Slow Decorating

What is slow decorating? It’s the process of taking your time to curate the perfect space for yourself that evolves over time. Think of every piece of furniture or accessory item you purchase for your home as something very special that someone has made with great effort and love. Try investing in pieces that you plan on keeping and can live with for a long time. When you purchase with intention you have a stronger connection to the items in your home. When you are surrounded by meaningful objects that come from the heart, you will feel so much joy in your surroundings.

For example, if you are looking for new pieces for your living room, start with the big items like the sofa and rug to anchor the room. For the sofa, you want to purchase something well made with a timeless shape. Do your research, look for companies that describe their construction process and have a sustainability program, if they do it should be easy to locate on their website. After you have the anchor pieces, take your time layering in smaller items like cabinets, occasional tables, and decorative lighting. Visit antique stores to find unique one-of-a-kind pieces, you may find something you feel drawn to because old objects carry history and have energy. And remember, not everything has to be in the same style, it’s more interesting when you mix styles intentionally, you don’t want to look like you’ve bought everything from the same store. For instance, in my living room I have a tailored mid-century modern sofa with an old wooden cobbler’s table I use as a coffee table that I picked up at an antique store, it looks great together and has an interesting story behind it.

For accessories such as vases, plates, cups, seek out local artisans that are creating hand crafted small batch items instead of buying from the larger stores. Look for shops that carry one of a kind unique pieces made by a local craftsperson, if you don’t have something like that close to you most artists sell their goods online. Don’t be afraid to mix and match, instead of buying a dish set from a larger retailer, buy plates and cups a few at a time. Each item you collect will have a special meaning, a small store or artist behind it. Eventually you’ll have a collection of ceramic dishes and cups that are all different but work well together which makes a unique and interesting table setting. I also suggest supporting eco-friendly brands that have a sustainability program and fair-trade policy, most retailers will have that information on their website. It feels good to buy something while also helping an artisan in a third world country!

If you would like to learn more about the idea of slow decorating check out this article I contributed to in Better Homes and Gardens.