Design Mistakes I've Made (and how to learn from them)

Brace yourselves, these pictures might make you throw up in your mouth a little bit...

This was our first condo up north. It took a few years to get the balls to paint these walls and turns out, I made a big mistake. I liked the yellow for a few months and now you couldn't pay me to paint yellow on my walls. It's funny how time changes you! Oh my word, where do I begin with all the problems I see here? Right off the bat, that mirror is too high, the frames along the side look dinky and not right for the scale of the room. The recliner chair was amazingly comfortable but ugly as sin. There's no way to sugarcoat it. The lamps are not at all my style now...the ottomans were practical but not at all cute. Basically the only thing I like in this photo are my pillows!

So this is our home when we moved into this rental. The dresser was a craiglist find and not at all my style (it lives in the bedroom now, where non wow furniture goes to rot). The ottomans are a little cuter but still not great. The rug was cute but too small with the space. The task lamp was a favorite find from Goodwill up north but it broke. The curtains were not hung high enough.

I don't hate this, but it could use some help. The garden stool was spray painted white shortly after this photo but broke to pieces last year #sadface. The mirror moved to my room but it was wrong for this space all along. The tray looks out of place in the middle of the desk & the mismatched hardware bugs me.

This is my room. Not very cute. It's come a long way since this photo, but it could still use lots of help. What's wrong here is the ugly floors but it's a rental so out of my control. Also, the curtains (blah...I sold them). The chair is too white with the dark desk (it fell apart). The desk should be painted but I've never gotten around to it. The mirror I got rid of, it was a nice shape but this area needs something larger.





Oh my word, I can't believe I'm showing this picture. I got this "coffee table" at the curb and sprayed it white. Again, the rug is too small for the space, the navy ottoman drives me nuts next to the black and gray rug, gray sofa, white coffee table, yellow pillows. It just is so much STUFF going on that has nothing to do with anything else. There's no story going on here, it's like I just found everything and threw it together (well, that's kind of what happened).

I learned my paint lesson from my condo and pained all the walls in this house a neutral shade of gray. I invested in a few cute pieces and searched craigslist and thrift stores for others. Many things have been sold as I've never truly had a "design" budget to just get stuff. Many cute things have been gifted to me and I've even had a win that got me a west elm coffee table.

One thing I wanted to get right this time was the tv stand. I made a few mistakes but am very happy with this choice from Target I got on clearance a few months back. I had a free desk I was using up that that point but it felt too large. Although it my dreams I would like something a little longer this was affordable and I loved the style so I decided to make it work. The plant is a must for me now in a space. No more fakes unless they are the cute little ones from Ikea that I love. Lighting is also key and that floor lamp was also Target and I just spray painted the base. There are SO MANY UGLY LIGHT OUT THERE! If you don't find a great floor one than get a cute side table and invest in a cute lamp. There are such good options, no excuses to stick with a dated ugly fixture. This rug makes me smile every day. It was a gift to me, a vintage Persian rug from London and I'm so grateful my generous friend had no need for it anymore. The coffee table was free (instagram win) and the pouf was a random clearance find at target. 

No matter how many times I change home around I always have a new project in the back of my mind and wheels turning to try and figure out how to afford something new. It's a slippery slope of being content with what you have and yet enjoying your space and keeping it from feeling stale and not something that makes you happy when you look around. I have learned a lot from the last few years and here's my top 3 lessons:
1. "Buy the best and only cry once" - I don't remember who said this, but honestly, there are so many times I should have held off on something but figured since it was so cheap I should go for it. Wish I had held back and only waited for what I loved.
2. Paint your walls neutral. You can always add color and pattern but to have a neutral back drop will keep things feeling fresh and up to date. Gray is a personal favorite.
3. Don't be afraid to sell your stuff and use the money to get something new. I think many times people hold on to things they don't like or care for anymore, but really, there's something so freeing about getting rid of stuff that doesn't make you happy and then finding something that suites your style.