Over the course of the past decade, I’ve put a lot of thought, time, and effort into turning our various houses into homes. The range of square footage, styles, and architecture have varied greatly from our very first apartment to our current house. One thing has stayed the same in every single one, though… and it’s this: We have sincerely loved and taken great pride in every single one. Each home was unique, and each was ours.

Something true about me, in general (not just in how I make decisions about our home), is that I LOVE a good solid trend. *BUT*, I often like to take a trend, give it a twist, and make it my own. The same rings true in my approach to turning a house into a home.

I firmly believe that most important step in turning a house into a home is making sure it brings your family joy and comfort. This should provoke us to think about what is required to fulfill that for ourselves. Does clutter stress you out? Minimalism might be right for you. Is coziness what draws you in? Prioritize comfortable furniture and warm textiles. Does hosting bring you joy? A large table is a great idea. Your home should be a haven- a place that you desire to be, and where the rest of the world can fade away for a bit.

Next, I want to dive into trends. I want to be careful with this one, because it can be a double edged sword. Social media and Pinterest can fan the flame of comparison, which will never serve you; it can quickly drain your bank account and won’t lead to contentment. That being said, while we are creating homes, we also have to keep in mind that if we own our home, at the end of the day it is an investment. With a husband in real estate I can assure you that while many people believe their home is a forever home, a fairly low percentage of people actually stay in a home forever. On average, people will move/own 5-7 different homes in their lifetime. Because of this, it’s important to be mindful about updates and upgrades; being intentional about what brings value, what’s necessary, and what is fleeting versus timeless.

I’ve found, in terms of upgrades, that a balance of high quality upgrades, DIY improvements, and a cohesive overall aesthetic has served our family (and our equity) well. It is possible to go overboard with DIY projects. It is possible to over-improve your home with high end upgrades where you will not see a return on your investment because you’ve priced your home out of your neighborhood or you’ve leaned too heavily into short-term trends that may be dated by the time you sell.

So what’s the secret to us loving every single one of our homes so much? Here’s my personal list of dos and don’ts; but keep in mind the first and foremost rule: it has to bring YOU comfort!

DO

• Be mindful of the architecture of the home and enhance the charm, don’t strip it away.
• Mix old and new! Not every thing you use in your home needs to be brand new. I’m constantly on marketplace and have found so many treasures that fit our home so beautifully. Likewise, sometimes we need things that will last a long time or bring us great comfort- like a solid and easy to clean couch or a mattress that feels like cloud.
• Add your personal touch- being creative brings me joy, personally. I channel this into artwork for our home. It started from cheapness (I wanted a large piece of art, we had no money, and I splatter painted a canvas… and it just kept evolving from there). But that doesn’t have to mean you have to be an artist. Your personal touch could be your grandmother’s china displayed in an antique hutch, it could be your handwritten poetry framed on the mantle, or your collection of plants bringing warmth to your home in a sunny corner.
• Speaking of plants… yes. Yes to plants. It has taken me a long time to develop a green thumb (and I still wouldn’t consider it green), but plants bring a lot into a home, in addition to purifying the air. If you can’t keep them alive, fake ones will still bring warmth and comfort to a room. Even a simple vase of flowers on your table will brighten your home!
• Take your time. Curating a home isn’t a race and unless you’re not planning on staying for at least a few years, there’s no rush to have everything just right in a short amount of time. This is not the time for impulse buys, but for contemplation. Which upgrades and pieces are going to bring value? Do I like this because it’s trending or because I genuinely like it? Does it fit the style of my home? These are great questions to ask.

DON’T

• Don’t hang on to things don’t work in your home. Furniture from your old house might not fit the new correctly; they’re just things! Unless a piece is an heirloom, it’s okay to let it go and get something that works better. Sell what doesn’t work on marketplace and use the funds to buy intentional new pieces (whether new or used).
• Don’t be fooled into believing that you have to spend a lot of money to give your home a facelift. I am home a lot, so I occasionally get bored with looking at the same things all the time. Sometimes a little rearranging, a cheap can of paint, or inexpensive updates (example- new covers for throw pillows or new hardware on bathroom cabinets) are all that’s needed to prevent your home from feeling tired.
• Don’t compare. This is a tough one, I know. But as we all know, what people show on social media is most often curated, edited, and their very best. The truth is, their counters get dirty, the microwave has finger prints, and they definitely stepped on a lego today… or, at least I did anyway. For me, putting on the blinders when I’m online and just focusing on what I want my home to be for my family has helped me to be laser focused on just that.
• Don’t rush the expensive decisions or original-to-the-home changes. When we moved into the first home we owned (a charming 1930’s Tudor) there was a chandelier I hated with a passion. I couldn’t wait to rip it out, but was having a hard time finding a replacement I liked that went with the style of the home. What ended up happening was that we removed the yellow shades and upgraded the bulbs “for now” and left it up. By the time we moved out, it was my favorite fixture in the entire house. I later found out that our buyer took it down, and I was devastated; I think about it every time we make changes to a house– I truly learned a lesson about being slow to make decisions.

Nothing groundbreaking here, folks. Take your time, do it for you and your family, and don’t go broke doing it. Cheers to a happy, comfortable, beautiful home!