Did you make any new year resolutions? I’m not a big resolution maker but I do hope this year to finished off some of the projects around our house that we haven’t had a chance to tackle since we moved in. I love Pinterest and Instagram for all their decorating inspiration but I often feel like my house and my skills don’t measure up to what I see online. So besides getting started on a few decorating and reno jobs, I hope that 2017 is the year I let our house be all about what my family loves, who we are and what we can actually afford to do rather than being swayed by what I see on a screen.
I recently read Susanna Salk’s beautiful book Decorate Fearlessly: Using Whimsy, Confidence, and a Dash of Surprise to Create Deeply Personal Spaces
This book is filled with gorgeous photos of real homes that are boldly decorated with big colours, lots of patterns and the owners’ most treasured objects.
What I love about this book is that each space featured is so different from one another. I really appreciate that Susanna’s designs capture the personality of the people who live in the rooms. It’s evident that her main focus is to reflect the beauty and style of the homeowners rather than imposing her own aesthetic. This book boosted my confidence and made me feel that I’m on the right road in my journey to create a house that is all about me and my family. It’s not what’s trending on social media or what shelter magazines predict will be the must-have decor for the coming year; it’s being daring enough to experiment and being content knowing my own style is the right style for our house.
If it looks right, it is right.
-Dorothy Draper
How inspiring is this quote from famed interior designer Dorothy Draper? Inspiring and freeing. Like being told that you can do something you always though you weren’t allowed to! Her signature style mixed loud colours, big patterns and shiny surfaces like lacquered walls and reflective tiles.
She encouraged housewives of the day – “Don’t be afraid! Paint the door green!” Draper knew that if you love something you will love it in your home, and it if it looks right to you, then it is right. Her advice inspired design lovers everywhere to take chances and try something personal and unique.
So this year instead of trying to recreate someone else’s perfect room, let’s fill our homes with what we love:
whether it’s pictures of a pet,
an amazing collection of hats
or erasers (hey, whatever you’re in to).
or making an impact with repurposed materials.
Put your stamp on your home. It doesn’t have to be perfect, or even complete it just has to look right to you. At the end of my life I don’t want to be remembered for what my house looked like, I want to be remembered for the great memories we created in the house.