Five of the Best Ways to Decorate Your House

Learn five of the best ways to decorate your house even if you don’t have the decorating gene.

Some women are born with the decorating gene. They swoop into an empty house and slowly but surely (or very quickly) gather items from here and there to make it a home. They showcase tasteful decor that matches the season, and their rooms have themes. You leave their house feeling inspired and maybe a little nervous about having them over for coffee.

I’m so not that Instagram-worthy decorating woman.

Are you?

Before we both hang our heads in shame, I have a secret. You don’t have to have a decorating gene or a huge budget to make your house look nice. And if the thought of going through your entire house to make it fit a certain color palette makes you nauseous, don’t worry, you don’t have to.

Here’s a list of five simple ways you can use to add style to your home. They’re easy, and they work. Let’s jump in!

Clear the Clutter.

Boring, I know. And if you have little kids, I feel you. That said, there are a lot of cute and functional storage bins on the market which you can fill with tiny princess dolls, blocks, and plastic animals. (Speaking from experience.) Bonus: Buy matching baskets or bins in a common colorway. You’ll feel so much better if you can see the floor.  Clearing the clutter will help you to see the room’s “bones” and what you actually have to work with.

Need extra help clearing the clutter? I LOVE LOVE LOVE Dana White’s approach to decluttering. She’s funny and real and helped me tackle some of my scariest spaces. Her book will help you map out a way to finally get on top of the clutter (even in your beloved craft/creative space!)

One Room at a time.

Feeling overwhelmed? Don’t tackle your entire house at once. Choose one room that you will slowly but surely organize and bring up to par. Then move on to the next one. This isn’t a race. Working on one room at a time has the added benefit of you’re more likely to complete it and be happy about your progress. (Which will spur you on to tackle the next room.)

One more tip here: Choose an easy-win room for starters. I’m taking a beginner’s decorating class right now and was going to start with our office. Wow. Talk about overwhelming. We use it for storage, as our office, and as my craft space. Oh, and there’s a keyboard and bicycle in here too. It’s a bit much. After a moment of panic, I decided to work on our bedroom and am actually excited about what I’m seeing. Start small.

Expensive isn’t Always Better.

Head on over to Pinterest and type in IKEA hacks if you don’t believe me. Yes, nicer and longer-lasting furniture is great to have, but if you have a tight budget, don’t overlook discount chains and Craigslist. With a little creativity, you can transform seemingly “boring” pieces of furniture into what you want (and need.) This is why DIY blogs were created. To show you how to do these projects. 🙂

Also, paint is your new best friend. Especially chalky paints. I’m currently painting three different projects right now because it is So. Much. Fun.

Pillows.

Throw pillows are a quick way to add style to a room. Even better? Throw pillow covers. You can change them out for the season or whenever you get bored and want to freshen up a room. I also love that pillow cases are one of the easiest items to sew. I made the above mermaid pillow in minutes by painting scales over an old pillow case cover. (I used four different blue/white colors of fabric paint.)  Seeing this pillow on my bed makes me so happy.

Take a class.

When in doubt, learn from the experts. Read magazines on home decor and take note. When you look at a picture of a room that you love, what exactly do you love? Are there elements you can emulate? I am personally taking a class by Myquillyn Smith right now called, “Cozy Minimalist” which I am loving. It is so practical, and I don’t feel like I’m going to have to come up with 8 million dollars in order to follow her advice. She defines minimal as “the least amount to reach a goal” which gives me great hope for my decorating venture. (Here’s her book on the same subject.)

“Being a cozy minimalist isn’t about having the newest things—it’s about having the right things.” —MyQuillyn Smith

Decorating your home doesn’t have to break your budget or make you hang your head in shame. Even if you don’t consider yourself the Joanna Gaines of your neighborhood, you can still create a beautiful space that works for you and your family.

Hope you have a lovely {and creative} day!