How to Make Your Home Feel More Like You

Molto Bene Studios Really nice article! I agree with so many of your points, particularly on color and art. We kept most of our home's surfaces very neutral as a backdrop to extremely vivid colors in our art, pillows, plants. Makes it possible for us to switch things up. The only thing you don't mention is editing your space --- re-evaluating what is important to have around you and getting rid of anything that doesn't make you happy -- leaving more room for what is personal to you!

SPACIFY INC, Very cool! It looks like a completely different furniture, great ideas.

Griffin Interiors I am an Interior Designer and cringe when customers ask for help picking artwork and/or accessories - I mean the personal items, not the necessary ones like lamps, rugs, etc. I will assist in finding items but insist on their participation. These items should be personal to the individual, their home and their life experience, after all these are the items that breath the life into your home.

I suggest taking your time to find items you really find appealing. It can be a lot of fun to shop around for a particular item for a particular spot and be very rewarding when you find it! That in itself is a story. You can ask a designer if they think it is a good choice. A good designer should give you an honest answer without bleaching away your personality - assuming you have a good working relationship.

I think we have all been on vacation and purchased something only to find that when we bring it home we wonder what we were thinking.........maybe that one can go on the bottom shelf or let go entirely - no harm in a work in progress.

Enjoy......it can become addictive!

Story & Space - Interior Design and Color Guidance Thanks for including my bedroom photo, Kristie. You've included some great advice here!

Ann Smitt So many people pick out random accessories for their homes. Live with, what you love. Your article was a 'breath of fresh design air.'

JAN MOYER To a point, I am with Griffininteriors! But clients can be insistent on a "finish"! So after the lamps, and rugs, and fingertip towels, and throws and all... I am usually still in the hunt! My tip to all is this: In busy lives that so often focus on just the daily grind of living... please buy less JUNK. You know what I mean. Those bored Sundays at the local TJ MAXX that were responsible for loading your basement with the oh so common useless and cheesy items.... please stop. You will find you soon have the money for some original art, an artifact from a local artist, or something fabulous that will set your home apart, and make you smile as well. Designers often find themselves in this position, and to complicate it... there are no funds remaining to do the task anyway!

irishcolleen Love the art

Griffin Interiors i never shop at TJ Maxx or recommend buying low quality junk, ever. I am suggesting that you save your money, plan your purchases, buy quality items - one picture, one painting, one sculpture at a time. there is nothing wrong with an empty spot, waiting to be filled by something when the right item is found and when it is worth owning.

Mercy Me I agree 100 percent with those who suggest we avoid the TJ Maxxes and Ross's and horrors, Hobby Lobby's of this world. You're correct that many well-meaning homeowners will gravitate out of sheer boredom for some retail therapy at these shops, for (mostly) cheesy mass-produced accessories, in order to personalize their homes.

That is not to say that all shops like these should be avoided like the plague, but that they should not be the sole source for feathering one's nest.

elsatroy Where should I be looking to find such a nice cast iron headboard as in your first picture?

JAN MOYER Oh my HEAVENS! Lordy No!!! I was NOT suggesting Griffin frequents TJMAXX! I was simply saying I truly wish my clients would satay OUT of there! (:

Kristie Barnett, The Decorologist Love all of your comments! I, too, would rather my clients show me what they have and love - then let me help them group and display the things important to them vs. me going and buying accessories that have NO MEANING to them! As to the comments regarding editing: I think this is the most difficult thing for most people to do. A good decorator with a true interest in the client's desires can really help in this department!

Kristie Barnett, The Decorologist Elsatroy: That isn't a cast iron bed in the first photo - it's a painted wicker/rattan headboard. Those were so popular in the early 80's - I had one as a kid. Remember the store "World Bazaar?" That's where you got lots of that stuff - kinda a precursor to Pier One. You can probably find one on ebay or craigslist.

