Do you have a room in your house that is feeling a little stale or is ready for a refresh? Are you ready to make it a more joyful space? I know there is power in having a home that you love. When you walk into a room that flows well, functions for the way you live, and reflects your personality… it’s pure magic! So today I’m sharing 10 tips for a joyful space.
These tips are an excerpt from the JOYFUL ROOM WORKBOOK where I walk you through the process of refreshing a room. If you haven’t downloaded it yet, then you definitely should! You can find it HERE.
Without further ado, 10 tips for a joyful space!
1) FUNCTION AND BEAUTY ARE BOTH IMPORTANT
I believe in “function first” and the vital importance of making sure our homes function for the way we live, but it’s also ok if an item’s only purpose is to create beauty. Think about art on the walls… there’s no function in that… only beauty! That beauty creates a mood, a feeling, and a statement that can’t be made any other way. Never underestimate the power of beauty! And if you can find something that is both functional AND beautiful (like my pink teapot) then you get added bonus points 🙂
2) DECLUTTER BEFORE YOU DECORATE
Having a space filled with things you LOVE creates a feeling of peace and contentment. There’s nothing talking back to you. Nothing cluttering up your brain saying “I’m boring, ugly or broken”. Once you’re finished decluttering you should be left with things that are meaningful, useful or beautiful.
3) TRUST YOUR GUT
Start paying attention to what you love and how different spaces make you feel. Dig a little deeper and ask yourself why you feel that way? Pinpoint what you like and what you don’t like. Look for patterns and slowly you’ll discover your style. Trust yourself.
4) THROW OUT THE FEAR OF MESSING UP AND BE BOLD
We’re going to throw that fear of “messing up” right out the window! Your room will never be a reflection of your personality by “playing it safe”. Take a risk. Add some color. Hang things on the walls. Step out of your comfort zone. I promise you’ll never create a space you adore by ‘playing it safe’. Be bold.
5) BEWARE OF THE MESSY MIDDLE AND PUSH THROUGH
Every project has a messy middle. We have the honeymoon beginning stages with all our dreams of perfection. Then we get into the nitty gritty of decluttering, rearranging, making endless decisions and we think… “why did we get ourselves into this?” When you’re feeling a bit hopeless please remember that every room design has to get worse before it gets better. Keep pushing through the “messy middle” and once you’re on the other side it will all be worth it.
6) LOOK AT YOUR HOME AS A PLACE TO PLAY
This should be FUN! Don’t be paralyzed by perfection. We’ll do all we can to make good choices before we buy, but guess what? We’ll all make mistakes. It’s perfectly fine to have to return something or hang something twice.. Or 5 times! This is a time to play and have fun. Don’t let your fear of making a mistake keep you from taking action and playing in your space.
7) TELL YOUR PERSONAL STORY THROUGHOUT A ROOM
What’s your special sauce? What’s something a bit quirky about you? What do you want this space to say about the way you live? Our homes are the perfect canvases to show others and ourselves what we value and love. Use your space as a way to tell the story of your life. In my office, I knew I wanted to honor the legacy of the great women in my family that came before me, so I added my Grandma Ethel’s teacups. They are a bit quirky and unexpected but I can feel their energy and admire their beauty every time I walk by.
8) EMBRACE THE IMPERFECTIONS
I’m all for changing things in your space that drive you crazy. If you can fix it do it! But oftentimes, we have to live with those little things that bug us about a room. If you don’t have the time or money to deal with something now then it’s ok to embrace the imperfection and decide you’re going to love it just the way it is. Living in an old house, I can be grateful that I have beautiful windows that keep the bugs out even if they are 100 years old and don’t close properly 🙂
9) YOUR STYLE AND TASTE WILL CHANGE OVER TIME AND THAT’S OK
Sometimes we make decisions about our home worried if we’ll still like something in 10 years… guess what? You most likely won’t and that’s ok! It’s ok if our styles change over time.
10) PERMISSION GRANTED!
I give you permission to spend money on your space. You are a grown up and you can have nice things! Don’t be afraid to spend money. Creating a beautiful space is a form of self care. Think of the contentment, peace and happiness that comes from walking into a room that you love, that flows well and that’s pretty. Boom! It’s like a breath of fresh air. It’s not only ok but it’s absolutely essential that you create a space you love! Make your space a refuge. One little corner of sunshine.
That’s it for today! Ten tips for creating a joyful space!
To dive deeper into creating a room you love, be sure to download the JOYFUL ROOM WORKBOOK. It will walk you through the process of refreshing a space and making it truly YOURS ❤️
xo, Tessie
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