The much-quoted English textile designer William Morris stated,”Have nothing in your homes which you do not understand to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.” A worthy goal, to be sure, but a bit tricky to put to training.
Like magpies flocking to shiny bits and bobbles, we’re attracted to the newest gadgets and designer decoration. If you love to shop but don’t love the clutter that comes with too many not-right purchases, it’s time to take a step back and get a fresh view on what you buy and why. Join us as we delve in to 10 important questions which will help ascertain whether that new furniture or decoration item should earn a place in your house.
Lumens
Banana Bowl – $140
1. Might it be useful? While not every thing within our houses have to be strictly pragmatic, it is much easier to justify a buy if the object of your desire also serves a purpose beyond looking cool.
1a. OK, so it’s helpful — but do you need it? This is the part where it could be tempting to tell yourself a little white lie. Sure, those gold bananas are helpful — they could hold fruit! But if you already have a dozen fruit bowls at home, is a gold banana bowl really going to be helpful to you?
Krieger + Associates Architects, Inc..
2. Is it your weakness? We all have our loves and obsessions. For me personally, it is books. I can not walk past a bookstore without going in, and I can not appear to render one without buying something. But simply being mindful of exactly what your weakness is will help fortify your resolve when you need to. By way of instance, over time I’ve come to understand that nonfiction books are the ones I like to stay permanently, so I try to check out current fiction from the library instead.
Etsy
Antique Drawing Drafting Table from Karen C. Kramer – $950
3. Do you love it? We all know the feeling — you have a look at something, whether it is an amazing classic, a painting or a classic trinket, and just gasp. Your heart beats faster. Your senses are thrilled. Your fingers are itching to pull your wallet out and bring it home… but hold on just a second, we are not done yet! Read on to ensure that your find passes the exam.
Huntley & Co.. Interior Design
4. Is it your own style? It’s likely (quite common, really ) to fall head over heels to get something which isn’t your style. Think about an art gallery. You may be entirely in awe of a specific artist’s work but would never need one of their pieces in your house. Well, guess what? The identical thing can occur when you are out shopping. Even if you love something, if you understand deep down it’s just not”you,” it is best to appreciate it from afar and leave it at that. Bringing house something which falls into this class is where many people go awry in decorating.
Tobi Fairley Interior Design
5. Does it work with other colors in your property? When you’re in the process of decorating a space, it is a superb idea to take a small envelope or folder with fabric and paint swatches when you go out shopping. Being in a position to hold up a swatch of your wall color or the fabric on your couch is invaluable once you are searching for coordinating pieces.
Do not have swatches? In the minimum, have a few pictures of the space in great lighting and bring those with you on shopping trips. It will avoid many headaches down the road when a color or print clashes and you need to make returns or consume the price tag.
Jute Interior Design
6. Could it be in the budget? This is a slick question, because decorating budgets may often be wiggled a little. Even if the top limit of that which you are able to spend on a space must remain business, falling in love with the perfect bit (that costs more than you were likely to invest ) might mean cutting corners elsewhere.
If you just can not afford it, keep the info in a file for future reference, and let it go for today. It’s not worth going into debt more than decorating a home.
pyd
Mystic Collection Turquoise Rug
7. Would you return it if you change your thoughts? Yield policies are always a good idea to check, but it is especially important to be diligent about this when you will need to try out a bit in your house prior to knowing for sure if it will work.
7a. You know yourself . Can you actually return it if it does not work? For those who, like me, often slack on making returns, don’t make the buy unless you are 150 percent sure you want to keep it.
Old Faithful Shop
Apple Bottle Opener – $26
8. Is it an impulse buy? Some impulse buys are fortuitous finds. If it’s something you love that you have been looking for, or you understand just what you want to do with it, then do it. But be honest with yourself. It’s easy to get trapped in the delight of purchasing, scooping things up simply because they’re there.
Retailers place small items in crucial areas close to the checkout area because they understand shoppers are easily enticed to throw”just one more” thing into their baskets. Resist. If you are still thinking about the thing tomorrow, go right ahead and buy it but the majority of the timeyou will find that the charm fades as soon as you leave the shop.
Greenhouse Design Studio
Classic Icebox – $999
9. Have you any idea where it will go? If it’s a massive piece of furniture, check the dimensions to be sure it will fit in which it needs to go — such as through narrow doorways and stairwells.
This principle does not merely apply to bulky furniture. If you understand exactly where every item you buy will”reside,” you’ll be keeping clutter at bay. It’s the objects that float around our houses without a permanent location that make a space feel messy.
Kelly Donovan
Karl Malmvall Stepladder – $295
10. Could it be the best example of its type? Just because an object is useful doesn’t mean it can not also be visually pleasing. If you’d like your house to be beautiful inside and outside, consider aesthetics into account even for the more mundane buys like step stools and cleaning brushes.
More:
Clutter-Clearing 101