It’s time for the Top 5 Decorating Tips for Fabulous Rooms that Look Like YOU—or how to not be boring.  I so hate boring.  Who has time for boring?  Life is too short for boring.  Let’s put some zip in it.  Let’s put some fun with it.  So without further ado…

5.  Something Old.  Ever walk into someone’s perfect house and feel like you are in a furniture showroom?  Or a model for new construction?  I get the willies just thinking about it.  You know what would shake that off?  Something old. Something old and painted with chippy paint is awesome.  Something old and quirky is awesome.  Something from a junk store or flea market that is random and old is awesome.

Something with some history…something with layers and time and grit and experience.  Something that says I have seen life man and I have survived.  Got it?

 

4.  Something New.  Now if everything in your room was old and gritty and chippy and quirky–it would just be weird.  It would be too much.  It would be the opposite of a furniture show room and just as bad. It would be a room in a junk shop or in an antique store.  You need balance man.

So a little trendy is absolutely perfect.

This is nice.  But it does kind of look like a furniture show room.

But what if you added Something Old?  Like below.

The picture above does a nice blending with Something New/Trendy (the chairs, sideboard, and chandelier) with Something Old (plate rack.)

The above picture is definitely Something Old and Something New.  It’s got style.  It reminds me of someone…YOU, you stylish devil.  Where have you been hiding?

3.  Something Black.  I think I heard Nate Berkus on Oprah say this years ago.  I like it.  So it’s on the list.  Every room should have at least one black accessory in it. Black gives some depth.  Some class.  Some foundation to all the oomph.  It’s just baaaad (meaning good.)

I just love this room.  And you know what?  The black makes it bad ass.  This room rocks.  Above and below.

2.  Art.  I really can’t talk to you if your walls are bare.  You might as well be naked.  For the love of Pete hang something on your walls.  If you are overwhelmed I’ve written about a bajillion posts on it.  You can start reading here, or here, or here, man.

 

1.  Something that Tells Your Story.  Who lives in your house?  YOU do.  Live authentically and let it extend outward.  Every room should have something in it that speaks to you.  It could be a picture of your favorite place.  Maybe an ashtray that you nabbed from Old Glory in Georgetown when you were 21 that says ELVIS LIVES~OLD GLORY (Ok I’m not proud but it was over 20 years ago).  That ashtray made a super soap dish.  Maybe it’s a Barbie board game from when you were a kid that you use as a placemat on your desk.  Maybe it’s something simple like a pretty plant that your little son planted for you for Mother’s Day and the masking tape with his name is still on the pot.  It makes me smile every time.  Framed photographs of fun memories is an obvious choice~but where are yours?

 

So that’s my Top 5 Decorating Tips for Rooms that Look Like YOU.  What do you think?  What’s one of your favorite things that tells a story about you?