One of the most important things about decorating and designing your space is finding  your style—and by style I don’t mean the latest trends, whatever is featured in popular magazines, what your best friend does, and certainly not what your mom did while you were growing up.  So often, people approach a space like they do a high school dance—“Show me what’s popular and I’ll make it work.”  When it comes to decorating, trying to make something work usually ends up turning into a big, unfinished mess.  After all, you decorate your home for yourself and you want to feel comfortable there, so ask yourself: “What do I like?”

Find an Inspiration Piece

Start by finding something that inspires you—a paint color, a swatch of fabric, a vase, a picture—this is your inspiration piece.  You are more motivated to finish and more excited to pull the look together if it starts from something that you really love.  Plus—you know what you want it to look like—you have a vision.  The trouble comes when you try to make your home into something it’s not.  For moms, we have to remember that we are going to have legos on the floor and toys spilling out of baskets—it’s just a part of life.  However, there are so many ways to balance design and function, especially when it comes to children.  The picture above is a picture of my daughter’s room–I was unsure of the direction I wanted to go until I found that apple and pear fabric.  After sewing a few shams and creating some artwork, the room came together beautifully.

So, where to start?  Look though magazines and walk though stores—don’t ever buy anything that you don’t love.  Always start with an inspiration piece—otherwise you will just be stuck on a never-ending decorating goose chase where nothing comes together the way you want.  It doesn’t have to look like a magazine or a showcase, but it does have to be yours—you have to own it.  When you choose something you love, verses something you think you are “supposed” to do, you will be so surprised with the outcome—you will love it.  That is why I always say there are no rules when it comes to decorating—you want to mix two “unmixable” colors—do it!  You just better do it well!  For more ideas or some tips, visit my website at www.inspiredva.com.