Commentary by Krista Bocko
I’ve never thought of myself as a picky person – that equates to high-maintenance, which I definitely am not. But when it comes to how my house looks and functions, yes, actually I am. And that’s OK. I want my house work hard for my family and be a beautiful place to spend time. Our lives are always changing, and our home should be, too.
Many people are frustrated with their home’s décor and furniture, but they don’t know exactly why or how to fix it. If you have a room in your house that you don’t like – maybe it’s an awkward furniture layout or a room that just seems to fall flat – I would first look critically at every piece in the room and ask yourself, “Do I really like this?” Also, “How does the piece relate to everything else around it?”
Many rooms suffer from what I call “matchy-matchy” syndrome, and when you grow tired of the look you pretty much hate the entire room. If that’s the case, consider a cosmetic change, or that it may be time to break up and find something more “you.”
There’s no rule that says you can’t remove/change matching set pieces that just don’t do it for you, because here’s the thing: Your home should be a carefully curated and thoughtful space created with things that you love. I consider myself an editor in my own house. I edit out what I don’t want and add in what I do want. I’m always changing, and sometimes pieces I previously liked just don’t work for me or my family anymore. Out they go to make space for pieces that I need to come into my life.
By “matchy-matchy,” I don’t mean a pair of matching armchairs or lamps or a set of dining room chairs. I mean entire rooms of matching furniture. What makes a space interesting and alive is the look of being collected over time and with intention, and it takes patience to find the right pieces. I’d love to know, what spaces in your home are bugging you, and how can you edit them?
