If you are anything like me, you have watched nearly every episode of Fixer Upper, Love It or List It, and Property Brothers. I’d also bet that you have a flourishing Pinterest board called “For the Home” that is filled with your favorite room design ideas, paint colors, and decor. You may even be on a first name basis with Chip & Jo? Since we have all had a good bit of time to sit at home and stare at our walls, walk aimlessly through our rooms, and pick up after all the little ones, you may have made a list of some things you want to change, redesign, or add to your project list for your house. Today I am sharing with you my one decorating secret that makes jaws drop and gives you butterflies anytime you walk into a room.
It’s love. It’s that one basic human connection, turned into a form of art. After spending a few decades wanting to duplicate my favorite Pottery Barn rooms, I learned that the one thing that I love more than anything else about the rooms and walls of where I live, is the artwork I have of my family and my children. Not only does this one element create a space totally unique from anyone else on the block, it creates an area that brings joy, no matter how crazy your day might have been.
Many of you have been working from home for the past three months or so. Can you imagine looking up from your computer and seeing a big smiling image of your 8 month old looking down at you? You’ll think to yourself…I did this, I made that BEAUTIFUL baby!
Maybe you are designing your nursery and, like all moms, you pray that baby is a good sleeper. So plan for a dreamcatcher art piece with your baby fast asleep in it hanging over his or her crib. This is something you will cherish forever, even when your child is all grown up, it will take you right back to when you were rocking him to sleep every night.
Studies have shown that children who see themselves celebrated in their homes have a higher level of confidence going into a world that can often times be a tough one to navigate through. Try hanging a large floating metal piece of artwork that highlights your family together, laughing at the beach, or standing outside your first home together right above your dining or kitchen table, or above a mantel in your sitting room. This not only reminds you every day that your heart is full, but it also reminds your children how much they are loved.
I’m not sure if you have had the same experience as me, but the playroom is ALWAYS the bane of my existence. And the kids bedroom is a very close second to the playroom when it comes to mess and clutter. To combat that, I always hang something that reminds me that the clutter will disappear, the kids will grow, and I’ll miss this moment. I recommend hanging your favorite images of the children in there along with a fun rotation of their school artwork. Especially those fun paintings that have their little hands and feet painted in, always being able to remember how tiny they once were.
More often than not, all the decor and designs you’ll see on social media, in magazines, and online miss so much of this one emotional element that really grounds you in your special place. I encourage you to give it a try and share with me your experience. I promise that you will NOT be disappointed!