How to Love your Home when you hate its Guts

There’s no other way to say it; sometimes you look around your home and feel positively peeved off with it. Every inch of it is driving you batty – and if you see one more image of an over-styled family home in your fave interior design mag you just might go postal.

So, your home is grinding your gears. Here’s how to fall in love with it again!

Look at the positives first

Try to look past the clutter or perceived problems and examine what is good about the room; the bones of the space, if you will. Is it a good size? Is there a lot of light coming in from outside? Does the colour actually kinda rock?

Be aware of what is working in the space from an interior design or styling perspective and make a mental – or even literal – note of it.

If you’ve been in your home for years, try to remember what it was that made you first fall in love with it. It’s important to realise that your home should look lived-in.

The pads you see in mags have been styled within an inch of their lives for photo shoots. Very few look that way day-to-day. So before anything else, take a moment to appreciate what you have!

Now for the problems

Make a note of the biggest five issues going on in the room. Are you always banging your leg on the coffee table, for example? This is a layout issue that could be easily fixed.

If you’re always tripping on toys, you may need some more storage in your living room. The space might feel cold because there’s not a light of light in the space and your walls are a cool, blue colour. All of these issues can be fixed, but you need to be aware of them first.

Some basic changes can be easily tackled by you, but a stylist or interior decorator can come in for a small fee and talk you through problems and solutions if you’re stuck on sorting it out on your own.

Avoid Jealousy: Remember that nobody lives in the interior design magazines. Your home is already amazing, you just need to list the issues and get to work fixing them.

It’s time to mood board

The biggest issue people have when it comes to interior design and decorating is not mood boarding their spaces – and hating them as a result.

I used to just buy things randomly that I fell in love with while shopping, with no regard for whether they worked in my space. If you’ve done the same, your style might feel mis-matched with pieces that don’t work together.

Mood board your ideal room and then look at which items you currently own that can work in your dream scheme. It might be a case of having to let go of some pieces that aren’t adding to the look or the function of your room, or moving them to other spaces in your home.

It’s about creating your ideal space – but you need to mood board it first to figure out what it looks like.

Now let’s tackle some solutions

You’ve got your top five issues in the room listed. Decide if they are easy fixes or major ones. The easy fixes are things like storage and layout, or having furniture you just hate the look of. Life is short – buy something new if you can afford it – but use your mood board to make sure the piece will work!

If you feel clutter is taking over your life, a shelf with wicker baskets or decorative boxes can take care of that. Also, never underestimate the power of a good spring clean. I do it in my own home every time I feel bored with a room. I move furniture around, change the art, exchange cushions between rooms and give the place a good tidy.

If the solution is a major one, like moving a wall or replacing carpet, talk the issues out with your other half if need be, and make it a priority and save some cash to get it changed. Your home is your haven; it should be a priority for you to feel amazing in it.

Always remember: nobody lives in the interior design magazines! Your home should look lived-in and it should make you happy. Take some time out to assess what drives you mad about it and then look for some simple solutions to fix the issues. And remember – don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it!

How do you Love your Home Again?

I’d love to know how you go about falling in love with your home when it’s grinding your gears. Drop me a comment below and share!