Who knew?
Well, you all probably knew this, but I didn’t. I’ve just never done it before.
I think I’d be happy living in a cave – as long as that cave was lined with bookshelves.
The key is useless things
Apparently decorating is made up of useless things that serve no purpose and they have to be assembled in some kind of manner that’s aesthetically pleasing. This is really hard to wrap your head around if you don’t notice your surroundings.
So I asked my friend Mel (a psychologist that knows about decorating – because I clearly need both kinds of help) – who from 3000 miles away is trying to help me decorate.
She thinks it’s important to decorate your house for yourself so YOU feel happy in it. I think it’s important to sell my house for the max money I can get. To do that, I have to do this decorating thing. Because people like decorated houses.
But they can’t be too decorated, like with pictures of your family. Or books that you actually read. Nono. It has to be these useless things. Unless you’re Lindy and can pull off pretty and useful.
So I email Mel with pictures – like this first decorating fail:
Subject: Help?
Me: This doesn’t look right to me. I’m going to replace this sideboard thing with a dark wood kind. But it seems like I should have something else. Something taller? Maybe put something in that urn thing? Like something seasonal I can change out for Xmas / summer? Or put a poinsettia for now and something else with some color after Xmas?
Mel: Okay, I like the furniture and painting together but your pieces are too dark and small IMO. You need something, floral maybe in seafoam and off-white that is larger in scale. Or, you keep your pieces and change the sideboard and painting. You can make those three pieces more substantial by clustering them and arranging them at different heights, like on a stack of small, old books or something. What do you think?
(EEK! She asked me what *I* think?!? That’s the problem – I don’t! Think of this stuff that is. I’m also not sure what color seafoam is – or if it even is a color. Is this decorating-speak for light green? Or does she think I should have flowers that are made out of foam that came from the sea?)
Me: Heighten with books?!? I didn’t think of that! Oh yes, I have books up the ying yang.
I agree on the size. I got this Ethan Allen decorating book from our book swap place and I can see that there’s a very clear style that I like (warm tones – no blue, grey or green, darker colours – OR pure black and white – but I won’t go there). What it looks like they do in some of the pictures is to have a picture on the wall and then they put a smaller picture so it kind of leans up against the bigger one and partly covers it, but only a bit. In this one pic, they have a basket (which I have a few of) – and they put a few books in it and sort of layer something else in the front of the whole thing.
It seems kind of complicated and I guess you just don’t move or use anything? Like – they’re not actually reading the books right? So it’s not like it’s a basket with my library books in it? I don’t know if I can keep that up.
There was another picture that I really liked in the book where they’re decorating with books that are sort of stacked and intermixed with other things. Layering things seems to be quite popular, that just never occurred to me. I think I will move those useless things in the picture to my bookshelves in the office. Then I’ll start playing around with various sizes of things. I’ve got taller things that are lighter. And if I don’t, I can start looking for some. I have a nice wine rack. Maybe I’ll try that out.
Mel: You’re so funny. No, you don’t typically use your decorative items but if you do, that’s even better. You’re in the right track figuring out what you like and trying different arrangements.
Me: Well, it seems pointless to me to have things hanging around that you never use. Then you just have to dust them. It’s sort of a make work project.
But I have to learn how to do this stuff or else hire someone to do it for me which seems silly to do if I can figure it out myself. I think people who are buying houses want to see something pulled together properly. It’s like window dressing in a store – it seems stupid and unnecessary, but people buy based on emotion, not logic. I do it too!
Plus I can buy things at the auction and save a lot of money. 
If I focus on it now, I have lots of time to be able to pick up stuff off-retail. They had some things there that I could have bought at this last auction, but I didn’t know what I should have. AND – if I get it figured out for once and for all, it’s done and I don’t have to think about it anymore. To be honest, it hurts my brain and confuses me. But I think there’s a pattern there that I’m starting to comprehend.
I get by with a little (lot of) help from my friends
Hey! I got these mirrors for free. Guess how I managed that? My friend that went with me to the auction asked for them.
Oh, I’m replacing that door too. And the mirrors need to be dusted.
But I think they might be useful for me to check how I look before I leave the house – when / if I go back to work – and maybe pay someone to do this maddening decorating project for me.
You crack me up. At least you got the rule of threes right with your vases/urns. I agree that adding varying heights and coordinating color (and theme) is a good start, and clump, always clump, and add texture when you can (sticks, leaves, feathers, whatever).
I was a designer by trade (not practicing anymore), and the minimalist in me could never get on board with useless accessories. When I worked as a merchandiser for a furniture chain I had to push myself to junk up the vignettes so much more than I normally would, because that’s what sells. Stacks of books came in really handy for that job. I would scour the local thrift stores for good quality hardbacks.
In my own house I have very few accessories. Partly because my kids would destroy them, and partly because I don’t believe in having objects without meaning. I’m not looking forward to the day I have to sell my house for this very reason.
Lindy, I don’t think I could have sticks in the house because the dog would eat them… and the cat might go after feathers, who knows…
I read that somewhere about three things, but apparently 30 looks better. I don’t even know what that thing on the left is for. To tell the truth, I picked up those 3 pieces at a showhome sale a few years ago and have no idea what to do with them.
I’m trying to think positively – at least I’m starting from scratch right? But it also makes it seem quite overwhelming. I really envy you designing types that can see what to do naturally.
I agree with Seafoam, it would pop out the room nicely especially since you are going with dark floors too.
Seafoam is a pretty green.
PS: you’re welcome in the mirrors
But I don’t like green. Is there a red seafoam? Love the mirrors – and you can’t beat the price!
