I was scrolling through Instagram the other day and saw an image I thought was of a well-known design blogger’s home. I follow this person and have read her blog for years, so I’ve seen dozens of photos of her home. When I slowed my scroll, however, I saw that it was not in fact her home. I mean it when I say that the design looked literally copied and pasted from the blogger’s living room.
To some extent, I get it – we all want beautiful spaces, and when we see a picture of a room that we love, it can be tempting to click those source links and re-create the look. On the other hand, I believe your home should be a reflection of not only your design style, but of YOU: your family, your history, your lifestyle, your memories. Installing another designer’s look in your space simply cannot provide that unique you-ness that makes your house your home. Below are eight dos and don’ts to help you make your home unique.
do: go custom
Custom pieces will elevate your home’s design and make it more unique. My favorite custom items are throw pillows, drapes, lampshades, and small upholstered goods. The best part? Gone are the days when you could only get custom items “to the trade” through interior designers! Etsy is a fantastic resource for finding talented makers who craft custom goods. You can find designer fabrics, specify exact measurements, and often take your customization to the next level with welts, tapes, and trims.
do: Change out generic fixtures and finishings
Another way to inject personality into your home is with your fixtures and finishings such as lighting, hardware, switch plates, and register covers. We often refer to light fixtures (especially ceiling fixtures) as the jewelry of a room, with good reason – they give off light, thereby capturing the eye. These elements are available in wide ranges of finishes and shapes, with interesting details. They provide an opportunity to arrive at combinations not seen in every other house on the block.
do: embrace a mix of styles
Mixing elements of different design styles in a space will help it feel more unique. For example, my personal style leans traditional, but the introduction of various pieces with modern, casual, and coastal influences has brought something unexpected. How you choose to combine different styles will make your home your own.
do: add architectural interest
Adding trim, moulding, and other architectural features is a great way to customize your home and make it more unique. Think crown and box moulding, wainscotting, board and batten, beadboard, arches, built-ins – many of these treatments can be DIYs or hired out without breaking the bank. A basic rule of thumb is to stay true to the overall style of your home. For example, if you live in a Craftsman, board and batten will fit right in, while detailed box moulding may look out of place. That said, don’t forget the previous tip! Pairing traditional trimwork with, say, a modern chandelier and clean-lined furnishings can look very chic!
do: take your time
I live for slow decorating. For one, it’s easier on the wallet. More importantly, it almost automatically results in a collected, curated-over-time look. If you fill your cart with all furniture, décor, and accessories for a room at one time, the space is more likely to be tied to a particular season. Your spaces do not have to be totally “done” to be beautiful. You can add, subtract, and move things around over time.
don’t: buy sets
We all know by now to avoid purchasing furniture in sets: the bedroom suite, the dining room table with matching set of six chairs. But it can be tempting when, say, furnishing a family room, to purchase accent chairs in the same style and fabric as the couch. A better option is to change up the styles and coordinate, but not match, the fabrics. This takes your design from furniture showroom to your unique home.
don’t: shop exclusively at mass-market retailers
There are a dozen or so large mass-market retailers that carry stylish, high-quality, and relatively budget-friendly home furnishings and décor. Their stuff is everywhere! I shop them, and I’ll bet you do, too. That’s OK, but if we all only buy from the same retailers, our homes are going to look pretty similar. Try peppering your spaces with finds from small, local shops, items picked up on travels, and secondhand pieces.
don’t: chase trends
Remember when everyone was facing book spines inward and painting every wall surface gray? These decorating themes were so ubiquitous that we figured they were here to stay. The problem is that, as with mass-market shopping, if everyone embraces the same trends at the same time, our homes suffer from sameness. When thinking about my own decorating, I ask myself “will I still love this paint color/décor item/furniture piece/hardware finish WHEN (not if) it’s no longer all over Instagram and Pinterest?” If the answer is maybe not, I skip it.
Finally, above all, decorate in a way that makes you happy and feel good. Embrace your tastes and lifestyle and let them shine in your home! And then, your home will be truly unique.