Grateful, United Home Decorating

Do you like flowers? Flowers have scent, color, design, uniqueness, and texture. They are uplifting and attractive. They can add life to an otherwise quiet scene. I think it’s safe to say that flowers can help one breathe! 

Men and women alike love flowers. They both love to breathe! Have you ever thought about your environment, or home, as a space to help you breathe? When we breathe we are grateful for life! How do we create a grateful, united home?

I found a few strategies that can be helpful.

1. Think about what style you like together in your home, then be firm with yourself and stick with that style throughout it. 

2. Think about what color palette you like as a couple. I find a color palette with those colors on Pinterest. I print it out onto a piece of paper or put it into my phone where I can refer to it often. Colors in the home don’t have to match exactly, but should be in harmony when the color palette is next to it. Different rooms can have different parts of the color palette. 

3. Make sure your big purchases like furniture, paint color, and redecorating ideas feel good to your spouse. If they like it, you know you're on to something. If either of you are alone it will feel amiss in your home. 

4. Furniture arrangements should have a good flow for movement in the room. Make sure no entries are blocked and it’s easy to get to closets.

5. Each room should have a focal point to decorate around. Where do you want your eye to go when you enter the room? What do you want your family to focus on? How do you make that uplifting and helpful to your family? 

6. I like to think of what is feminine and what is masculine in my home. Men lean towards the masculine things and vice versa. Sometimes a home can be too one-sided. Certain styles can lend themselves to be one or the other, like modern can be more masculine and cottage more feminine. Try to even out the features and be sensitive to the spouse that may not be represented in the style. 

7. Cost and quality can be a dilemma when trying to be united. There are so many decisions that go into what is needed in a home. I have found that if I think gratefully then  automatically think bigger. Maybe the paint color needs to be lighter, the couch needs to be leather, the dishes need to be ceramic or porcelain. Items chosen with gratitude help with breathing. 

8. A time schedule is helpful. When something in our home is bugging me I know it is time to schedule when we can do something about it. We look at options and make plans. We prioritize the most crucial things to take care of or update first. I like to make a list of the prioritized items and put them somewhere visible for us to see. It is so satisfying to check them off! 

9. Finally, does it go? How do the fabrics coordinate? Does it go? How will the furniture look in the house? Does it go? How do those pictures look on the wall? Does it go? How do our redecorating ideas look with the house? Does it go? Things that go help us breathe. 

Decorating is a challenge. It requires a lot of thinking. Just remember that a flower can see the light and it can breathe and so can we! It just takes practice.