The best thing is to make idea books and if you are careful you will see a style emeging from them then go shopping with a aprticular idea book in mind.It will give you guidance and you can always add items to the look later.

Hi,

I would say don't feel the need to rush into finding everything, or purchasing everything at once. Decorating your own home takes time, and rather than splurging on items which fit your current theme in one shot, take time to find pieces that work together and are classic and build your collections.

You do seem to have a wide range of tastes, and it can be a challenge to blend certain styles together as well. Start with items and a wall paint color that are neutral and you can build around and/or change easily. For instance - a simple white or glass lamp base that fits the scale of your room. Here you can easily change the shade to fit a new color scheme. Same with pillows - check out landofpillows.com for inexpensive options that you can change seasonally if you like to switch up your look every so often.

Art is trickier and can be a costly investment. Take time to research artists, and find a piece you love and will want to keep from some time if not forever. Use that as inspiration to pull colors into your room for accessories and define the style of the space. As overwhelming as it can be, decorating your home should also be fun, and it can be an ongoing process as your taste and style continues to evolve over time too.

Bottom line - find pieces you love and take the time to do that, don't rush into buying things just to complete a look. Houzz is wonderful for inspiration and developing your ideas, but can open the door to feeling overwhelmed. Go through your ideabooks, compare your favorite looks of each style and see what speaks to you the most. Don't feel discouraged, your home will come together once you're able to stop overthinking what fits, and look for what you love.

Best of luck!

"I've wasted a couple hundred dollars on items and luckily have stopped myself from wasting more. But, I've had my first home for a year now and after endless hours of shopping online, it's still nowhere close to decorated! "

i think your key problem is the word 'online'. go to a real store, where you can hold the item, touch the item. you'll have fewer choices (which may be a good thing) but you'll have a better idea if you like what you are touching. you'll have total clarity on if you like the color, the size, the fabric. etc. save online shopping for coffee filters.

i was fortunate, when i began decorating lo those many years ago, there were fewer choices and i had less money. its all so much easier to decorate on the cheap with low expectations than it is to have the ability to do it all at once with all the world at your fingertips.

Also, don't rush to fill out "decor." Instead, get items you really like, and then figure out what room to use them in and how to assemble a look. (this doesn't work with a mostly completed space, but it's great when starting from scratch.) It's better to be surrounded by things you really like, and which reflect your taste, then a bunch of color-coordinated visual filler!