Why Decorating For Yourself Is Hard

Image via

As an emerging interior designer it may come as a shock to most people to learn I find decorating for myself to be quite challenging.

Gasp! “But why?” you may ask. “You help others tackle this very thing. What do you mean you can’t do it for yourself?!”

Well friends, cat’s outta the bag. When it comes to my own space, I’m practically paralyzed.

Here is the bottom line: In my own home, I’m afraid of commitment. It’s part of being a perfectionist (which we all know I’m battling). For example: I’ve finally decided I want a modern, sleek, black desk… but which one?! There are so many? They are all beautiful! And what if I choose one, only to fall in love with a different one a year later?!

Honestly, this problem predates my design days. I remember being a young girl and my mom taking me to get a manicure. I think I spent a full 15 minutes in agony over which shade to choose!

Thing is, I’d have no problem looking at you and telling you what color to paint your nails (or your walls). I’d find it easy and fun to edit your closet and help you choose new pieces to wear. And I’d simply adore helping you find the right sofa, or table, or vase for your bookshelf. When it comes to your style, I excel at capturing it.

But when it comes to my own, I can’t pinpoint it. I love everything! Maybe this is a good thing. Like Emily said in a recent post, designers/stylists are supposed to be style “chameleons” who work to create a certain vision based on what the client wants.  I spend so much time trying on all these different style hats, shifting mindsets and lenses, that when I come home to my own house, I just feel a little void.

If I had to sum it all up I’d say I know what I love, but I also love everything. There isn’t a style I don’t love, an aesthetic I’d love to create, a vision I’d love to execute. So how do I find what works for me? Well, when it comes to spaces, I find myself going back to the very beginning (a very good place to start). When I strip everything down, what do the bones of the space look like? What is the architecture trying to tell me? Sometimes when I remove what I think I want, I can see the answer clearly in front of me. I guess sometimes I just get in my own way. Also, I love Emily’s book, and honestly find myself a serial which-style-are-you-quiz-taker.

I have to remind myself, lots of people feel this way. That’s why they hire designers! Objectivity is key when designing a space, and sometimes we are just too close, too intimate with the room. We need distance added and emotion removed from the equation. Or at least that’s what I’ve found when it comes to my nail polish commitment problems 😉 I guess there is a reason hairdressers don’t cut their own hair, eh?

What do you think? Can you relate? Do you like to take the reins because you know exactly what you want? Or do you usually need someone, maybe a designer, to bounce ideas off of and get some guidance? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!

Save