If you ask any interior designer or design enthusiast for decorating advice, you’ll hear plenty of opinions—some useful, some not. Everyone approaches design differently, and not every suggestion will fit your taste or the way you live. The goal is to find ideas that resonate with you and adapt them to your life and home.
I view design as a process of discovering what you love and embracing what inspires you in the season you’re in. Over decades of studying design principles and my own preferences, I’ve developed a clearer sense of what I like and what works in my home. Still, my style continues to evolve as I learn to express who I am more honestly through the spaces I create.
There isn’t a single right way to decorate a home. Even if you don’t consider yourself a decorator, you likely know what appeals to you when you see it: colors, textures, or patterns that feel right. Your home should reflect the people who live there, so surrounding yourself with things that bring comfort and joy matters.
Recently, a reviewer of my coffee table book, The Inspired Room, criticized my color choices and furniture arrangement and suggested bloggers shouldn’t share their homes. While I found the review surprising, it also revealed a common misunderstanding: sharing a home isn’t about insisting others copy your exact look, but about offering approachable ideas that might inspire someone else.
I don’t expect everyone to decorate like me. I open my home not because it is flawless—far from it—but to show attainable solutions and encourage people to use what they already have. My aim is to help others feel confident about making choices that reflect their tastes and lives.
When you are encouraged to be true to yourself, you’re more likely to love where you live. That sense of belonging and comfort is what makes a house feel like home.
“Beauty begins the moment you decide to be yourself.” Coco Chanel
My home and decorating advice will probably never be featured as some publication’s ideal, and I’m okay with that. Despite imperfections, my home nurtures our family and remains a place we love to return to. After sharing this perspective for years, I still believe authenticity matters—perhaps now more than ever.
How do you try to embrace authenticity in your style?
Thank you to everyone who has supported and encouraged this message—your feedback means so much. If you’re new here, welcome.
Related posts:
How to Create the Perfect Home for You
Update in 2024: I’ve developed step-by-step decorating, style, and home courses to help you love the home you have through the HomeBody Gathering Place community.
You can also find my books and sign up for updates to receive new posts and decorating resources if you’d like more ideas and guidance.