JAN MOYER I just got thinking about this again... I had lunch with a friend and his out-of town guests the other day. I had only been to his home once, and this was the first chance I had to soak in the essence of my friend, as we generally are... well! "bar friends at six in our local "Cheers"?! He wrote the scripts for some very major and successful movies, acted as well, has a great singing voice, and is a huge baseball fan. Lived in New York, and in L.A. I sat in his den awaiting lunch, and soaked in the essence of my drinking/crossword puzzle/ buddy. No decorator on this planet could provide the ambience. The den is jammed floor to ceiling and wall to wall, with candid black and white photos of movie stars with my friend, many taken during production. A signed Hirschfield portrait as well! The entry has old collected baseball bats casually leaning in the corner, and only a man could replicate the off-hand manner with which they are displayed! They're just leaning, like he'd head out to a game and grab one. Crossword puzzles litter the kitchen table, alongside "man clutter" you'd be tempted to banish. Leaded windows shine light on an old grand piano in the living room, and a guitar sits nearby. Art propped on an easel out of necessity.....you get the idea.
It's hard to imagine surroundings more reflective of an owner. There are no "accessories" in this house, there is A LIFE reflected in it. Would it be that all of our lives could be as interesting, because it isn't an effect that can be bought, it has to be lived. I was darn jealous. He surely didn't need me! I came home to my piles of design books, work in progress clutter like rolled up house plans, and sighed. At least you can tell what I do for a living!

Kristie Barnett, The Decorologist What a great story, Jan! Thanks so much for sharing :)

morgana44 You are right...people should llive with what they love. Although I find it amusing that people would need help selecting art for their home. Buy what you like...really who can judge your taste in art or color or wine for that matter. And if you don't like what you bought...well that's why ebay was invented.

joseph raj Amazing ideas to be our self in any thing we do.

zombieknit Good article, but in the blue fish plate photo, I thought the lamp in front spoilt the effect.
Love the promotion of vivid colors. I think that neutral colors are the ones I'd get sick of quickly. Our main bathroom is a deep cerise/ pink against white marble and I still love it after 14 years.

bfergie I have found that if I buy something I love, I will find a place for it, even if I am not sure how it will work in a particular space. The opposite is true as well, if I pick up an item because "it will work" and could look "good enough", then 9 times out of 10 I will dispose of it shortly because I just don't enjoy it. The trick is when you don't have a lot of money you have to do a lot of waiting and NOT picking up an item just to suffice for the time being...save your money, and the piece(s) will be found!

nandanirajesh Blue fish platters design is febulus. V.good arrarnged.

Dana Veach At the risk of making myself immediately unpopular, I have to take exception to the wholesale condemnation of those who shop at places like Ross, TJ MAXX, and "horrors," Hobby Lobby. Not everyone has the funds to shop high end designer sources, and everyone, even the poor among us, is entitled to a personal expression of beauty. Are we not encouraging people to find what they truly love and incorporate it into their living space? Perhaps we should gently encourage our clients to educate themselves through pointing them to more elevated design sources rather than snickering at them behind their backs. Some of my favorite finds have been items from these sources which emulate good design and have been reworked or reused in creative ways. It's somewhat similar to snagging a great flea market find, albeit without the possible provenance. I have frequently found that snobbery, though it may make us feel better in our own eyes, is often an excuse for lack of imagination...my "two cents"...for what it's worth.

vegaspat Great article. I'm a color person myself. Every room in my home is a different color and I have no trouble displaying art & accessories against the various colors, none of which are neutral. Re: the purchasing of decorative items for the home, let me recommend "antique" stores, flea markets and 2nd hand stores. If you make it a habit to frequent these stores, you'll be amazed to discover the many articles which will touch your heart. I like things which have a history and (though I may not know the real story) it's fun to imagine what that item has been through and who has loved it before you. In addition, you may be able to decorate your home a little less expensively this way.

taureg Money and taste are not synonyms. There is lots of interesting, creative stuff you can do on even a stringent budget and lots of blogs to help you do it. Admittedly, not everyone has the time or the skill, but it is much more about who you are then where you shop. I found it interesting to hear from designers about the horrors of "personalizing" someone's home.

