If you’re a blog subscriber you probably know that I’ve been a little MIA lately. It’s been forever since I’ve written a blog post but if you read my last post How To Write That Book you may have guessed that I’m working on one. I’m more than halfway through the first draft. About 45,000 words towards my 70,000 word goal. I think we can agree that’s a lot of words!

But I digress. This post is about interior design and with that being said, you might also know that I moved last year and I’ve been working on designing our new home too. Now that I’m more than halfway done with that task too, I thought I’d take a quick break from the book and share some of what I learned with you.

Here’s a quick breakdown of the 4 Easy Ways to Begin Designing Your Home.

1. Think about your fave design aesthetic. What style do you like: coastal, traditional, mid-century, modern, eclectic, or a combo of two? In our house my husband likes traditional and I lean a little more modern, so I think of my style as eclectic or a modern meets traditional mix. With that being said, yes it’s perfectly fine to mix it up. And really there are no rules. Well technically there are but interior design is very much like fashion/style. It might be important to know the rules, but only so you can break them. My position is that it’s great to have a starting point but you don’t have to stay there. 

2. Beyond aesthetics, think about how you want your home to feel. In my opinion, this is the most important thing to consider. My daughter’s home has a very clean minimal aesthetic that immediately puts you at ease. A person doing work at their house recently told her husband that he felt at peace there. What a wonderful compliment! My home is meant to convey warmth and joy. The kind of place where you can exhale and feel a little joy when you walk through the door. I often hear-“this feels like home” or “I could live here!” And that’s exactly what I want! My grandparents had a beautifully decorated home, but as a kid I remember it feeling luxurious but a bit like a museum. They were big collectors of things kids couldn’t touch or sit comfortably on. I’ve learned to appreciate that elegant hands off look, but I still remember the way it made me feel. How do you want others to feel about your home and more importantly how do YOU want to feel while living there?

3. Find a focal point and decorate around it. For a lot of people this is the largest item in the room (i.e. a couch or large bed frame) but for me, the art leads the way. Our custom-built velvet blue West Elm couch in our family room was meant to be kid (grandkid) and pet friendly. But believe it or not the room wasn’t built around it. We have a huge abstract painting above the fireplace and television that is the focal point of the room, and everything was designed around that (unfortunately you can’t see it in the photos as we have high ceilings in that room). Art is the focal point in almost every room except my office, which has a Biggie Smalls framed poster that just adds a little fun. In my office the real art is actually a chair. It’s a Sheila Bridges design from The Inside in a black and white Harlem Toile (inspired by French Toile) which is a beautiful juxtaposition of the beauty of and the stereotypes of the black American experience. I love it and the room is built around that one piece. Pick a focal point and build. I love art but whatever it is that speaks to you, use that. This brings me to my next point.

4. Don’t be afraid to add what you love. Your home should be a reflection of you. Don’t go cookie cutter with the matching set from the furniture store. Mix it up, or if you do buy a complete set add a few elements that speak to who you are. Pops of color or prints on things like throw blankets, pillows, vases, or interesting artworks are easy ways to make your house a home. And speaking of color I love to add a little green. Plants are also an easy way to make a house look homey.

Those are my main tips for designing a home. Lots of other little things spring to mind but I’ll save them for another day. I’m the meantime, be sure to share any tips that you might have. I love hearing from you too!

Until the next post,

Xo Tonya Parker

*All photos of my home were taken by Coastal Exposure

P.S here’s a video if you want to see more (click here)