Good design doesn’t need to be perfect. In fact, it probably shouldn’t be! Here are some low effort ways to elevate your space.
One of my top all time favourite TV scenes of all time is on Schitts Creek when you see Ted’s apartment for the first time. Ted explains that he bought an entire showroom and it is a hysterical representation of how different people view good design. I am firmly in the camp that there is such a thing as too perfect and that you need to mess things up a little.
Company is coming, take off the slipcovers!
I was born in 1990, a little late for the plastic slipcover trend, but right on time for grey everything and pillows chopped within an inch of their lives. We shouldn’t judge Ted for wanting to live on the page of a Sear’s catalogue, but I think most of us would agree that spaces like this fall a little flat. You want your guests to be comfortable, and arguably you also want to be comfortable.
Low Effort Ways to elevate your space
And low cost. Or no cost.
Light Decorative Candles
Even if it’s only for 20 seconds, light the candle. The devil is in the details and burning your wick is a teeny tiny little reminder that people live in your home. Dusty old, yet clearly unused candles are a teeny tiny little reminder that you might be looking at a department store display. Unburned candles are in the same category as decorative soaps from the 90’s. To me unlit candles have an uncanny valley energy.
Cost: negligible
Effort: finding a lighter
Cool it on the Fake Plants
I’m not saying never, but don’t overdo it. Grab some scissors and forage some foliage to give your home a little bit more life. Fake florals have come a long way, but nature is hard to replicate. Fake fall florals are easier to pull off but anything green is a tough achievement. Fake succulents scream college dorm television set.
Cost: time spent foraging
Effort: variable
Break some rules
Can you believe mixing metals used to be considered a faux pas? Every single piece does not need to be part of your colour scheme. Blue and green CAN be seen! You don’t have to match everything. You shouldn’t match everything.
Cost: less than whatever you would spend matching everything
Effort: also less than whatever you would exert matching everything
Old and New
This one is a little bit more effort, but when you’re shopping for your home don’t feel like everything has to be brand spanking new. Save yourself some money and mix it up a bit. The bonus is that you’re definitely going to be able to afford better quality items when you’re not afraid to thrift. Nothing elevates a space like pieces with a little history, a little well earned patina.
Cost: Definitely less than buying everything new
Effort: Higher than sitting on your couch and ordering everything to your door, but worth it.
Something Weird
Because you like it. I don’t think it’s necessary to have something weird for the sake of being weird, but I do think it is necessary to have things that you enjoy. This means enjoying your pieces without worrying about the opinions of other people.
Cost: less mental burden but comes with higher enjoyment of life
Effort: this depends on you as a person, sorry
Use the Good Stuff
Don’t save for a hypothetical future day that never comes. Like I said: light the candle! Use the good plates!
Cost: less than buying nice things that you never use as well as crappy things that you do use
Effort: lower than dusting display china
Trust Your Gut
Your eye will usually tell you when something doesn’t look right, sometimes before you even register what that thing is. At the end of the day the way a space feels matters more than how a space looks.
Cost: being more comfortable
Effort: a wee bit of introspection
Please tell me if there are any design choices that give you uncanny valley or bad vibes!
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