Everyone knows how they want their home to feel. Words like welcoming, inviting, and homey usually come to mind. The hard part is actually making your space evoke those feelings when you have no idea where to start. Here are three things I always keep in mind when designing a space, for myself or others, that always results in a home to love.

TIMING ISN'T EVERYTHING

“I can’t decorate my apartment because I only plan on being here for the next year or two” or “I don’t own a house yet so I can’t buy furniture, accessories, etc.” Concerns about time are the one of the biggest I hear from potential clients, friends, family, literally everyone. Please hear me when i say this—Just because you’re not currently living in your dream home, doesn’t mean you can’t create a space that you love!

I’ve lived in 6 apartments over the last 3 years and have decorated each one. Adding personal touches to all of my apartments has really made feel like I’m at home in my space, and not just a temporary guest always waiting to move on to the next place. Having a space that I feel good about each day is worth so much more to me than the time I spend patching holes and repainting walls to their original color when my lease is up.

And I’ll let you in on another little secret, it really doesn’t take much to change a space.

Take my living room for example. That entire transformation took a couple weekends of work and came out to be under $2000. And when it’s time for me to move, I will have only “lost” about $25 (paint) and a couple hours of my time. That’s a very small investment for an entire year of happiness.

KEEP YOUR LIFESTYLE IN MIND

You’ve probably seen those homes all over Instagram lately with the stark white white walls and clean marble counter tops. Or the minimalist apartments with open floor plans and not a bit of clutter in sight. And yes, those trends are super popular right now, but don’t just jump on the bandwagon and buy the first knockoff RH cloud sofa you see.

Anytime you make design decisions for your home, from the layout of the furniture to the things you buy, you should consider how you live in the space. Do you have kids? Pets? Are you committed to keeping an entire 2-3 room area clean everyday? As amazing as those all-white interiors or open-concept floor plans, they may not the best design choice for you….right now. You can always switch things up later (and I totally recommend sprucing up your space every now and then), but you’ll feel so much more at ease if your home fits your current lifestyle. Think about who will be using the space, how you’ll use it, and what your lifestyle habits are. You may find that something you think you wanted, may not be the best option after all.

FIND YOUR OWN DESIGN STYLE

It’s really easy to get wrapped up in what’s trendy or feel boxed in when it comes to finding your design style. For example, a lot of people think that they have to stick with certain types of furniture or specific color palettes based on the definition of their design style. They get so focused on what they think a nicely decorated home should look like, and forget all about their own taste and what makes them happy. The best advice I can give to avoid this is to let go of the idea of choosing a singular design style and begin by looking at the elements of each style.

Start by writing down words that help you describe the feeling of your style. For my style, my words are: clean, open, bright, smooth, minimal, and cozy.

Thinking about your style in descriptive words that represent how the space looks and feels can help you pinpoint where those elements are represented in design. Modern styles have clean lines, coastal styles use cool tones to represent the beach, industrial styles use exposed details to create an urban feel. Once you can pick up on the specific elements that you like in each style, create your own! If you find you like a mix of styles, use their labels to create a name that represents your personal style. I describe my style as Simplistic Modern with an Industrial Vibe. Here are a couple examples of apartments I looove.

TL;DR—PUT YOURSELF FIRST

Overall, the main thing to keep in mind is that you’re designing your home for YOU, not anyone else. Don’t try to keep up with the Joneses or buy things just to “wow” your friends and family. At the end of the day, you have to live in the space, so if it doesn’t “wow” you, you probably won’t be happy in the long run.

So I challenge you to take a walk through your house, apartment, wherever you live and really think about the space. Does it represent you? Do you like it? What works and what could be improved? Afterwards, use these tips to help you create a home you’re excited to come home to everyday. And if you’re feeling stuck, I’m only one consultation call away :)