Okay, truth telling here… how many of my friends are good with the way your home is now? Seriously good on everyone of you that raised your hand! I am kind of jealous! I LOVE our home, and I have loved it since the moment we moved in- although it looks crazy different now compared to then! And while I love it, I am always looking for ways to love it more, to make it more my style, to make it more the space I want it to be. Today let’s chat about how to create a home you love!

We bought our first home in 1994. It was a beautiful ranch style home decorated to the nines with big floral, country decor. Yes, all of the teal and mauve your eye can imagine- that was our home! I loved the layout and the style of the home, and the decor was just the icing on the cake. In twelve years, I changed very little. Like, almost nothing. Not sure the style truly represented me, but I had no idea how and lacked the confidence to change anything!

It was a beautifully appointed style so I rolled with it. Have you ever done that- moved into a space and adapted to it, versus you bringing your style to your home? I think the older I have gotten, the more specific I have gotten with my style! I know what I like and it is important to me that my home reflects my personal style.

Board and batten is easy to hang and adds vibrant dimension to your space! Click here to see how to create this yourself.

Creating Your Style

Your home is probably one of the biggest financial investments you will make in your life. The average person purchases fewer than 5 homes in their lifetime- can you believe that? With such a big investment, you want to make it yours. 

My style has evolved- and this is completely normal! Changing your taste and style happens as your life experiences change! Floral country decor was all the rage in the 1990s and I was feeling it- I had floral swags hung on the wall, floral centerpieces on every table, and the loudest floral rug you probably have ever seen! Lol! 

After floral mania subsided, I was all about Tuscan style. I channeled my inner-Italian style and filled my home with mustard, brown, and orange decor! Liz from the Tuscan Home Blog was my queen and when she said you can never have too many roosters in the decor in your kitchen, I believed her! I roostered up! LOL!

About six years ago, I grew tired of the dark decor. Tuscan style is beautiful and I know many people love to have this style in their home- and it is gorgeous- but personally, I wanted the feel of our home to be lighter and brighter.

Creating a Home You Love

Lighter and brighter was now on the menu and it did not take long to find a ton of home inspo pics on Pinterest to get even more excited! If you are anything like me, you pin images like crazy! But pinning images and actually having spaces that LOOK LIKE the images are two different things. How do you take pin dreams and turn them into a home you love, you ask? Great question!

First, you need to get out of your own way! Yup- you read that correctly- get out of your own way. Someone created that space you love, someone’s hands created that space you love- so why can’t you?

Hanging shiplap adds so much character and texture to a wall- and it is super inexpensive to do! Click here to read a step by step tutorial on how I created this look!

I am so happy we found each other! Let’s stay connected! Click here to subscribe to Home on Arbor Pointe!

I know what you are thinking- yeah, right. How can I create spaces found in magazines and Pinterest posts? That was my biggest hurdle, too. It is easy to feel intimidated. The more I clicked on the beautiful Pinterest pics, and read the work that when in to making that space beautiful, I learned something. Many of these spaces were created by women- every day, working moms that just want to create a home they love. I saw myself in so many of their stories, a mom and wife and professional who wanted to take her cookie-cutter home and make it special.

Be Brave Enough to Try

So how do you start to create a home you love? Read how to do the things you want to do- and then DO THEM! I know, I know, there is fear- what if I ruin the wall? What if the project is a disaster? Look, you cannot ruin a wall- it is a WALL, nothing more! You cannot ruin it because it can easily be fixed. If your project is a disaster you just do something else with it… something more fitting, something you like MORE. 

When you think about it, it is nearly impossible for a project to ruin anything!

Take the brick archway in the picture below, for example. It felt like such a bold move when I started the project- it entails putting joint compound on the wall, letting it dry, and painting it. While it might be a pain to do, you can sand off the joint compound and make the wall smooth again. So minimal risk- for such a stunning effect! The bricks bring so much texture to the space!

Click here to see a full tutorial!

Create Something to Create a Home You Love

So what project have you longed to do in your home, but just have not been ready to start? With practice, you can conquer anything! I HATED using a circular saw! The strong vibration in my hand, the smell of the sawdust, the pulling of the teeth on the blade- all of it I hated. But getting past it allowed me to make the cuts I needed to get the projects done. I was not about to let something minor like not liking using the saw to stop me from doing what I wanted to do!

I was the girl endlessly pinning images on Pinterest of beautiful homes and projects I would one day do! While shopping on Black Friday 2018, I impulsively purchased a nailing gun and circular saw. I was going to attempt at least one project! Six weeks would pass before I actually took the tools out of the box.

Not one project is perfect- and at multiple points during each one I always question why I started! I have broken boards and gotten nails stuck and had to pull boards off the wall because they were crooked when I used the digital level app incorrectly (twice). But with the completion of each one I have learned new skills, loved the finished product, and increased my confidence!

… and if I can do it, YOU can do it! We can do hard things, my friends!

So now tell us, what project are you ready to take on to create a home you love?