Have you ever fallen in love with a piece of furniture, a wild wallpaper or an unusual color, then talked yourself out of it because it was too out of the box or too different from what your home looks like? I’m a believer that you sometimes need that shakeup to your usual go-tos and routines.Sometimes you need that shakeup to your usual go-tos and routines.
I am going to London next week and I am excited for a change of scenery, the pleasure of speaking a language without having to think so hard and finding some unique and quirky decor objects to bring some new energy into my space.
And wait….are you feeling this seasonal energy shift?? It’s REAL. I am in total nesting mode, watching a ton of YouTube home tours lately, particularly those eccentric, maximalist London homes filled with color, patterns and all sorts of unexpected oddities.
It’s such a breath of fresh air since earlier this Fall I was voraciously consuming tours of Parisian homes, which are usually a little more discreet, studied and intentional. These two cities’ interiors seem to follow entirely different philosophies. And I love that contrast! One isn’t necessarily better than the other.
But seeing how differently Parisians and Londoners approach decorating reminds me how much fun we can have when we stop worrying about what we’re supposed to like.
How about you? If you were to look around your home right now, what surrounds you? Would you say that your home is a reflection of what you genuinely love or rather, what you think it’s supposed to look like?
People sometimes assume Feng Shui comes with a long list of decorating rules. Place this object in this corner, avoid that color or declutter to the barest minimum. I’m here to tell you, no!
There is no one-size-fits-all decorating formula in my book. Your home, your space, your life should reflect who you are and what makes you feel your best. Not what TikTok, Instagram or YouTube tell you.
And that doesn’t mean you need to throw out everything and start decorating like an eccentric Londoner! It might simply mean giving yourself permission to love something that doesn’t match, isn’t fashionable or makes absolutely no sense to anyone else except you 🙂
Here’s your weekend warrior exercise 🙂
- Take a little walk around your home this weekend. Look at it with the eyes of someone who has never been there before. Maybe it’s a guest who has never met you. Note: this imaginary guest is simply a tool for seeing your space afresh, not someone whose approval matters!
- What 3-5 words would you use to describe the person who lives there? Are those the words you’d like someone to use to describe you? Not who you currently are, but who you would LOVE to be? For example, you may say, “this person is minimalist, traditional etc”, but you may want the words “whimsical, artistic, thoughtfully curated….”
- Pinpoint the pieces or spots in your home that need attention. Is there a corner that feels a little too safe? A piece of furniture you’ve kept because you inherited it but don’t love? Think about one item or home change you’ve been talking yourself out of. Be as fast or as slow as you like. It’s your space.
If you want to get rid of something but hesitate, take a photo of it and move it closer to your entry door, if it’s small enough. If it’s big, put a post it on the item, then another post it on the door to remind you that this item is being evaluated. Then put a date on your calendar in a few days to consider it again and hopefully, make a decision. If you want to add something new, just give yourself permission to consider it again, without worrying about whether someone else would approve. How did it feel thinking about making that change? There’s your answer!
Your home doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s. It should look and feel like you. And you should be having some fun with it! Comment and tell me what you discovered. Making changes can be scary and take time. I’m here to support you on your journey!
