Do you make every space you live in your home?
I’ve avoided doing this for years.
In our first apartment, we were newly married, still finding good jobs (aka poor), and in debt. I spent very little time and money to make our apartment look homey. In fact, I can remember 5 things I bought to decorate:
1) & 2) – two black frames from Ikea for wedding pictures
3) a silver clock to hang with the wedding pictures
4) & 5) two frames to hang our diplomas
That’s it!
In our first home, we initially were house poor because, of course, we bought at our outer limit of affordability. Then within 8 months of moving in, we knew we wanted to move. Sigh. So I had no ambition to decorate a house we didn’t want to live in. Near the end of our stay, I started to fix it up, but really didn’t put much effort into it. We finally sold our house and looking back, I regret not putting more effort into the house. It took forever to sell, and we lived there for over 3 years! Why didn’t I put more of an effort to make it homey?
Moving on, our second apartment we knew was short term. We packed 90% of our belongings from our 3 bedroom house into a 1 bedroom apartment. It was tight! I was in love with decorating at this point so I did put some effort into decorating, but let’s be honest, how homey can you make a living room with 3 couches, a work bench, deep freeze, TV, filing cabinet, and miscellaneous stuff shoved in a corner?
On to the next home! This is the one we are currently in. I know we’ll be here for several years, and I’m determined to make it as lovely and homey as I can!
My project this week was pictures. I’ve had a stack of frames leaning against the hubby’s dresser for, oh, six months or so. I guess it’s time to get them on the walls! I also had a couple spaces that could use some sprucing up: the side table in the nursery and the counter next to the refrigerator.
The Befores:
Nursery
Kitchen
Hallway
The nursery and kitchen were easy. Just print some pictures and plop them into frames.
Question. Bowl or no bowl? Is it awkward?
The hallway was a little more tricky. First I laid out all of my frames to find a good layout.
Then I picked the middle-ish one and hung it on the wall at eye-level.
Then I worked my way out from that frame…
Never mind the helter-skelter-nothing-is-level-ness, it gets better. Slightly. I’m flawed, folks. I only care so much to make things perfect. I’m actually a little surprised Dan hasn’t rehung all of these yet. 🙂
Ta-da!
I’m still working on the placement of the photos and swapping out a few more. A gallery wall can be in constant flux, I think. I’m not too worried about perfect in my home. Rather, I’d like it to be filled with the things I love and believe to be beautiful. Pictures of my family are definitely that.
Both Dan and I love having photos of our family around our home. It instantly makes a house a home. Do you procrastinate when hanging pictures on the wall? Do you hate the thought of “wrecking” that fresh paint? What about longevity? Are you worried you’ll move too soon to go through the effort?
My favorite picture is the sideways one. 🙂
Ha, yeah, I’m not done switching then out!
I have SO many homey touches to add to my house that it just seems overwhelming! I really need to just focus on one piece at a time. Right now, it’s mission living room, which is still too broad of a category for me since it needs new paint, window treatments, rug, furniture, and wall decorations. Eek!
Come over and save me from myself!
Oh I meant to say, your finishing touches look so nice and inviting! Keep it up!
Ha! I feel the same way! It can be so overwhelming. I don’t have a big game plan right now other than tackling small projects in each room.
Avoid, avoid, AVOID!!! I have hung precisely one picture in the three apartments we’ve lived in. I get an F in the making a house a home department. I keep telling myself I’ll do more once we actually live in a real house…but my habits so far don’t bode well for that actually happening.
My vote: I like the counter better with the bowl, but I would put something in it. The space seems too empty without the bowl and with just an empty bowl. Do you have a set of three little things that could go there? Candles? Different size/height mason jars?
Good ideas! I do have done mason jars…I’ll think of some way to display them.