rugs are two of my favorite ways to cozy up a space. I really don’t think this even needs an explanation. If a space feels unfinished to you, throw some pillows and rugs in there and voila!
Houseplants.
I think houseplants are such a fun way to bring life into your space. I mean, for the two weeks that I can keep mine alive, they really make me really happy. I have so much houseplant envy. So if anyone can help me out here, feel free to drop me a message.
Kids art (dressed up as real art.)
I don’t know about y’all, but I could fill up a small storage unit with my daughter’s artwork. And she’s 2. So, I started finding ways to display her beautiful little scribbles and disguising it as home decor. A quick Pinterest search will give you all the inspo you need!
I hope you’ve found my very unprofessional decorating advice fun, and applicable! Hopefully, this is helpful to someone out there struggling to make a house a home.
