Living Spaces

My favorite Youtube channels are all the ones where people invite you into their homes – big, small (tiny even) and in-between – to see their living spaces. They show you changes they’ve made from remodels to simply changing the paint colors, things they’ve collected or found at tag sales, thrift stores or retrieved from someone who left it at the curb. These renters/homeowners will take you around their homes and show you their favorite things and tell you the stories behind them.

I have always been fascinated by interiors. It’s so interesting to see creative designs and collected things. My favorite living spaces are the ones that are unique and individual to the taste, nostalgia and experiences of the people who live there.

Helpful tips if you want to spruce up your living space on a dime but don’t know where to start!

If you have little to no budget (these are my kinds of re-dos), if a renovation is so far out of the question that it may never happen, but you still want to create a home that welcomes you and gives you a sense of satisfaction, I have a few practical tips. We’ve never done a major remodel, but I am always creating and arranging to make our home beautiful (to me, to us). It only takes the willingness to try. If you aren’t creative, you can take tips from people who are and your home can be lovely.

Three tips to get started on creating a living space that creates a pleasing atmosphere:

Make your house smell good. Scents are so important to make a room feel inviting and cozy – non-toxic oil diffusers, *fresh flowers, freshly laundered couch pillows or throw blankets, non-toxic scented candles are all great ways to create a pleasant scent. This fall I used a simmer pot filled with all things autumn (cranberries, cinnamon sticks, orange slices, apples, etc). Baking cookies or pumpkin bread works well too! *Fresh flowers can be expensive; instead, you could use a bushel of lavender from your yard or fresh cut mint (just squeeze a few leaves now and then to release the aroma). If you don’t have any of that growing outside, listen to which of your friends have gardens, maybe they’ll share! I have more mint than I’ll ever need, as is the case for most people who grown any type of mint. Whichever way you implement, always remember to be mindful of how powerfully scents affect one’s enjoyment of their living space.

Remove any items that you don’t enjoy. I find the first thing that is the most helpful in creating a new space is to take out anything you don’t love. Your home will automatically feel and look better to you. It’s better to remove those items (plus, that’s an immediate and free change you will notice and appreciate!) and replace it (eventually) with things you love. This may mean you have to do with little while you scour thrift stores, garage sales, antiques shops, Etsy, etc. Great finds are waiting for you! Here are a few of mine.

You can find so many things that you love at that are unique to your taste without breaking the bank if you don’t rush to fill your home.

Removing an unwanted item will automatically make you enjoy your space more. If it’s something sentimental and you wish to honor that somehow, take a picture of it to remember it forever. You can always ask if someone else (friend or family) might want it. If you’re keeping something you feel you have to, it will always make it feel heavy and in the way. Another option is to learn to love it! lol! If it means that much to you, figure out a way to display it that makes it an intentional feature. If someone gifted you with a moose head and it doesn’t work with your sleek mid-century modern aesthetic, put it in the guest room and make that have a cabin feel – just sayin’, there’s always an option; you’re not stuck! Either way, it will be better to part with it if looking at it doesn’t contribute to the way you want your home to look and feel. If you feel like your item is worth something, but not to you, you can have a garage sale, or sell it on Marketplace. And for heaven’s sake, don’t keep something you don’t like just because you got a good deal on it!

Create vignettes (a small space on a wall or a shelf, table top with a few well-selected, well-positioned items grouped together). Even the tiniest little groupings will make a difference and bring you joy whenever you walk by. It’s a way to start small. Gather from other rooms in your house for the finishing touches. Look on Pinterest for some vignettes that catch your eye if you need help with an idea. Pay attention to colors and what the overall feel of the vignettes are that you like. Find some consistencies and shop your house to gather enough similar items to create your own version. — We’re talking about only taking on a shelf, a side table, a fireplace mantle, the top of a dresser, a coffee nook – just a small space to make beautiful.

When you’re finished, photograph your arrangement. Often photos will reveal exactly what needs to be added or deleted, such as a little height or fullness or something moved to the right or left. Remember, it’s your space and you want it pleasing to you. You’re not trying to copy or impress anyone. If you do that, it won’t be any fun. You want things that you love, for your own reasons, and no one should tell you what that should be. If anything, you’ll learn to tie it all together better and better! Things don’t have to match to go together. It takes a little practice, but that photography trick really works! You’ll look at what you captured and it reads more easily than just looking at it in person. If you feel you need to photograph something in your home, you’ve probably gotten it right!

Creating these little spaces is fun and you can switch them up as often as you wish. You might find it good practice for taking on a bigger living space in the future.

The next three tips coming soon will be on:

1. organization
2. lighting
3. paint

Happy homemaking!