Creating the Perfect Home

Everyone is looking for the perfect home, right? Although the term ‘perfect’ is different for many. I’d like to share 5 tips for creating the perfect home, for you and your version.

Adding Personal Style

The first step to creating the perfect home for you is adding your personal style. What kind of décor do you love? What colors make you happy? Once you know what you like, it will be much easier to put together a space that feels like YOU.

Let’s start with the basics

When you first start decorating your home, it can be tempting to go all out and buy a bunch of new stuff touted by a lifestyle company that you’ve seen online. But resist the urge! It’s better to start with the basics – like a good sofa, a coffee table, and some larger décor items – and then build the buying process from there.

Don’t be afraid to mix and match

One of the best things about decorating your home is that there are no rules. So don’t be afraid to mix and match different styles, colors, and textures. The more unique your space is, the more you’ll love it. To become your dream home, it’s not about the right square footage, the perfect school district, or tons of natural light (although those things sometimes do matter). What truly matters is that your home is a reflection of YOU! 

How to create the perfect home

When I say ‘perfect’, what I mean is PERFECT for you and your family! You want to create a place where you feel comfortable. Where it’s easy to maintain when you are working long hours, and the decor makes you happy to come home to. Home should feel like that warm hug each time you walk into it. 

S0 let’s throw that ‘P’ word out the window, and look at a few other adjectives that we can focus on when thinking of ways to better our homes. Frankly, that is the goal right? Aren’t we just trying to make them better than they were? We don’t need a new home for this, just need to re-love the one we have.

Off topic, let me quickly share an amazing quote focused on that word BETTER. A good friend of mine shared this with me, who many years back, went through a tough time in her life. The advice she received was epic and has always stayed with me “You can be bitter, or you can be better?” Boom! Mic drop. That’s it friends.

Love What You Have

This applies to like 47 million things in our lives, even our homes. Quit being bitter that you think someone else has something you don’t (like a new house), and focus on what you can do to make yours better. Not better than theirs, but better than what it is currently. Growth and change are the goals. 

We can never get everything done. Let me say that louder for those of you in the back, NEVER! Sorry sis, truth be told, there will always be a “to do” list. And remember when you said that “you will go back to that (whatever THAT is) or can get it done when you’re a grandma”? Well I’m a grandma, and that giant list of things I was going to do? I might have gotten a few things done or just moved on from something else. But I still have a project list as long as my arm. So there’s that. Let’s focus on what makes sense.

Time and a Season

Now let me also throw something out there that I know many of you tend to forget. I have this key conversation with my daughters all the time. There is a time and a season for everything. Having a particularly clean and clutter free house may not be in your season currently. However, that doesn’t mean that we swing to the opposite and let it all break loose, if you know what I mean. 

The point is to do what you can do NOW, in the circumstances you are in NOW, and try to make it better than it was. And one day, you will have a different budget, more energy, fewer people messing up the house, or more people who can help with chores. Things will be different. Creating a home is about being comfortable and safe. To me, it’s about having a perfectly imperfect backdrop to live the life you want.

Which brings me to my next rant. Here are my top 5 tips to help you create the perfect home you need now.

1. Continually edit and assess the problem areas

Problem zones in your home will be the clue as to what needs your attention and where to start. If there is an area that is continually out of sorts, start there. Take a good long look of how to decide to make it better and work more efficiently. This will be your first step to making things work for your current circumstance.

Here’s an example; there are continually messes all over the floor in the hallway as you enter. This tells you, you need some help with your ‘drop zone’ area. Time to do a mini overhaul to create the best course of action and hang up hooks, provide baskets and easy storage to get organized. Or you may need to provide a different area that can help tame this particular wild.

2. Focus on your hot real estate

What do I mean by ‘hot real estate’? These are your prime locations that are easily accessible to you. Such as; kitchen countertops, eye level shelves in cupboards and closets, and open areas or wall spaces in high traffic areas. These are the places that should contain the items you use daily or weekly. Anything that has not been touched or used in months in these spaces should be moved and put into storage that is in a less accessible position.

3. Create places of comfort and convenience

In a home, my favorite places are those I can curl up and read. Whatever activity you like to do, think about where that can take place and rethink a space a bit. Should there really be a room in your house that is never or rarely used?

If you never use your dining room, think about how you can change the storage in there to become a place that is convenient to craft, do puzzles, homework, etc. Each space can be used in multiple ways. And wherever comfortable seating exists, make sure there is options for good task lighting, along with places to set a drink or snack.

4. Use it or lose it

This doesn’t mean that you need to throw something away, just because you haven’t used it in awhile. Rather keep the essential items you are currently using daily handy. Everything else can be moved to wherever you store (and or hide) your excess crap such as a coat closet, basement, or under the bed. 

An example might be to store away those winter coats, hats, and gloves during the summer months when they are not in use. Put away your children’s sporting equipment if they are engaged in a different seasonal sport at the moment. Keep things moving in the main areas of the house, or store them for later. This will also keep them in their best condition, as they won’t be shoved out of the way while constantly looking for what you need. 

5. Add enjoyment and beauty to daily rituals

This tip is exactly the reason I like to use all my milk glass for everyday. I don’t feel like things should only be saved for special occasions, as daily life should be beautiful. Why not carry a basket out to the mailbox with you to collect all the things? Use small dishes you collect for condiments instead of putting large Costco sized ketchup on the table? 

Pretty dishes and fabric napkins don’t add too much to the usual chores we are already engaged in (what’s another dish in the dishwasher?) Whatever you are doing each day can be made more beautiful in a simple way and with very little effort. It is sometimes these small rituals of adding beauty that mean the most collectively after the end of a mundane day. Living beautifully does affect your mood.

Creating Your Perfect Home

Whether you need to make some future organization tweaks, start a list of small projects for a refresh of a space, or plan a whole room renovation, you can be comfortable knowing you are working towards the perfect home for you and your loved ones (human and animal alike). After all, the new rule in decorating is there are no rules, so work to make your home match your current needs and desires.

While it’s important to make your home look good, it’s also necessary to make sure it functions well. Think about how you use each space and what furniture and décor will help it to be more efficient.

The final touch to creating the perfect space is personalizing it with your own unique style. Whether it’s adding family photos or hanging art that you love, make sure your home reflects your personality.

By following these tips, you’ll be well on your way to creating a space that you’ll love coming home to every day. Check out our last home and see how I added some personal style. For other great inspiration, check out my Pinterest boards.