Sometimes it is knowing what you don't want...

Today is my Dad's birthday.... I think of all the advice my Dad has given me over the years and the one piece that stands out the most (and yes I know I have said it before- I tend to repeat things...) when I was in college and was floundering my way through trying to figure out a major (having decided my second declaration of business was a snooze fest) and turned to my Dad for advice. He told me that in life it isn't always about knowing what you want, sometimes it is knowing what you don't want. This piece of advice has helped me at so many points in my life but I find it particularly helpful in design.

So often people don't know what they want for their homes, but there is always something they don't want. If you are stuck and feeling uninspired start ruling things out that you really don't like.


Or try this exercise- go buy yourself a big old stack of home design magazines- and yes buy them- don't just scan the internet. I do a lot of paperless things but I just can't let go of my design magazines- I have a love affair going with those glossy beautiful pages! All homes look better printed on glossy paper! Now take my advice here- don't save them all- I just went through 6 years of design magazines that I had stacked up (yes- hoarder alert!) pull out any page that speaks to you- it doesn't matter if you don't know why- pull it out. Get through them and then take the stack of magazines to recycling and then start looking at what you pulled out and I bet you will start to see a pattern. Either a color, a pattern or a style will start to show itself and all of the sudden you have yourself a starting point of knowing something you like!
Now if you are a big dreamer like me you should also stock up on some chic desk supplies too- I have binder after binder of pages that I love...I did say I recently tore through 6 years worth of magazines. now it may sound excessive to have an entire 2 inch thick binder full of living rooms I love but you wouldn't believe how often it comes in handy.
plus it gives me a great excuse to buy fun supplies like these from See Jane Work and Amy Butler...





and if you can't get to it and your pile starts to grow out of control just remember that it can always serve double duty...



Happy Birthday Daddy and thanks for the great advice! xoxo


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad