This story was originally published in The Crossroads Chronicle on April 19, 2017.
Cashiers resident Kati Miller’s eclectic tastes are reflected in how she has decorated her living room. Photo by Gary Woeltjen.
Thanks to big box stores, home décor can become streamlined and commercial. Things that people actually like have taken a backseat to popular décor trends.
Personality can often get lost in all the hustle and bustle of home decorating, but adding one’s hobbies or interests into the home can make the home more inviting.
To make home improvement more personal, homeowners can choose a favorite color and use it to accent a room. