E, oh E, what could E be??? Quite honestly, I didn't have to think about E too long because it is something I do often.... And you should too.
Editing is an important part of your home decor process because our tastes and styles are always evolving.
Think back to when you first decorated your own space. It could have been your first apartment, a dorm room in college, or the first home you and your spouse put together. Is your style the same? Do you still draw joy from things you did at that time in your life? Most likely, the answer is no. Sure, when it comes to the foundation and core of who you are, you may be similar. But the little things change. You may have added family members, a new career, discovered new passions, or cultivated new interests. While some things remain, many things have changed. As a result, your surroundings, the things that bring you comfort, should change as well.
I remember being at a friend's home in college and seeing a picture of her as a baby in the same home..... with all of the decor EXACTLY the same. Her parents had a gorgeous home, but the accessories were very dated. You know what? You could feel it. The home didn't wrap you up like a welcoming hug. It was merely a place that time raced circles around. Don't let this happen to your home.
- Glance around the room and anything you spot that you do not love, get rid of it.
- Rearrange vignettes to make them more appealing to you.
- Occasionally rearrange furniture to improve the flow of the room.
- Change out throw pillow covers.
- Change out the accent color of a room.
All of these things are easy and inexpensive.
Lastly, I'm going to share pictures of our living room over the last several years to give you a sense of the editing I do in my own home. I hope this helps spur you into editing your own space!
1. Troy, Illinois
This was the second home we had this furniture in. Unfortunately, our first home was prior to digital cameras. :) We obviously loved red at this point. The accent colors for our living spaces were red, sage green and a very neutral tan color.
2. Grand Forks, North Dakota
As you can see, we still have the same major pieces: Leather sofa, chair and ottoman; black armoire and side tables. When we moved to GF, we kept sage green as an accent color and added robin's egg blue. We changed the curtains and pillows as well as a few accents. We kept a touch of red for a while, but slowly transitioned it out. It was our second year in North Dakota I bought our zebra accent pillows and rug. It was a needed change away from my comfort zone.
3. Newport, Rhode Island
This was a bit of a different situation for us as we were only there ten months. The house we rented was a colonial reproduction and window treatments felt wrong, so we left it as it was. I don't really have any good photos of our living room either, but it stayed the same.
4. Simmozheim, Baden-Wurttemberg
We still have the same main pieces. The accent color is still a robin's egg blue, but it appears the sage green and red have been completely edited out. Creams and tans are starting to make more of an appearance at this point.
5. Patch Barracks, Germany
When we first moved on base in Germany, we kept the robin's egg blue curtains and pillows. One day, I'd had it with the blues. I made a trip to IKEA and bought flax curtains, white lace sheers and all white pillow covers. Sadly, I cannot find a picture of the change, but it's basically what our living area looks like now.
6. Current living area
This makes me sigh with relief. Whites, neutrals.... they make me calm. I kind of feel like I've found my niche and I don't expect to change again anytime soon. (though I am constantly editing the accents!) Who knows? That is the entire point of editing after all!!
