New Year, New Interior Design Refresh

Very recently, in a moment of dismay and subtle disappointment, I realized that I very frankly didn’t enjoy the look, feel, layout, or functionality of my living room design. My living room, kitchen, breakfast nook, sitting room, and entry way are all one giant room. So, when I’m having a problem with the interior design in one area… it affects the whole home, really! At this moment in time, I honestly felt a little bit stuck, a little bit trapped, a little bit scared in my real life, and coming home didn’t feel restful, peaceful, or safe. It just felt…disappointing. I was desperate for an interior design refresh that wouldn’t break the bank.

What I want to say to you is that IT IS OKAY to look up one day and go, “wait…turns out…I really don’t feel my own home is creating the environment I want!” Keep reading to find out what it took to sort it all out. SPOILER: it actually wasn’t a whole new house!

Interior Design Layout

Since all of my living spaces are really in one big space, it is CRUCIAL that my layout be effective. My layout had 2 big flaws:

1. It was not directing my guests clearly. 

Upon entering a new home, the layout actually dictates where you should go. For example, when walking into an entryway with a table directly in front of you, the message is, “Hi there, guest! Please pause right here in this lovely entryway, the homeowner will instruct you on what to do next.” However, when you walk into an entryway with a runner rug leading directly into an open kitchen, you’re receiving the message, “Hey girl, get back in this kitchen!!!!” My space felt direction-less. 

2. There was no breathing room. 

One of my favorite moments in good home design is the moment where you stand, look, and enjoy. It’s the entry with the gorgeous console table, pair of matching lamps, and oversized compelling art above. We call these moments “breathing room,” because the space isn’t asking you to do anything, it’s just allowing you to exist.

My home had no breathing room. Though I had a piano moment, a piano is never going to be breathing room on its own. It’s a piano! It’s begging for activity! Then, I had a play room moment in the front for Ruth, but obviously that’s not breathing room either.

Ultimately, nothing was feeling right in the space due to the layout. Now, my advice to you here is to pay attention to and BELIEVE how you feel. If you consistently walk into your home and feel unsettled, or disappointed, or like you just want to get up and do something, or just a sense of activity and needed accomplishment, etc., this is a red flag. These feelings are a sign that your home is not welcoming you the way it can and likely should. So, trust yourself. If it feels wrong, let’s adjust it to make it feel right. 

Literally, all I did for layout was swap the playroom, entry piano moment, and my console. The console I previously had behind the couch, I moved it to the entry! The piano I had in the entry, I moved in front of the front window, and the playroom I moved behind the couch! This little rearrange was welcomed with, “WHO DID THIS?!? THIS IS AMAZING!!!!!” from Ruth!

Home Decor Symmetry

Now, not every design style is going to hype so much on symmetry. Pop over to our Style Map to figure out your own authentic design aesthetic! 

Anyone who has a touch of traditional or transitional design styles: symmetry is going to be important for you. We know that neurologically, symmetry kinda closes a loop in our brain. Everything makes sense. There is order, where there is symmetry. Now, think back…my life was really scary and unknown at that point. By simply adding symmetry, I was offering my brain moments of, “oh…that makes sense. That’s clear and concise and expected, and not scary at all!” I think a lot of us need to add moments of symmetry into our homes simply to offer our brains this moment! Here’s how it worked for me:

Entry — First, I created a symmetrical moment with 2 lamps flanking my console at the entryway. Just imagining it, my brain and body can take a deep breath. I am both getting breathing room here, like we discussed above, and I’m also getting that brain break where everything is safe and makes sense. AMEN!

Mantle — Then, I found these two gorgeous topiaries on clearance at Ethan Allen and cleared off my mantle to simply place these 2 simple topiaries. I couldn’t believe the difference it made to just have a clean, simple, symmetrical mantle! 

Piano Room — I took my two swivel chairs that had originally been in the living room area and placed them opposite the piano, side by side. The entire Piano moment is a symmetrical, sensical, beautiful moment now. 

House Plants

I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again, I’ll preach this until the day that I die!!!! Our bodies/brains/hearts NEED life in our surroundings and in our homes! I’m not saying we need a million, but some!! After the addition of the 2 topiaries at the mantle, I went to Home Depot and created a simple terracotta pot planter for the piano room. I cannot even describe the joy that my new plant in its new home has brought me.

Scent in your Home

Now, I really would have NEVER known that this was such a big deal. I truly had no idea. I just happened to buy a Pura the weekend that we rearranged everything. I’m obsessed with this thing! The Pura is a diffuser that simply plugs into any outlet, then connects to wifi! You set up a schedule so that you’re greeted in the morning with a fresh, welcoming scent, and when you come home at night. You can customize the schedule as you’d like, and you can even have TWO different scents on your schedule. I have it set up where the morning and the evenings are our fresh White Tea scent, then later into the evening we enjoy Balsam and Cedar Christmas scent! We aren’t sponsored by Pura, I just love it this much!

It is not an exaggeration to say that our home feels completely different. There are still toys everywhere, and too much stuff on the island, and my life is still scary! But the new feeling in our home is a night and day difference. I now come home and feel welcome, safe, nurtured, and fulfilled! I am welcomed home by my interior design, and I am missing nothing. Who knew rearranging your space and adding an air-freshener could make such a shift?!