As far as the TJ Maxx comment, I think what was intended is that people just buy too much stuff, for no reason. I have friends, who can well afford to buy good things, who do this, and their garage is loaded with stuff they will never use, and I can't imagine why they bought.

Kristie Barnett, The Decorologist What a great dialog - thank you for sharing all these thoughts and feelings around the idea of making your home feel like "you." Decorating really is about creating a feeling, even more so than about creating a look - at least in my philosophy! Low-end or high-end isn't the point - it's about hunting and gathering things that hold meaning for you or are beautiful to you, then finding ways to display them in a way that makes you happy every time you walk through the front door!

zombieknit Can't wait to incorporate some of these ideas in our new house, but have to be careful not to go crazy and just buy stuff for the sake of it. I like the comment about leaving space and waiting for the perfect piece.
Also, I wanted brighter colors in more rooms but were limited by the contract as apparently bright and dark colors need a higher quality of finish on the wallboard, so I am not getting as many as I would like not even a black ceiling as I saw in one house).

Story & Space - Interior Design and Color Guidance Oh, I soooo have to chime in here! (All this talk about TJ Maxx, etc...) I love shopping at the discount department stores. And the irony is, many things in my bedroom photo are from TJMaxx/Home Goods, Marshalls, and Ross. All of the bedding is from a combination of these stores, including the Kate Spade sheet set that I got on clearance for $25. (I'm not proud of this, or anything. ha ha.) I am a bargain shopper by nature, even for my clients. Why buy something for $125 when you can get it for $25?

I do agree that too much meaningless stuff is simply too much meaningless stuff. You definitely need to be careful and mindful when shopping at these stores, and never be afraid to make returns. The key to decorating - whether high-end, low-end or somewhere in-between is, in my opinion, creating a good mix of stuff, and buying items whenever and wherever you might find them. It takes time, for sure, but even more so, it takes an open mind. You have to try oddball stuff out sometimes...and be flexible with your design vision. As you pick up items here and there, let your vision change. And the great benefit of that - you end up with a home that is uniquely curated by your own two hands. In essence, a home that feels "more like you."

And...be brave...don't let fear drive any of your design decisions.

CAROLE MEYER Great post. I agree, make you home your own with you own art if you can! I decided to try that about 15 years ago and now am showing and selling here in Portland. Yes, you can....you just need to give yourself permission to try! Carole

Hides and Co. I love the children's art gallery wall. Such a neat way to show off their work.

georgia55 Great article Kristie, thanks. I really like your ideas around displaying collections and family heirlooms in decorating. Also I appreciate the tip on not using too many in a bookcase to avoid too much of a good thing.
I hope to see more from you soon!

Kristie Barnett, The Decorologist Thank you, Georgia!

yogapaws I have wanted a red room since I was 12 years old. Forty years later I painted a small dark room exotic red. A coworker actually screamed " are you crazy? don't you watch HGTV?"
Wish I hadn't waited so long... It makes me so happy.

basmalino i really like it , so practical and helpful

writerinfact Thank you! This article was, for me, a bit of a light-bulb moment, as was the moment when, at 30-something, I stopped cutting my hair because at 6, my mother had it all cut very short. I have now given myself permission to display "the real me" in my choices of art and accessories. Now my books AND my rocks can come out of the closet - literally!

Kristie Barnett, The Decorologist Writerinfact: Good for you!!! That makes me smile :)

Rana Bilal Manzoor Totally agree with your suggestion... Very nice post and good information here... Thanks for posting that....

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Kelly Bernier Excellent article Kristie! Great ideas and advice.

jkristamagee Dana veach! - that was SO well put. The truth needed to be stated. The real horror in the fact that they are talking about their clients like this is the fact that most of them do the same thing continuously here on houzz. I can't imagine how this would make the clients feel. And to think they are actually paid for this.