My home decor style has come a long way since I was clicking away with the scanner in Bed, Bath, and Beyond when Brandon and I set up our wedding registry. I'm sure I'm not the only one.
I was going from my parent's home directly to my newlywed apartment, and I knew nothing about decorating a home. Like, zero. Each room was decorated individually with no thought about the rest of the house.
Several years ago when I began reading blogs, I really gravitated towards home design blogs. My mom introduced me to Young House Love and I finally started to understand how to build a space from a design perspective. John and Sherry of YHL are not trained interior design professionals, so it helped me realize anyone can create a beautiful, unique space that tells the story of their family. I don't claim to have a perfectly styled home (nowhere near), but it IS cohesive and (in the process of being) simplified. Each room "talks" to the other. I can easily move pillows, lamps, tables, blankets, mirrors, and other accent pieces from room to room and they would work well in another space.
The element I use the most to create cohesion is color. I learned that I am drawn to happy colors balanced by neutrals. Specifically, I love a cooler palette, reminiscent of the sea: aqua, teal, mint green, sage green, and blue-grey. My favorite neutrals are light and dark grey, and the combo of black and white used sparingly. I also add in small pops of coral, peach, and yellow. Most of these colors show up in my accent pieces while my furniture basics are neutral.
In a nutshell, here's how having a cohesive home helps me simplify:
1) Shopping. I don't ever have to wonder if something will work in my home - either it fits in the template or it doesn't. I also buy less "filler" stuff - only things that really contribute to the overall feeling and style of my home.
2) Rearranging. Like I mentioned earlier, I can move accent pieces throughout my home and they work well in all spaces. Myquillyn of the Nesting Place blog calls this "shopping your home" which helps me do less "shopping in Target" :)
3) Less stuff / Greater impact. I really want the common thread of my entire home to be simple and well thought-out. When you have less going on, each piece becomes very intentional. The Nester also talks about "quieting a space" before beginning to decorate a room. This is just taking a room down to the essentials so you can see what you already have and what you need to finish the space. By approaching the process this way, you tend to decorate with less items that make a bigger impact. (P.S., I really love her Cozy Minimalist e-course where she walks you through designing a space from beginning to end.)
Think about some ways you can begin to create common threads throughout your home. Can you "shop your home" in it's current state? Or would the pieces from one room clash with another? Start with just one room and think about each element in the space. Decide which pieces are just fillers and which ones contribute to the room.
I would love to hear how you are simplifying your home in the comments! I may even steal an idea or two because I am still learning in this area. :)
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