The title of this post can be sung to the tune “Jimmy Crack Corn”. You are welcome.
Sometimes people ask me how I know how to decorate. Or how I got the courage or where I found the confidence to make a decorating decision and act on it.
There IS a secret.
I’ve realized that the decor in my home really doesn’t matter all that much. Realizing decorating isn’t life altering freed me to enjoy it. I think all that talk of doing everything we do 100% with excellence has messed us up in some ways. I mean, there are some things that should be done as close to perfect as possible.
Things that are worth doing really well::
- abiding in Him
- taxes
- marriage
- parenting
- brushing your teeth
- brain surgery
- working with nuclear explosives
Things that don’t need to be done to perfection::
- mopping the floor
- painting your nails
- singing
- decorating your house
Thoughts that hold us back from being creative/taking a risk/trying something new in our homes:
I might mess it up and have to spend good money to replace it, even though I already hate it, it’s not worth it.
I might do it wrong and people will laugh and everyone will know I’m incompetent.
I have to do it perfectly and I don’t know the correct way to {paint the furniture, make drapes, hang a mirror –insert whatever you want} so I will do nothing.
I started to enjoy making my home beautiful once I decided that I wasn’t doing it to please people who didn’t live there. I decorate all wrong. I paint furniture with flat paint, I give up halfway through a project and let it sit for months, I have un-hung pictures on the floor of every room. But, our home serves its purpose, it’s a safe haven for our family, it’s comfortable and to us, it’s beautiful. Plus, that gives me time to focus on the things that matter most and do those things well. Now, where’s my wrench, I need to pull apart some atoms.
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Gosh, isn’t this the truth?! Thank you for putting that out there! I’m a mix of the:
‘I might do it wrong and people will laugh and everyone will know I’m incompetent.’
AND
“I have to do it perfectly and I don’t know the correct way to {paint the furniture, make drapes, hang a mirror –insert whatever you want} so I will do nothing.”
Only insert {‘or think I don’t have the money to correctly,perfectly decorate’}…
I’ve lived in my house for 3 years and still have those picture frames sitting on the floor and unpacked boxes full of ‘decor’ because I can’t finish or decide or what to do…I can’t even START! Why do we worry so much what other people will think? People that, as you say, “don’t even live here?” Besides, what makes people feel comfortable in your home is truly the ‘spirit’ there…the warmth and welcome they feel – not the color of your walls or pattern of your drapes…right?! THANKS!
Woot! Thanks, Nester. I proudly mop, paint, sing and decorate imperfectly! And the funny thing is, I get compliments on things that I would never have expected! I want to work on the other things – abiding, marriage, parenting and brushing teeth! (Not so much the explosives and surgery.)
LOL, I’ll leave the atom splitting to someone else too! What a sweet and funny reminder.
Cool Nester! ME TOO!
I just do WHAT I LIKE! Who wants to constantly worry about what other’s think?
I can relate that to my walk with Christ as well.
I don’t love him….to please people around me. I love Him….because of WHO HE IS and HIS LOVE FOR ME!
I loved what the previous commenter, Wanda, stated about her Walk With Christ! So TRUE!!
I think a lot of people do what they do in the church, social groups, etc., jsut to impress other people. We don’t need to worry about what the “people” think! The only opinion that truly matters is that of Jesus Christ!
Loved this post! I, too, am the type of decorator that just does what I like! If you don’t like it, don’t come over! LOL! 🙂
I love this post.
Nester, I adore you. And this is the most wonderful answer to the fears that have been swirling around in my head. You are brilliant. Can’t wait to give you a big ol’ “thank you” hug in person soon! XOXO
Awesome! I love this post Nester! You rock and I love your blog too! I have alwasy been SO intimidated to paint furniture – crazy I know – but I think you have inspired me to just go for it! Besides being itimidated by husband thinks is a CRIME to paint wood furniture!! It should all be stained in various color finishes – oui vay! Thanks again! xoTiffany
And this is why I love you. That is all.
PS: the shelf above my toilet thanks you – I finally painted it when everyone else thought I was crazy to do so. The shelf and I are both much happier.
The end.
I have found that so long as *I* love how my house is decorated(and my husband and kids don’t hate it), all is well and cheerful for every single one of us. 🙂
I love paint. I finally veered away from safe neutrals like taupe and entered the world of bicycle yellow, lime green, spiced pumpkin and even gold. Every room has a personality and makes me smile as soon as I walk in. It feels like home sweet home. MY home sweet home!
Nester, this post rocks!!!!!!!
Marriage is definitely worth doing well–mopping not so much :). I decorate wrong and I don’t care to the tune of Jimmy cracked corn is my new theme song!
I love it!!!! I used to worry about what everyone else would think about my home until I realized that they were coming to see me not my house! LOL I am now enjoying decorating our new nest for my little family to live in and enjoy…not to be a showplace. Yay! We love it and that’s what counts! So good to hear someone else say that! Thanks for sharing your experience. Its so good to know that I am not alone!
were you watching me today?! I went to three places because I thought they were all charging too much for glass for a frame then ended up with the wrong size stands for the pictures that are done. Great article!
I think I’m just now beginning to truly believe this about my home. Your mantra has sunk in! : )
You had my 100% agreement up until you said we don’t have to be perfect when painting our nails! Oh, that is a bugger for me!! Thanks for your beautiful post! Blessings, Denisa
I love this. Thanks for giving me the freedom to do it all wrong! 🙂
I get so much stick about my decorating style. I love accessories rather than dramtic walls. I think a house should be home not a showroom xxx
Perfect timing! I just moved into a new house and I don’t know where to start.I keep dreaming a magazine staff will magically appear and make decisions for me. I need to dream up what I like (then convince my hubby) and just START…You’re a great inspiration and I’m so glad we’re “sisters in Christ”!
I try to live by the motto that you should surround yourself by things that make you smile and bring you joy. My color combinations and where I put things might be crazy or go against the rules, but I agree with your post completely! 🙂 thanks!