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I’m so thrilled to be joining an AMAZING group of bloggers today as we celebrate the release of Melissa Michael’s brand new book, ‘Make Room For What You Love‘. This latest book from Melissa (visit her at The Inspired Room) is such a natural extension of her previous books, ‘Love the Home You Have’ and ‘The Inspired Room’.
I am such a firm believer in the connection between our homes and our spirits. In fact, I talk a lot about just that in my ‘The Peace-Filled Home‘ series. Which is why I was particularly excited about this new book from Melissa. She completely understands that correlation so not only is this new book chock full of amazing tips and ideas for organizing and simplifying your home, it’s also a reminder of just WHY this is so important.
Today I want to highlight just a few of my favorite ‘take-aways’ from the book and how I implement them in my own home.
There is truly something so freeing about defining your own style. It’s only really in the last 2 or 3 years that I have started to feel more settled in my design sensibility and this has allowed me to stay so much more focused as I shop and has saved me tons of money too.
I realized that I had a tendency to second-guess myself (a common theme in my life!) and would often buy home decor items that were trendy and then they would end up stuck up on a shelf somewhere collecting dust.
Once I was able to really claim MY style, I began to look at each room and each item in the room through the lens of that style which in turn prevents me from making the wrong decisions and adding to the clutter.
I truly believe that a home can be both beautiful and functional and that incorporating pieces that are dual purpose helps to keep the clutter at bay.
This buffet table is in our breakfast room and not only does it provide me with a pretty surface to decorate….
….it’s also where we store art supplies.
They are easy to access and yet having them in a basket on the shelves of the buffet allows this space to stay clutter free…most of the time. 😉
Similarly, this giant basket under our sofa table is one of my favorite purchases because I bought it knowing that it perfectly fit with my style AND that it would provide some awesome storage.
It’s become the holder of all things Playmobile.
Open surfaces can be so intimidating. Table tops, counters, mantels, all of these areas in our homes provide us with an opportunity to express our creativity but what I have found is that the real challenge is striking just the right balance between too much and just enough.
In recent years I’ve tried very hard to incorporate pieces into my home that can be moved around and used on practically any surface.
Having too much of anything, even the beautiful things, can begin to have the opposite effect than you are intending.
I’ve found that by paring down my home decor, I’m able to really enjoy each item and every time I relocate it to a new spot in the house it feels fresh and new all over again.
What I’ve shared with you today is truly such a small sampling of all of the AMAZING tips and ideas that you will find in this book.
But, even more than that, what you will find is the encouragement to truly make your home a place that is a respite, a haven from the world.
To read an excerpt or purchase the book click here and be sure to visit the bloggers listed below for more inspiration and insight into how YOU can ‘Make Room for What You Love.’
Eleven Gables / Craftberry Bush / At the Picket Fence / Julie Blanner / Beneath My Heart / Thrifty Decor Chick / Emily A. Clark / Reluctant Entertainer / My Sweet Savannah / Domestic Fashionista / At Home In Love / 320 Sycamore / Sunny Side Up / Happy Happy Nester / The White Buffalo Styling Co / Sweet and Simple Home / Finding Home Farms / In My Own Style / Fox Hollow Cottage / The House of Silver Lining / Infarrantly Creative / Fieldstone Hill Design / Shabby Nest / Today’s Creative Life / Sarah M. Dorsey Designs / Just A Girl / Southern Hospitality
Thanks so much for meeting me at the Fence today,
I am an artist and my studio has always been in my home. Most of my studio storage is in beautiful old pieces like a pie safe or a Hoosier cupboard. I still have some awful plastic shelving but hopefully that will be consigned to the garage. I am in the middle of a move to a wonderful townhouse with fabulous studio space and I want to be able to look around and see only beauty where I create art. I sold, donated or discarded over half of my furniture and “stuff” so I am excited about having more space for my things and for me to breathe.
What a lovely post!!! I am so sorry my link isn’t working… here is my new link http://11gables.blogspot.com/2016/05/make-room-for-what-you-love-challenge.html
Thanks Emily! I fixed your post link. 🙂
Vanessa, your home is lovely. It takes time for each of us to discover what we love and what we don’t love so much. Paring down and finding just the right balance is a process but when you start to find that right mix, it is refreshing as your images demonstrateso well. Thanks for sharing your home and inspiring us! And thank you for being a part of this book launch, it means so much to me. xo
Great post and insight.
Be Blessed
I think we all tend to get into the somewhat of a trap of finding something that we love and over doing it in our decor. I have certainly been a victim of that. I have started a fun and rewarding project today after taking an assessment of my surroundings…..The book sounds wonderful!
I love your take aways from Melissa’s book. I used to buy the on trend item all to frequently as well, only to end up throwing it in my storage closet. It is such a freeing feeling to decorate with purpose. You have a lovely home!
xo
Thank you so much Shauna! 🙂
You have a beautiful home. Thank you for sharing your insights!