I recently uploaded an Instagram post with the following quote from Coco Chanel and wanted to expand further on it:
This also applies to your home! So many people get caught up in the curb appeal of their houses but fail to carry that appeal inside. We tend to put more attention, money and effort to project a certain image to others, but the inside of our homes is often not what we wished it could be.
Not only should the appeal continue through the entry and front room of the house, but all the way through each bedroom, bathroom and yes, the dreaded basement and garage!
Overwhelmed?
Don’t be!
Take it one wall, one room at a time. I'll show you how. The most important thing is to have an overall vision for your home. This will help you edit what you already have and know what you should or shouldn’t buy when you’re out shopping.
Why is this important?
When you have an overall vision, your house will begin to feel like a home. It will have a sense of presence. It will then accurately reflect who YOU are, both inside and out. This is called a cohesive look.
(For this exercise, you will need a writing instrument, some post its, or a notebook, notepad, your phone or anything you can take a few notes in. So go grab that and come back. I'll wait!)
How does one achieve a cohesive look?
1. Start by thinking about the feeling you want to convey when visitors come to your home; the feeling YOU want to feel when you walk into your home after a long day out or after a vacation.
Peaceful?
Joyful?
Or somewhere in between?
Whatever comes to you, write it down. Don't over think it or analyze it. Don't go to Pinterest to look for inspiration! You've got this! Think about it. Go get yourself a warm drink and think some more.
2. Think about the restaurants, coffee shops and hotels you've stayed in that instantly made you feel comfortable and you didn't want to leave.
Where they warm and cozy?
Or modern and crisp?
Or something else altogether.
Write that down too! There is no wrong answer.
What was it about them you remember most?
What objects do you remember?
What colors?
What scents?
What feeling?
Write it all down.
At this point, if you're having trouble coming up with inspiration, go ahead and look up phrases like "warm and cozy interiors" or "modern hotel lobbies" (or any phrases you came up with to describe your favorite space) on Pinterest or Houzz or Google images to help you decide what you like. But don't spend too much time doing this! It's easy to get overwhelmed and abandon the project altogether.
This is why I ask clients to access their memories first, somewhere in your mind you truly DO know what you like! The key is pulling it to the surface. This may take a few days. That's ok. Your brain will continue to process this information over the next week, the key is to be ready to write it down somewhere so you can add to it as we go along.
Now that we have an idea of the "atmosphere" you want to create, time to think about colors. This is my favorite part!
3. Go to your closet and pull out your favorite outfits. Yep, clothes closet. Nope, I'm not crazy! We subconsciously know what we like and we purchase clothing that we enjoy and know will look good on us. We're going to use that as inspiration to pull colors from.
Is your favorite piece a vintage item?
It doesn't have to be one that you wear often either. It's the one that puts a huge smile on your face when you see it. The one you cannot bear to part with, regardless of whether it fits you or not!
Perhaps it's the comfiest, coziest outfit ever!
Or maybe that sweater you just can't seem to get rid of...
Whatever the style, pull it out and examine it. Write down what you love about it.
Now do the same with a couple more outfits or accessories.
You now have the beginnings of a vision board. You have established a direction to take your home in; you have described the feeling you most gravitate towards; and you have a color palette to begin with.
Now don't freak out! I promise this will come together. Trust me. You've got nothing to lose and even if you abandon this exercise after reading this post, you will have learned something about yourself you may not have been fully aware of before today!
4. Once you have these 3 things written down in word form, it's time to look for some pictures. I want you to find the following 3 images online and print them out:
- a landscape image in nature that depicts the overall FEELING you want to convey in your home
- an image of a restaurant, coffee shop or hotel that you just cannot get out of your mind
- a picture of your favorite outfit or something similar you find online
Sometimes it's hard to just choose one picture. So choose 1-3 pictures for each one. But no more than 3 for each at this point.
5. Put all these images together in one place. Whether a bulletin board, or in an album on your phone or your desktop, or taped to a notebook. Anywhere that is easy for you to look at often. Also make sure you leave room to add more images as you go along, because you will be refining this vision board over the next couple of weeks and getting more specific with the direction of the overall vision for your home.
Great job!
I'm so excited for you to begin creating a space that reflects you, one wall, one room at a time! Keep checking in here, or better yet subscribe to my emails, because I'll be adding posts to help you take the next steps in designing your home.
Remember, give yourself plenty of time and grace, creating a home you love doesn't happen overnight. It takes small steps each day.
One day soon you will have the home you've always wanted AND you will have saved money because you will be focused on achieving YOUR overall vision. No more getting sidetracked by Target or Pottery Barn ads!
As always, feel free to contact me with any questions you may have or to inquire about my design consultation services.
Comentários