Five Reflections To Make Your Home A Better Reflection of You
Growing up, I always loved crafts, creative writing, and art projects. Does anyone remember Fantastic Flowers? Paint by numbers? Creative writing classes? Hmm, maybe that last one was just me, but for as long as I can remember, I have been drawn to design, in all ways, shapes, and forms. And in my adulthood, this has translated into a true love (and appreciation for) interior design. I hoard House & Home, Style at Home, Elle Décor and subscribe to more Instagram home bloggers and influencers then I care to admit.
When Liz asked me to write a guest blog for Table & Contents, I worried that my post would be full of nothing more than romantical musings of a deep love for Home Sense and scented candles. So, I thought about what I would want to read/learn from a blog post when I was getting ready to set out on a journey to imagine and create a home. I’ve highlighted five lessons that I’ve learned throughout the years, solely based on real-world experience and not at all rooted in any actual design professional projects – just simply my own journey and some things I’ve learned along the way. I hope they are as insightful to you as they are now to me.
1. Be sentimental with your décor
Back before the pandemic hit, I travelled extensively for work. And as a family, we made it a priority to explore as much of the world as we could. In each city I visited, I would make an effort to bring home something for our house, whether it was a business trip or a fun family vacation. I never met a gift shop I didn’t like. Items ranged from art prints to small statues, I even once brought home a hula girl hood ornament from Hawaii – and she now sits proudly on our dressing table in our Master Bedroom.
And this type of décor doesn’t just stop at trinkets from afar – when you’re pondering what to fill your shelves or counters with – take a moment to think of items from your past and present that make you happy. When my grandmother passed, I found a bunch of her old cookbooks packed away in her basement – one book was so old that the front cover was falling off, but I remembered her cooking from it when I was a little girl. And you bet I framed that cover. It sits proudly in a frame in our kitchen and it makes me smile everyday.
From photo albums to family heirlooms to silly tchotchkes found in small, overpriced souvenir markets, take the time to add décor pieces to your home that instill a memory and tell a story. Your house is a reflection of you and your experiences, why not show it off in a tangible form?
2. Art is not found at Ikea or Home Sense
I think this point ties in quite well with the first. As your home is a reflection of you, I endeavor you to not fill your walls with mass-market art prints found at your favourite home décor stores. Instead, take the time to find art and pictures that are personal and reflective of you and your family. This can be really, really easy and really, really inexpensive. Instead of buying a large print from Ikea, just buy a frame from Ikea – then find a picture that you took or a loved one took and get it printed at Staples or any local print store. Many stores, including Walmart, offer incredible options for all sizes. And beyond your own photos, there are other options too – support a local artist at a pop-up market, frame tea towels, pictures from books, visit Etsy, or even frame your kid’s “modern” drawings. The opportunities are endless, and the result? Priceless.
3. Mix old and new, expensive and not
Let’s be honest, building a home or renovating a home is not cheap. And often, we have to make hard decisions when it comes to the very furniture we fill our homes with. My advice here is to be selective and reflective when it comes to your design budget. What items will have the most wear and tear? What furniture pieces will you see right away when you come into a room? I really believe those keystone items are worth the spend. Invest in an incredibly comfy, well made couch – or buy the vintage rug. But there is nothing wrong with mixing those elements with more economically priced options. In our house, we have a great mix of investment pieces and economy furniture that blend perfectly together. A custom dining room table that plays host to eight chairs I got on sale at a Bay clearance centre in 2012. My office desk is a kitchen table from Ikea – my bed frame is from there too – sidled by two gorgeous bedside tables made of walnut that I spent more on than I care to admit. Our kitchen table was thrifted off Kijiji and has been repainted so many times, I don’t know what’s food or paint anymore. And that’s okay, some day, when the time is right, we’ll buy something gorgeous, but in the meantime, those dents and food bits make me smile, as they play out memories of wonderful meals and great friends and family who sit there. Don’t define your design by brand name and price. Define it by items that work together and can be updated over the course of your time in the space.
4. Focus and invest on things you cannot change easily
This one is really specific for those of you heading into a new build. We’ve been fortunate to do this now a few times and it’s such an exciting process. It can also be super overwhelming. Choices abound – hardwood, tiles, paint, countertops, cabinetry…the list seems endless. If you’re working with Liz, she’ll have you covered. But it’s important to keep in mind (even with Liz’s help) that while many things can be updated or upgraded at a later date, you should ensure that your foundational choices are ones that you will be happy with for a long time. Okay, so what does that mean, exactly? Here’s a good example – changing hardwood is always hard – ripping it out, removing furniture, bringing in a contractor – it takes effort and commitment. But something like countertops or paint, are quite easily changed and updated. If you’re working within a specific budget, make sure you have your big ones well covered and invest in them – floors you love, tile you can’t live without. But understand that as your time in your house continues, you can make easy (and often inexpensive) updates to areas that might not need a huge outlay of funds at the beginning. When we built our current house, our budget was getting stretched and we made the decision to install laminate countertops in our kitchen and bathrooms. This saved us an incredible amount of money with the builder. And, three years later, we ripped out the kitchen countertops and splurged on Ceasarstone. But our hardwood – the one I dreamed about for months on end and spent our design dollars on – is still gleaming in the sunlight. There will often be hard decisions to make when you’re building your house, make sure you prioritize elements that are a part of bones. Build that incredible foundation and give yourself the time and creative freedom to change smaller things as you settle into your home.
5. When it doubt, make it yourself, or find someone who can.
Are you handy? Yeah, me neither. But that’s never stopped me from trying. Or asking for help from someone who is. Creating pieces of furniture or art from scratch is a very rewarding experience. Look on Pinterest to find plans for tables, frames, anything really -- the sky is the limit. (I have had success with these bloggers and websites: here, here, and here. )
If you don’t have someone handy in your family, there are plenty of incredible wood workers and artists in the area that can build it for you. Creating pieces that are unique to you and your family is such a rewarding experience and one that you will appreciate every time you see it.
I hope these five little tips find you well when you are on your journey toward creating and curating your home. Phillip Moffitt once said, “a house is a home when it shelters the body and comforts the soul” -- and by bringing pieces of your life and your passions and interests into your house, I hope that you find your home.
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