Design Advice In A Nutshell

Before I even get started with this post, I'm going to issue a big, fat disclaimer.  I am not a designer.  I can't even pretend to be a designer.  I don't even have a paint chip fan to make myself feel all semi-professional.  So, you can take these nuggets of design wisdom I'm going to share with you today and throw them out the window, or you can read them and maybe a word or two will trigger an inspiring thought.  I just find that every now and again it's a good idea to step back from "doing" and really consider the basics about creating a home and room you feel good about.

With that said, I thought I would share a few pieces of design advice I've picked up over the years.  If one person gets something out of this, that's good enough for me!  :)  So, here it goes.

First, you just have to relax.  Designing your home takes time...  I am so guilty of being impatient and just wanting to get things done for the sake of feeling like a room is complete.  BUT, don't do what I do...do as I say.  Take your time and don't buy things to just fill an empty space.  Collect things you love, then your space will be timeless and it will truly be a room that reflects you.

I'm currently using this "relax" reason to procrastinate on transforming our previous formal dining area into a reading area / den.  You know...because I don't want to rush things.  I'd rather be going to a spa instead and relaxing...so good design ideas will just come to me.  ;)

Go to the spa.  Then, go shopping!
Source

Second, buy really nice, timeless designs for your big statement pieces, like sofas, chairs, rugs, etc.  You can accessorize with cheaper items that won't cost an arm-and-a-leg to replace later on once you're tired of them or the trend ends.  Case in point...a nice sofa can last for years.  So who cares if you spend a couple grand on it?  Think of it as an investment in happy seating each day... A $2000 sofa that lasts four years only costs you $1.36 a day.  Not looking too bad now, huh?  Whereas if you spend a couple grand on the currently trendy juju hat trend, I dare say you won't be getting much return on that design investment.

Nice, neutral sofas that will withstand the test of time.
From Apartment Therapy, Source

My third nuggets is that matching isn't all it's cracked up to be, so mix it up!  It has literally taken me years to figure this out. I went from thinking I had to go to the local furniture store to get a matching bed, dresser, mirror, nightstand, etc, to now thinking about how I can acquire pieces that work together, but also stand on their own.  I love for every piece to have a story and be able to make its own statement.  Mixing finishes (like the wooden bed with the metal nightstand in the picture below) is a really important step towards finding your own confidence with mixing styles in a room.  I still haven't totally figured this one out yet, but I'm working on it.  Slowly but surely.

See...the bed totally doesn't match the nightstand.  And it's okay.
From Apartment Therapy, Source

So, there are my three nuggets of design advice.  I'm no expert and I acquired this advice from a bunch of different favorite sources (like HGTV), but I have to credit Jennifer Dyer's recent interview with Apartment Therapy as the source that finally got me to sit down and write a blog post about all I'm attempting to learn.  If you didn't get anything out of this post, sorry.  If you did, fabulous!  I know it certainly helped me to sit down and collect my thoughts...and remember that creating a home you love takes time.

Have a great day and hope to see you back here again soon!

PS - Thanks to everyone that helped me reach my goal of 250 Facebook fans this weekend!  It was a lofty goal, but I sincerely appreciate you helping me spread the word!