Building a Home Intentionally

Nowadays, all you need to do is browse the internet for a few hours and you can redecorate your whole house. There are so many ads, swipe-up links, and deals posted. Instagram influencers post swipe-up links for the newest seasonal items and trends. Businesses post ads all over social media, television, and billboards to push the same idea: your house is not complete.

Lately, I’ve been asking myself- should I try to keep up with the recent trends? It’s been an ongoing journey, but I’ve concluded that as much as I love impulse buys from Home Goods, I cannot keep up with the trends. Rather, a home built slowly, with intention, is what I’m seeking to create.

We recently bought a house. When we toured our new home, I could picture how I wanted to redecorate each room. I have always been creative so this is something that comes naturally to me. My plans involved purchasing several big pieces of furniture, hanging new light fixtures, and painting the walls. A heart-to-heart with my husband about our goals and finances revealed that these changes may not be realistic at this time. It was difficult for me to say goodbye to the version of our house that I had pictured. Despite how grateful I was, I couldn’t help but think of all the projects I had wanted to do. That creative itch was still there. I couldn’t make big changes, but I could make little ones. I started with small projects that cost less than $10. The first project was hanging old photos. The next step was updating our bedside lamps by spray painting them gold. I also bought a few new items from the Target dollar spot.

I recently talked with my sister about these projects. She’s incredible at decorating. She told me about the Japanese term ‘wabi-sabi’. This philosophy involves embracing imperfections in art. Characteristics of wabi-sabi include asymmetry, roughness, and intimacy. This season, I’m embracing this concept of wabi-sabi by embracing the imperfections. In our house, that looks like hanging up photos and paintings from our old house even though they don’t ‘go.’ Those photos and paintings may be too modern for our current house, but they hold so much meaning. It means growing to love the gray of our walls that I initially thought was too dark. I have also found items that help to blend the style of our decor with the style of our new house. For example, I bought a lampshade for our lamp that helps the lamp to look antique but slightly modern.

It’s been an ongoing journey but I love how the house is coming together! Do I still take trips to Target for home decor? Absolutely, but my choices are more intentional. In 20 years when friends come over for dinner, I want to share stories of the many places we’ve lived and traveled. The pictures on the walls and the pieces we’ve collected along the way hold meaning. Not everything may be perfect, but it will feel like home.