So now that our home is somewhat decluttered, I am on a roll to get this place organized and decorated. There are still some areas I need to tackle but generally speaking, we are making headway. Again, our home was not totally filled with all kinds of unnecessaries. And I tend to have a place for everything. But there are always the stuff that tend to accumulate in a lived-in home and needs to either be organized or decluttered. You can find my free decluttering checklist printable here.
Since we moved into this house over a year ago, I have been trying to figure out my colors and style. The layout is a lot different and a tad bigger than our previous home. In fact, there are a few bits and pieces of the home that could use a little renovation. Before we moved into our previous home, we had a two week slot to do some renovation and made it ours. As of this one, we moved in the day we closed so we are still working our way around it. It is not in terrible condition but it definitely could use some updating in some areas. The only major update we have done so far is to change out the carpeting in the bedrooms and the family room. It was a mix of red, maroon, and beige. We chose a lighter and more consistent color throughout the home.
This is an old photo that shows my decor dilemma – wall decor widely spaced apart and wall art missing. I have since moved everything from the space to create a more functional entryway. One lesson I have to constantly remember though is to give myself some grace. I have been in baby mode since we moved in. Those little ones sure keep us busy. Don’t they? Yet, it never ceases to amaze me when someone walks into our door and proclaims that we have a beautiful home. I’ll take the compliment. But wait until you step into one of our bathrooms and see all that ugly wall paper half torn out from their placement. Well, it probably is not the worse but definitely not the best either.
Anyway, as you may have already seen from some of my previous posts, I tend to decorate on the budgeted side. Yep, I shop for sale pieces from well-loved stores such as At Home Stores, Target, Kohl’s, Home Goods, Ross, Hobby Lobby, etc. But every once in a while, I have got to get to IKEA. And yes, you can definitely find sale pieces there, too. Like this coffee table I snagged for 1/2 off because of two missing screws which my husband put back in less than 2 minutes. The original price was $44 which in itself was not a high price for a coffee table (especially coming from IKEA). I just love their stuff! And let’s not forget my online fave – Amazon!
Lately, I have been trying to spend intentionally, rather than just purchasing whatever for the save of purchasing. What ends up happening is usually a quick return of the items to the store or me using them for a little while then selling or donating them to the thrift store.
Another lesson I am trying to teach myself is that less is more. The less stuff we have coming in is the less stuff we would have to deal with. No, our home is not empty of stuff. We have lots of it. But I am definitely being more intentional in purchasing only what I think we need. And of course, I want our home to look pretty. So yes, I do shop for pieces to make the home beautiful. I believe as women, we love beauty. We want to see our homes looking somewhat put together. And there is nothing wrong with that. Learning to control our stuff is what really counts. Oh who am I kidding, I probably need to declutter some more! But you get the point.
So I will be starting to show you more of my home organizing and decorating progress on the blog. I may not be the most extravagant decorator out there but I sure love simple elegance. And I tend to like practical. I have shared some small DIY posts and of course, showed our home quite a few times. But I think it will be great to post more about the “said” areas here. I will also be sharing $15 or less updates for the home.
So what is my style of decorating you may ask. Thanks for asking. I tend to gravitate toward a mixture of the old and new as in rustic and modern. It all depends on the area in view. While I like seeing a smooth clean look I also love seeing old shabby rustic items mixed in. I think they add some character to a space. So you’ll see how I use both.
This was a shot from a previous home tour. Since then, everything has already been moved around (as is my constant state). But as you can see, I used a mix of modern and rustic items in this space.
What do you all think? Would you like to see more home decor & organizing related posts here? And what are your favorite places to purchase your most cherished finds? I would love to know your thoughts in the comments.
I love everything home decor and I am also trying to be more intentional with my purchases to stop collecting so much junk that clutters your house!
No point in wasting money on junk that we don’t even use anyway. I say find pieces we love and would work for us!
that is a score of a deal for the coffee table. I am slowly learning how to bargain shop for decorating my home. I am taking it really slow and sometimes it feels never ending.
That sucks about the wallpaper in the bathrooms but people don’t always catch that, they see love and cleanliness in a house.
It takes a while, doesn’t it. I have a mentality that I want everything right now. But reality is that it does not happen!
You know me, I’m all about home organization and decor! LOL Bring it on! And I have to say, I think we all have those little irksome areas in our home that we can’t make just perfect…it’s all part of the journey!
Oh gheez! Well now you put me on the spot. LOL! We’ll see how that goes:)
I tend to decorate on a budget, too. If it’s not on sale, I don’t usually buy it. I like high-end, but I don’t pay high-end prices. I tend to merge decorating styles together and I’m a little modern, traditional and eclectic. That about covers it all, I think.
I always marvel at how clean your house is with three little kids. You rock! Looking forward to more decor ideas.
I love to keep my home clean – it makes me less crazy…. On the dรฉcor side, I am like you. I like the high-end for sale prices.
We just bought our first home in December and are in the process of decorating. I’m still trying to figure out my “style” as well – it’s actually difficult, especially with an opinionated husband (lol). So far we are going for a “modern rustic/cabin” feel. I have some antique furniture that has been refinished throughout the house, and we have cedar accent furniture in the living room which really gives off a wood cabin feel – but we also have modern wall accents and dรฉcor. I hope to do a post when we are (finally) done with the decorating process. Right now we are still trying to figure out where we want to put/hang everything!
I love that modern rustic type of feel, too. And cedar accent sounds great! It takes a lot of time and thought to figure out one’s style for sure. But you’ll eventually get there.
Love the organizing and home decor topics! I have lots of places in my home that could use some frugal help and inspiration. ๐
~Lorelai
Life With Lorelai
Ha, ha, Me, too. That is why I am doing this:)
I do a terrible job with home decor. We took everything off the walls to paint over a year ago and still haven’t put it all back yet. I’m really one of those people who thinks less is more but I’m working on trying to do better. I always think you have done a great job with your home decor.
Thank you so much, Shirley. It could be so hard to be motivated to decorate at times. There are times when I too have taken everything down and took months to put them back up.
Hahhaaha. I’m not too bright today. Great post!