Move-In day & Pinterest Overwhelm

If you are anything like me, you are a Pinterest addict. Before I even go to Google, I go to Pinterest, and I search for answers there. I mean..to be fair most of the things I’m Googling are home decor and food related, but I can easily spend an hour a day on Pinterest just going deeper and deeper into the rabbit hole of Paleo cupcakes and gallery wall inspiration. Even though Pinterest is by far my favorite website, and I use it for business, it also is super overwhelming.

As y’all know, I’m an interior designer. I own Honey Bee Interior Design  and I often ask my clients if they have a Pinterest board or inspiration images to help me better understand what they are dreaming of for their space [a picture is worth a thousand words, am I right?].

However I also know the extreme overwhelm…let me explain. You want a farmhouse style living room, so that’s what you search. Two hours later, you have 100 “Pins” of what you like for that space, and no real direction on where to start. It’s not like the pictures say “Here, buy this sofa first, then do this to your walls, and the paint color is _____, and the budget for this room is $2,500″. It’s just a picture, sometimes linked to a blog post…but still it’s just a starting point.

Now let’s get real.

I tell my clients something I started to tell myself..and actually had to practice what I preach – stop “Pinning” and just start. But don’t go hog wild and start buying something for every corner of your house – start in ONE space. Even if it’s tiny. 

This brings me to my story..my real and honest narrative of move-in day to my first home in Raleigh. I love my house – it needs work, it’s vintage fab, and its style is completely undefined [it’s eclectic ok?] but I moved in and immediately lost my mind. The week after we moved in and unpacked (for the most part), I wanted to redo the house..like all of it right away. I had already painted the kitchen and basement at this point, but I was so eager to jump in, but I didn’t have a clear vision yet. I started in the kitchen, wanting to set it up and make it perfect, but got discouraged and went to my office and started to set that up. Then I wanted to hang pictures in my bedroom. That’s when I realized that my house looked like a tornado, with half done spaces and no heart and soul in it. That’s when I just stopped, and regrouped.

So you may not being moving into your house [gosh, many of my clients have been in their houses for over 5 years and are just now starting to decorate] but if you feel like you need to redo EVERY room at once. Stop. Pause. Breath!….and keep on reading chica.

Start in one space. Pick a space you spend the most time in and that seems easy enough to tackle. It could be just your breakfast nook, or it could be your entire master suite. Focus on one space, focus on your budget, your style, and take baby steps to make things how you want them. Don’t buy anything for your home except for that space you are redoing currently, just fight the urge, it will only add to overwhelm if you pick up a bunch of stuff. (So just avoid Target…) Pick THREE inspiration pictures for your space MAXIMUM and stick to your gut. Finish your space completely, then move on. This does a few things for you: First it gives you a sense of accomplishment – you will see the finished space and KNOW you CAN do it. Secondly, it will be simple to keep going – if you complete one space; you then will have your style and vibe nailed down, so you will have something to build off of for the rest of the home. And lastly, you will now have a precious little space that is all you; a new haven to enjoy.

You don’t have to create a masterpiece in one weekend. Haste makes waste – that’s my new motto to keep me from rushing my home decor journey folks, so let it be yours too.

Trust me, I’m right there with you on wanting to redo your whole home at once.

Together, we got this!

[ PS – if you do want some amazing Pinterest inspiration – follow me here! ]

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