My Dos and Don'ts of Home Decor

Hi everyone! 

With all the recent trends I've been seeing on social media lately, I thought it was a good time to pop on and share some of the key decor principles that I've discovered over the years. As I've built homes and refined my own style, I've found four dos/don'ts that have been game-changers for designing my home, impacting everything from what decor I buy to how I style it.

Don't: Go All-In on Trends (Whether You're Buying or Building)

It's tempting, but don't do it! I learned this lesson years ago as I watched a friend build a new home and incorporate all the trends of the time. Everyone was using gray in their homes, and she went all in, using lots of silver lighting and fixtures, glass (which is hard to keep clean), and gray coloring-- gray floors, gray-toned woods, you name it. While it looked good, the entire home had the same look, making it feel "stuck" in the trend. Only a year later, as she gave me a tour of the home, it felt off.

My takeaway: a home doesn't look as good when it overly relies on trends to give it style. Instead, a house looks the best when it's either a blend of decor styles or when it's you. (I've been seeing this same pattern of over-relying on trends on Instagram lately; influencers and bloggers are all promoting the same neutral, beige look. Don't be afraid to mix and match or branch out!)

This isn't to say that you should avoid decor trends; rather, be deliberate about how you incorporate the trends and don't go overboard. 

Do: Own Up to What You Love

My biggest piece of home decor advise is owning up to what you love. It's really hard not to get wrapped up in the current trends, but, as cliche as it might sound, if you follow your heart and decorate with the style and products that you love, it looks good. The decor feels more natural and real, and if you're really excited about the decor you've chosen, it shows.

In my own home, this played out when I found a piece of llama-themed wall art that I loved. It's not my husband's favorite, but having it hanging in my living room makes me super happy. It makes my house feel more like me, and it's gotten lots of compliments. Gingham door bows are another decor element that I just really enjoy, and I've found lots of different ways to incorporate them, ranging from acting as a focal point on my front doors to decorating my mantle. (My love for door bows is actually what inspired me to launch A Bow or Two in the first place!)

Don't: Over-Rely on One Style

Remember how I said to be careful with how you incorporate trends? I'd also caution leaning too hard on one decor style in general. I saw this several years back when my kids were younger. I can't remember the name of the trend, but everyone was doing the faux Venetian walls that were all painted and kind of sponge-textured. Anyway, a lot of my friends re-did their walls in this style, and since repainting your whole house is a big deal, they ended up getting stuck with a very niche decor style that dominated the feel of the home. It's hard to change themes or decor when you over-rely on just one style.

One key way to avoid doing this is by making sure that the big items in your home-- like paint colors and big pieces of furniture-- are more neutral, and making smaller pieces more niche. In my own house, we've done very neutral paint colors, and it's been a lifesaver.

Do: Mix and Match

Building off of the last point, I've found that it's better to mix and match decor items rather than have everything be a certain style (e.g. going all industrial, all silver or gray, etc). I feel lucky because I haven't spent much money on furniture sets in the past, which means that I have a wide mix of furniture styles and types; however, I've been able to style them together deliberately, and they blend well because of how they represent my love of different eras. On a broader level, I've also branched out in my other decor. I've got antiques, upholstered items, heavy wood, sleek modern metal elements, etc. It's kept things interesting.

If you don't feel confident mixing different styles together like this, then try keeping your big pieces neutral and mix in trends and different styles with smaller, more easily exchangeable things, like pillows. For example, I've found that I really love scalloped designs. I've implemented that into my home through things like scalloped wicker baskets, scalloped oak trivets, and scalloped placemats. They're all easy, exchangeable pieces, but they also work together cohesively. They've let me incorporate a style I love without having to invest in big, niche pieces.

Your Style, Your Way

I hope that these tips will help you avoid some of the learning curves that I had to figure out early on in my home decor journey! Be sure to let us know: which tip did you find the most helpful?