Got No Book-Learnin'. (But I still know what I am doing!)

I'm a novice decorator - no formal training, no book-learnin'. What I do know is what I like and what makes me feel happy in my home. I have five philosophies that I follow:

1. Do you like it because it is beautiful or makes you laugh? Then buy it. (Or marry it as the joke goes...)
2. Mix high quality (re: expensive for you) with affordable decor. (Think thrift stores, found objects.)

Silver vase and pedestal,
foraged nest and handmade paper flowers.
And jelly beans, of course.

3. Break down your living and garden spaces to reflect the breadth of a casual glance, aka create a vignette. This helps you focus your attention and not get overwhelmed by the vastness of it all.
4. Pick a few key colors to blend the overall spaces of your home and garden. Love pink and mahogany? Add something pink and mahogany-ish  to all of the vignettes identified in #3. You will be amazed at how this brings it all together.
5. Finally, be prepared to say goodbye to objects (and favorite colors. Remember "harvest gold" of the 70's?) because they are just objects/colors after all. Your taste is allowed (encouraged) to change.

Notice the color similarities
between my home and garden? 

So, you now possess all of the grandiose philosophies that I use when decorating and curating my decor, both in my home and in my garden. It's not rocket science and any mistakes can be sent out to pasture (or the rec room). Don't be afraid of decorating your own life and garden. What you like is unique to you, as it should be. Your home and your garden are a reflection of you and how you like to live, what shapes and colors you like to see, what things make you say "ooooooh" and "awwwww" when you first seen them in a store, a craft show, or during a walk in the woods.

Take a quick moment and jot down notes to these simple questions:
1. What are your three favorite colors?
1a. Does your home/garden reflect those colors?
2. What shapes do you like (round, oblong, square, curvy)?
2a. Do you have objects that embody those shapes in every room or vignette?
Bonus Round: Are there things in your house/garden that make you laugh? (Please say "yes".)

That's it. That's all it takes to develop a sense of personal taste and style in your home. Be patient and add things over time, curating (i.e. throwing away or moving) as you go along. Rome wasn't built in a day and neither should your home be the matchy-matchy nightmare of the 80's.

Happy hunting!

Stacey