The Only “Right” Choice
For Room Décor Is The One You Make
Q. I am about to begin decorating a room in my home. There are so many choices and decisions to make. How do I know when I am making the right choices for my room?
A. There are no “right” choices for the room, because the room doesn’t care how you decorate it. The only right choice is the one you make for you. It’s the choice you have to live with.
To discover what the correct choice is for you, begin by looking inside yourself – into your “interior.” This may sound unusual; however, I have learned through my many years of working with clients that it’s your internal room you are actually decorating.
What does that mean? We all have reactions to what we see. We can even include other senses. What are the sounds we like? What are our favorite aromas? What fabrics do we like to touch? Think about your other reactions to your environment. Our feelings tell us if we are creating an environment in which we can live happily.
This is where many people can go wrong. Instead of trusting that we know what’s best for ourselves, we ask other people. Why do you think that is?
Well, as you go about creating this room through thought, discussion and purchases, you will be talking to many people. You’ll find that everyone has an opinion and wants to share it with you. Doubt may creep in and you may think that you should do what they say or advise you to do.
You have to be your own general contractor and interior designer. Whether it’s a major remodel or decorating one room, every worker who comes to your home – whether an electrician, cabinetmaker or painter – will have an opinion of how and what you should do.
Don’t get scared, and don’t lose your confidence. You started the project for a reason; stay focused on that. This also applies to well-meaning friends and relatives who want to help you get what you want. What they don’t realize is that they are advising you from their interior.
This can sometimes apply to magazine pictures, too. I highly recommend that you look through them to help identify your taste and to get ideas. But as you gain a better understanding of yourself, you must make sure that there is a lasting value to those ideas – and that they are not just trends that look good for a short time.
When you react from inside yourself, it is a greater indication that this is the true you. Otherwise you may end up living in a home that is not a true reflection of you.
I know this may sound like a great deal of time and energy. You will find it is time and energy well-spent. The result: you’ll feel happier, more comfortable and love the beautiful spaces that you have chosen from your heart and mind and appreciate that the space expresses your unique taste and style. You may even discover that you’ve spent less money, avoided mistakes and live in an environment that reflects the real you.
Remember, rooms have no feelings, you do!