I don’t get decorating either. Good luck with staging the house!
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It’s a gift I think. Just like liking spreadsheets is a gift – or many other things. Can’t have everything!
I am a decorating idiot. I am also cheap so I am not one to just buy something because I like it or it ‘speaks to me’.
I don’t like seafoam, so you can see I am not a professional. It reminds me of a cottage or the beach, and I can accept it in those types of houses See, I am too closed minded.
I could never be a stager…
Kris @ Everyday Tips recently posted..10 Steps To Take Before Putting Your Home On the Market
I think I can do it pretty reasonably Kris. Of course I want to minimize the cost – who wouldn’t? But my biggest issue is this overwhelmed feeling at all the choices. Yikes.
You don’t really need a decorating book, you have the internet.
Check out websites for furniture that you like and ignore the furniture but check out the decorations. All catalogs are full of ideas on staging because they are MADE TO SELL THINGS.
Here are some good ones. For these, go to the Furniture tab and then go through by room for ideas. Again, ignore the big stuff and pay attention to the little stuff. Oh and some of these, you can request they send you a free catalog which is even better because you get more whole room shots.
http://www.restorationhardware.com/
http://www.potterybarn.com/
http://www.westelm.com/
http://www.pier1.com/
http://www.zgallerie.com/default.aspx?
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/
You can even get some great decorating ideas on the big O!
http://www.overstock.com/
I am actually very frustrated currently because I am dying to decorate but can’t really afford to. :/
Mutant Supermodel recently posted..Garage Sale Recap
SO glad to see you back in action MSM!! I’ve been checking out showhomes for decorating tips (and because it’s fun), but it’s actually a very time-consuming process to do it that way. Your plan is much better – basically I need pictures that I can copy and try to maintain a list of the types of things that I need so that when I see something I like at a great price, I can feel confident that it will fit.
You don’t want to wait a bit until your kids are older? I guess there’s child-friendly ways around decorating with younger kids – I don’t know what they are, but there must be. The right time will come and the nice thing is that you can do it gradually too. But I know how you feel, I’ve put off doing this kind of thing until I felt I had both the money AND time to do it properly – it really does take up a lot of time (for me).
My house is very bare-boned. No curtains anywhere really. I don’t even own any tablecloths. My bedroom looks awful, like a dorm or something. I don’t think I can do the full-scale decorating, because of the kids, but I do want to get some stuff up. I have an awesome art wall that I’d like to extend into the hallway for instance. *sigh*
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MSM, I was / am still sort of the same way. The only low-cost way *I* know how to do this stuff is through kijiji, auctions and garage sales – and I don’t have the patience for garage sales and kijiji. The showhome auctions work for me because they’re generally up to date styles, not someone getting rid of their circa 1980′s junk. Plus they’re just fun in general.
I guess the difference between us is that it doesn’t bother me to have my house be bare bones, but if it is important to you, then maybe that’s what your christmas piggy money could go to?
My dining room has a framed poster of the creature from the black lagoon movie and my mantle accessories are currently a set of wallace and gromit figurines.
During Xmas my mantle looks nice, but the rest of the year, I hardly decorate. There is a whole army of people who love that stuff. Do you have a realtor yet? Maybe you can have a few come through the house and give you some staging tips as a way to prep.
MSM is right on. I usually go to furniture catalogs for ideas.
sandyl@firstgenamerican.com recently posted..Returning Cabbages
LOL, I have Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Caribbean in my basement and Brad Pitt looking hot in Troy…
They’re supposed to motivate me to exercise or something.
No, I don’t have a realtor, but will line one up in the spring. I took a course recently with a lady that’s an interior designer and we might swap services – she can’t afford me otherwise and I’m too cheap to pay for her otherwise, so it all works.
I can’t really comment, since I outsource my interior decor to Mrs. 101. To me, that sideboard thing just needs more books.
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But it’s in the dining room. Are books supposed to go in the dining room too? Considering it’s the one room in the house that I don’t read in, I guess not. You’re lucky to not have to do this stuff Andrew, I sometimes wish I had a Mrs. 101.
Our library used to be the dining room. Now it’s four comfortable easy chairs, a coffee table, bookcases, and the bar. Whenever we have company over for dinner, we just cram everyone at the kitchen table for the serious feeding. Later on, we retire to the library for drinks and dessert. The chairs are ideal for comatose lounging.
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Andrew, I’ve got a pretty small area in my kitchen that only holds 3 for eating but my dining room table is a good size (seats 8 anyway). I have a completely empty living room (like TOTALLY empty) that’s quite large that adjoins the dining room and that’s next on the list for decorating after I get this office / library taken care of. But the library that we use for sitting in is only about 150 s.f., it’s very nice and cozy but we only have 2 chairs in there, a coffee table and a desk that I’ll probably get rid of (don’t need it anymore thanks to laptops) – and lots of books.
My basement is huge so when people are over, that’s where we end up. I’m hopeful that once the house sells (whatever decade that will happen), I can get rid of my old basement furniture (which the dog did a number on) and will only have a smaller basement and upstairs living room to deal with so I’m kind of keeping in mind that I’ve got to do something that will fit for wherever we are in the future (please – make it a smaller space).
Decorating is hard. My house is still hardly decorated.
Michelle recently posted..Sunday Confessions
You’ve got that right Michelle – unless there’s some kind of natural ability there. Which I clearly don’t have.
All you need is a couch and two chairs. Coffee table or substitute. Then arrange as per “Use what you have decorating” by Lauri Ward.
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FS, I generally agree, but then it kind of looks like minimalist dorm-style. I have that book as well, it’s a good one!