Don't Wait for Perfect

We’re all guilty of it. How often do we find ourselves waiting for perfection, when, in reality, this “perfection” that we seek is just a fancy form of procrastination.

People often ask if they should start investing their time, energy, and resources into beautifying the space they live in now when it’s just a rental or just a starter house. But why should you wait until you have the house of your dreams to start creating the home that you yearn for? Start making changes to your space now, big or small, that will impact your life on the daily.

Here are a few ideas that you can start incorporating today to make your interiors feel more like home. And the best part is that most of them can be taken with you when you move to some new digs - so there’s no room left for excuses.

Greige Be Gone

A little bit of paint can completely transform a space. It can take dreary to cheery, and boring to inspired in moments. Whether your personal style leans towards wall murals, faux-wallpaper, color blocking, or a hue that envelops you, the colors you surround yourself with with make you feel differently. Don’t underestimate the power of a can of paint, a paintbrush, and a little creativity.

Photo and Mural Design by Racheal Jackson, @banyanbridges

Lead With Your Heart

It’s not uncommon for people to fill their spaces with furniture and decor that functionally fits the needs of space they dwell, but doesn’t really speak to them, their style, or the tone they want to set in their home. It’s time to stop the madness. Stop buying items because they tick some boxes and are ‘okay for now’, and start curating items in your home that add to your life, that make you happy when you look at them. You’ll be astounded by how different your home will start to feel.

Design by Rosie Case, @rosie.case

Lighting Lighting Lighting

We all need lights to navigate our daily life, but lighting goes beyond just function. It creates an atmosphere in our spaces, and that atmosphere is created in layers. There are three basic types of lighting - ambient, task, and accent. Ambient lighting, like recessed lights, is used for general illumination of a space. Task lighting is used to assist in accomplishing a specific task, like vanity lighting in a bathroom or a reading lamp. Accent lighting is used to highlight and draw attention to art or other focal points in your space. If hard wiring isn’t an option, don’t be discouraged. There are plug-in light fixtures that can be easily mounted and, remember, even fixtures that are hard wired can be taken with you if you move. Start thinking about the lighting in your home and how you can layer it to create the warm, inviting spaces that you deserve.

Calhoun Light fixture designed by Sazerac Stitches, @sazerac_stitches (Vase designed by Powder Studio, @powderstudioclt)

Reflect More

We use mirrors every day, but are we using them to their full potential? Mirrors can be used in a few key ways to enhance our interiors beyond the aesthetics of the mirror itself. Strategic placement of mirrors directly across from a window or glass door will reflect natural light that is streaming in and brighten your space, bathing your interior in that soft glow we all love . Mirrors also create an optical illusion of space, giving the appearance of a more expansive interior if you dwell in a small space. Think about where you could place mirrors in your home to brighten and open up your spaces.

Design by Mallory, @reserve_home

Bring Life to Your Space

Bringing plants into our interiors not only adds color, glamour, and a sense of tranquility into our spaces, but it actually improves our well-being. Among various other benefits, plants improve health, reduce stress, remove toxins from the air, help balance humidity levels in our homes, and enable us to breathe easier. Don’t be deterred if, like me, you lack a green thumb. There are a number of low maintenance options that allow you to reap the benefits of indoor plant life if you just do a little digging, no pun intended.

Design by Kalina Herman, @42_designs

Whatever you do, stop waiting for that perfect moment to make a change - in your interiors or in your life. That ‘moment’ may never come. Make the changes you want today and start reaping the benefits.

For more tips, tricks, and design inspiration follow along on my Instagram @gottliebsilverstudio, linked below.