The one decorating rule I wish someone had told me 16 years ago
Cozy DIY Home
DIY Home Decor on a Budget
Want to create a beautiful & cozy home? I share weekly budget-friendly DIY decor ideas to inspire you to create a home you love.
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Okay, can I share something with you that actually keeps me up at night sometimes?
I think about all the money I wasted and all the frustration I could have avoided if someone had just told me this ONE thing when I started decorating 16 years ago.
Are you ready for it? Here it is:
Start with function, THEN add the pretty.
I know, I know... it sounds so simple! But I did this completely backwards for YEARS! 🤦♀️
Here's what I used to do (maybe you can relate?):
I'd see a gorgeous room in a magazine or on Pinterest with the most beautiful throw pillows, so I'd buy similar pillows. Then I'd find the perfect coffee table styling, so I'd buy those accessories too. Then I'd spot an amazing gallery wall and think "I NEED that!"
But I never stopped to think: "How does my family actually LIVE in this room? What do we need it to DO for us?"
The result? Rooms that looked Pinterest-pretty but felt totally wrong for our real life.
Like that time I bought the most gorgeous white tufted loveseat (it was a gift to myself after I had my third baby!), only to realize it was ridiculously hard to clean with 3 kids and 4 pets in the house (I'm a slipcovers girl now, haha!). We ended up with a beautiful loveseat with juice stains on the seat because I forgot to think about function first! 😅
But then I learned this game-changing approach:
Step 1: Ask "What does this room need to DO?" (Family movie nights? Homework help? Morning coffee routine?)
Step 2: Plan the function first (seating arrangements, storage needs, ease of cleaning, lighting for activities)
Step 3: THEN make it gorgeous (colours, textures, all the pretty finishing touches)
Our vacation rental living room - so cozy and our guests love it!
When I started doing this, everything changed!
Our current room works perfectly for our life because I planned for teenagers napping & snacking on the sofas, my coffee time, and our need to host family gatherings.
Our vacation rental gets rave reviews because I planned for guests to easily make coffee, find the WiFi password, and feel cozy after a day at the lake.
Our current home feels like "us" because every room is designed around how we actually live, then made beautiful with systematic formulas.
Your fun homework for this week: Pick one room that feels "off" and ask yourself: "What do I need this room to DO for my family?"
You might be surprised at how this simple question changes everything!
And speaking of systematic approaches to decorating...
The Cozy Formula opens in just 3 days! I'm honestly getting goosebumps thinking about sharing all 22 of these life-changing chapters with you. Function + formulas = the best combination! ✨
Oh! And new helpful styling video alert!
I posted a video about one of my favourite styling formulas on the YouTube channel this week! It's a quick demonstration of the Rule of Three; such an easy trick when you're styling a surface like a coffee table, shelf, or ottoman. Click here to watch, or click below: