There is perhaps nothing more sorrowful in life than unrequited love, especially when it comes to your home. In order to become (and remain) smitten with your space, you’ll ultimately need rooms that make your heart go pitter-pat AND love you back. The key to creating spaces that serve you well is to first decide on a specific purpose for each space, and design it thoughtfully so that it gives you what you most need. And then, make it pretty.
When we first walked through our home, the previous owners had the front room set up beautifully as a dining space. They said they used it often and spent a lot of time with family around the table. So when we moved in, we put our own dining room furniture there, with a similar arrangement. And for the first 6 months we lived here, we never went in that room. We had nary a dinner in there.
Identify the Pain Point
Yet, our family room/great room was always a mess because we spent hours in there doing everything, from watching tv to entertaining to doing homework to meditating to playing games to wrestling with the dog. It legit turned me into a crankapotamus. Trying to enjoy a quiet moment amidst the chaos was impossible. The family room was serving too many purposes unsuccessfully, while the dining room stayed untouched and lonely. We were using neither space to our enjoyment or advantage.
Determine What You Need from Your Space
Our new living room was born of this craziness. Tom and I decided we needed a “tamer” (depending on which friends we had coming over for cocktails), more refined space for entertaining. I wanted a calming place to read with my morning tea. And with my afternoon tea, for that matter. Since it’s the first room you see when you enter our home, we wanted it to be a warm and beautiful space to welcome our guests and make them feel at ease.
Similar leopard print throw pillow
Make Room for Change
The dining room pieces were sold and replaced with comfy seating and a low cocktail table. We added a wine cabinet and changed out the artwork over time to make it feel authentic and personal. The re-homed chandelier (score!) and the tufted nailhead chairs elevate the room just enough to be beautiful, but not uninviting. A diamond seating arrangement invites conversation and puts the table within easy reach for all.
Similar leopard print throw pillow
Accessorize!
Adding the finishing touches really matters to ensure you’re creating spaces that serve you well…and that you’ll love them because they’re pretty! Accessories pull a look together, personalize it, and give a space it’s zing. Pillows add character and make a seat more cozy. Coasters at the ready let everyone know it’s okay to bring in a beverage. A blanket tossed on a chair says, “come in and snuggle up by the fire.”
Similar leopard print throw pillow
We added plants to soften the hard lines in the room, and mercury glass candle holders (my fave) because I love their flicker and ambience. A round mirror in vintage gold above the bar makes the space brighter by day and offers a little shine at night. We’re still looking for perfect lighting, but I’m picky. I’ll know it when I see it.
Test Your Success – Does Your Space Truly Serve You?
So, how do we know we did it right? We count our wins since recreating the space. The sun (when it shines in Seattle) streams in on me and my morning tea, curled up under a blanket with my book club novel. Tom has appointed a new “thinking chair”, and often steals quietly away there when he needs solo time to decompress at the end of a busy day. Many a girls’ wine night have taken place here, too…we laugh til we cry, cry til we laugh, and counsel and console and scheme and dream around the table while the kiddos tear up the bonus room. The space now does what we need and want it to; it is clear we are creating spaces that serve us well.
Remain Flexible
It’s important to recognize, though, as your family grows (up), that your needs may (will) change, and flexibility will be key in keeping your home functional. Be ready and willing to make changes as needed. Case in point:
When our kids were small, we had slipcovered furniture that looked shabby and, shall we say, well-loved. We washed the slipcovers often because jammy handprints with errant crayon marks were not (are not) particularly on-trend. Or classic. Or in any category of design and decor.
Our coffee table was a beloved trunk that stored kid games and coloring books and stacking blocks. It was lovingly nicked up by Hot Wheels and Legos, with glitter and glue adding a bit of flash here and there. But it worked perfectly for us at the time with lots of toys and grubby little hands running around.
We have since graduated up to a glass coffee table with iron corners. Books and flowers and other items like a swirly metal gold thing that serves no real purpose but I love it anyway sit atop it. I guess the fact that I love it IS its purpose. Most of our furniture is covered in lightish fabrics. And while we still try to keep greasy fingers at bay from both the glass and the upholstery, this style suits our we-are-really-grown-up-now taste much better.
Intentional design that truly meets your needs AND makes your heart happy requires patience and effort, some give and take, and definitely a degree of trial and error, but is always well worth it in the end.
From Frustrating to Functional
When creating spaces that serve you well, use these questions as a starting point. They’ll guide you on your journey toward your own happily ever after within the walls of your home.
- What is my biggest pain point? What frustrates me about this space? Look at what really makes you unhappy. Is it clutter? Noise? Too crowded? Nowhere to sit? Not enough white space? Be as thorough and specific as possible.
- What are solutions to my particular frustration or challenge? Consider storage, seating, lighting, open area, flow. Think about what is missing, listing out options for improvement and being honest and about what you’re not using at all and are willing to part with.
- What do I most need from this space? Do I need it to serve more than one purpose? Who will spend time here? What will they be doing? What will make this space more efficient? More useful? Evaluate furniture and layout; decide if they fit your current life stage or require an update.
- What do I most want? How can this space become more beautiful? What will make me happier in it? Assess color and accessories; examine your decor, keeping only what you love.
