How to be Confident in Your Home Decor Style
Tell me the truth, do you care about what others think? I do sometimes. I’ll admit it. Why do you think we care so much? In this post, we discuss how to be confident in your home decor style.
Possibly you don’t even know your style or you’re bored of your current style. Not only do we discuss how to be confident in your home decor style but also some methods to figure out what that style is.
Back to our question, do you care about what others think? You might care a little too much if you are honest or maybe you are the person that doesn’t really care what others think.
I’m somewhere in between. Sometimes I care, sometimes I don’t care, and sometimes I start to care and then quickly remember why I don’t need to care. Can you feel me??
Why Do Women Care So Much About What Others Think?
If you are a woman reading this…which I think most of you are, we probably care a little more than we should about others’ opinions. For example, I would guess a good percentage of women dress to please other women. Why do we really care what people think about what we wear? If we like what we are wearing, what does it matter if others do or don’t like it?
It’s similar to our homes. We probably care a little too much about what people think of our homes. Sometimes even to the point where we won’t invite anyone in if it isn’t perfect, isn’t clean, or isn’t updated with the latest decor trends.
Wouldn’t it be great if you could learn how to be confident in your home no matter what its condition or state? What if you just invited people into your home because you like them or want to get to know them?
A Little History First
When I was a teenager my mom was a single mom and we didn’t have much. In fact, my mom received housing assistance from the government and food stamps. You can read more about this on my About Kim page. My mom worked very hard, had three jobs, and was raising four kids on her own.
We lived in a two-bedroom townhouse and for the most part, she drove junk cars until they died. One in particular, we called the Banana Boat (and this was actually one of the nicer cars she drove in those years).
One in particular was a VW Bug with holes in the floor of the interior and you could see the road below. My brothers and I had to push my mom out of the parking spot and let her roll down the hill and pop the clutch to get this particular car started. True story…I promise ✋🏻.
You may have guessed what the Banana Boat looked like. It was yellow/gold, with a black torn material top. Oh, and it was loud. Of course, it was. I’m ashamed to admit it now but I was embarrassed by that car. If mom ever had to take me to school I would ask her to drop me off two blocks away and walk the rest of the way.
I am sure that was very hurtful to my mom. I hate that I probably made her feel bad when she worked so hard and was doing her best without the help of my father.
My father had a gambling addiction, rarely paid child support, lost everything we had, and ended up in prison for embezzling thousands of dollars from his company.
As you can imagine, for a teenager in an upper-middle-class town, it mattered to me what people thought. I’d like to believe I have grown in this area and that what people think doesn’t matter as much to me anymore…living 50-plus years on this earth can do that to you, but every once in a while it creeps back in.
What Happens When Your Style Goes Out Of Style???
I saw a post on Instagram this past week where someone stated that signs with words are on their way out in the home decor world. Say whaaat??? THIS is a serious problem. I have signs ALL OVER MY HOUSE as you can see from the picture above and the picture below. See my post How to Create A Gallery Wall of Love.
I have heard murmurings that “farmhouse style” is now outdated. Not gonna lie, my heart skipped a beat and I was like, “Oh no!!” Don’t worry that feeling only lasted for about 20 seconds and then I caught my breath and reminded myself that it doesn’t matter because I LOVE it and THAT is ALL THAT MATTERS!
I love my farmhouse style and I love my signs with words that remind me of who I am and who I want to be on a daily basis. Just because some people think it’s on the way out doesn’t mean it is. The gallery wall shown in the pics is one of my most saved pins on Pinterest. I think signs with words are here to stay…at least in my home.
Here’s the thing, things are always evolving and changing in the world of home decor at a speed none of us can keep up with. And although my home has a “Modern Farmhouse”, flare to it, I’m always adding and changing things as I feel led.
Be Confident In Your Home
So as I processed and contemplated what I saw on Instagram (which by the way, I have a love/hate relationship with The Gram and this is one of the reasons why) it really got me thinking about my own confidence. The next thing I knew, I started down this path of writing a post on how to be confident in your home decor style. Obviously, it was something I needed too!
Is A Minimalist Style For Me?
Let me share another story with you from this past year. There is a popular home decor style called minimalist. And when I see a minimalist style home I’m like, wow, I kinda like that. So guess what I did?
I decided to minimize or simplify our home and eliminated some of my decor. To be honest, for a few days, it felt great. It felt clean and fresh, but then I started to miss the things that make our house feel like home. I found that it felt a little too sterile to me, and although I like it in other people’s homes it didn’t feel like OUR home.
I like minimalist because it makes things feel less cluttered and when my space/home is less cluttered my mind seems to be less cluttered as well.
However, I like things around me that make me feel warm and cozy and have meaning and just feel like home. I like that for my family too. It is important to me to have our home feel warm and cozy.
I found myself slowly adding favorite pieces and collections back into our decor and I was able to achieve a happy medium where it felt homey but also a bit more simplified.
Trial & Error To Find A Home Decor Style That Suits Your Family
Trial and error are a necessary part of home decor-at least for me. Don’t be afraid to try something different. And if you don’t like it you can always change it again. But remember to keep reminding yourself to be confident in your home decor style.
For our family, a little more minimalist but still cozy was where we landed. It is also where we’ve remained at this point because it works for us. Perhaps the style we’ve adopted would be more aptly referred to as “cozy minimalist.”
It’s important to note that although I often refer to my home as Modern Farmhouse, I would actually call it a cozy, minimalist, beachy, rustic, modern farmhouse, European cottage. Yes, all those things adequately describe our home. I have to say that when it comes to our home decor and style, “eclectic” might be the better description 😘
Find A Way To Love Your Home
I’d like to make two points. One, LOVE your home. And if you don’t then do what you can so that you love it. It can be done on the cheap. My post Thrifting: How to Thrift and What to Look For can help you with this.
Paint Can Work Wonders And Create Big Change
Paint can work wonders. Put a fresh coat of paint on your walls, floors, cabinets, furniture, bath tile, and yes even your backsplash.
I’ve done a lot of these things!! At times, fear slowed me from taking a chance but when I finally took the leap I have, for the most part, been happy with the results. And if I decide I don’t like it then I could always paint it again (and I have).
It involves a little bit of time and work but it does amazing things for a very small price tag. Check out my post, Modern Farmhouse Kitchen Makeover to hear the story of a painted backsplash.
Find Your Style
Second, it is important to ask yourself what you like and make sure you aren’t trying to achieve what everyone else likes. That might mean doing some investigating on Pinterest or watching HGTV shows to figure out what your style is. It might be worth it when you feel like you love your home. I loved the Fixer Upper style.
Seven years ago after living in Ohio for 14 years, we moved to Pennsylvania. This was a big move for us. We were ready for a change and a fresh start in many ways so changing our decor style was all a part of that. I had a strong desire to go light and bright and paint all things white.
Fixer Upper was in its second or third season and I LOVED the farmhouse style with a touch of modern. I will admit proudly that Joanna Gaines helped me along the way (not literally but you know what I mean). The biggest compliment you can give me is this: “It looks like Joanna Gaines decorated your home”…and in some ways she did 😊
If you like a more minimalist style or a McGee and Co. style or love the Fixer Upper style (which by the way has definitely gone more streamlined and industrial and has a modern flare in their newer episodes) and want to emulate one of those styles then DO IT. You can use someone else’s style but make tweak it to be your own.
Allow Your Home Decor Style To Evolve
Whatever you choose to do, make sure you love it. And as the years go by, don’t be afraid to evolve your style as you evolve. Many people find a style and leave it like that for 15-20 years.
Our homes are representative of who we are and we don’t stay the same for 15-20 years, do we? Lord willing, we are evolving and changing and becoming more like Christ and better versions of ourselves.
This does not take away from our confidence. Honestly, it just builds it. Discovering your style and what you like to surround yourself with is freeing and definitely leads to being more confident in your home decor style.
I bought these metal shelves from Ikea a few years ago and had them in our finished basement. This past year I was feeling like I needed a change in my family room and like usual went shopping in my home first! Hmmm 🤔 would these be too modern/industrial for the current style of my family room? Maybe, but why not give it a try?
Remember what I said about eclecticism? What is the worst that could happen? I move them back (and trust me I have done that plenty of times…just ask my hubby😘) All I can say is it changed the look of this room and I absolutely LOVE it!!
I do this sort of thing on the regular and it keeps things new and fresh. Being creative brings me joy and making home is my love language to my family.
Be Content
That being said, I also want to make sure my heart is content. Remember the early years of my life, we didn’t have much. Even in many years of our marriage and being in ministry, by God’s provision we had enough but never an abundance, especially with four kids. But these words given to us by Paul in Philippians 4:12 made a strong impact on me in this “need more” “Instagram” life.
God has impressed these words on me. And in a lot of ways it caused me to think outside the box and be creative with what we had. I learned to repurpose things to create an inviting and warm home and to keep it fresh and new and up-to-date.
We all battle with discontentedness in some way or another and these words are a good reminder to be content. Getting on Instagram and Pinterest daily can get in our heads. Trust me I know. So I want to challenge you to find the balance and close your ears to outside noises that mess with your confidence in the home you currently have.
Your True Purpose For Home Decor
The true purpose of decorating our home is so that our families feel loved, safe, warm, and cozy. Making home is a big part of who I am and is for my family. Remember, is it for others and what they think, or is it for us and our family? Below are my people and they are why I strive to make my house a warm and cozy home.
For me, loving my home and creating an environment that makes my family and friends feel loved and at home, and cozy is truly where my goals and priorities lie. Signs with words are something I love and for now, at least, they will stay! And I absolutely love my Modern Farmhouse style so it will be sticking around until I don’t.
As always, I want to encourage you to create a home that works for you and your family. Our homes are our sanctuary and we have especially been made aware of how important they are over the past couple of years.
I truly hope this post helps you find how to be confident in your home decor style. Do your best to make your home a place your family loves to be. And remember, it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks…it is, after all, your home.
Thank you for reading and for joining me in this journey of life. I love sharing lessons God is teaching me and pray it encourages you along the way.
Much love,
Kim~💗
LINKED BLOG POSTS:
How to Create A Gallery Wall of Love
