This year, I decided to sign up for a few magazine subscriptions, specifically in home design. I remember when I was young, my mom would get magazines in the mail and she would have a little storage basket where she kept all of them for anyone to pick up and read if they wished. It’s not beyond me that I could easily find these images and articles online, but I kind of love it. I love looking through them and reading the articles. I love the design tips, the occasional recipe, and I love the way they look messily stacked on my coffee table. I have developed a passion for the ‘lived in’ house. In a world of minimalism and the desire for a home to look like nobody lives in it – I’ve discovered that is the opposite of what I want. I want a house that people are going to feel comfortable in, that’s warm, a house that is memorable for unique things and a home where visitors can tell that it’s full of things that I really love.

This discovery comes after moving into my house a year and a half ago, and living in minimalism for the better part of it. All of our furniture was from RH or Pottery Barn and everything was neutral. When we first moved into our house, my home decor strategy was essentially finding a photo on Pinterest or Instagram of a room I liked and try to mimic it. I did exactly that, and while it was nice and looked well put together. To me, it lacked character. I realized over time that I really didn’t know what my home style was. Due to the overconsumption of social media, my brain had been inundated with the home decor/style of the moment and I thought because it looked nice, that’s what I wanted. I began to search for different home styles, I started collecting interior design books from various designers with different styles, and looking through the aforementioned magazines… Through doing this, and getting away from the same design trends we see over and over again on social media – it enlightened me to a whole new world of design that really hit home for me. I’ve realized that the homes that I LOVE the most are filled with collected pieces that have character and don’t look just like other homes I see on IG. Don’t get me wrong, I think that neutral homes are beautiful as well, and my home is still mostly neutral, I just have discovered that I want to add in some more depth into my own space.

The transition has been slow. Much to Drew’s dismay, rooms that were once filled started to feel like we just moved in as I was going through the cycle of selling furniture and finding replacements. I’ve learned though, it’s really better to take your time. When you make abrupt decisions, 9/10 times you end up regretting it or wishing you had gone with something else. So I slowly but surely have been on this journey of adding character into our home. Filling empty corners, adding things to the walls, and it’s really a rewarding process. If you are looking for a change in your home, breathe your personality into it. Buy things you love. If you truly love something, you will find a place for it. 

Thank you for listening, that’s all for now.

xx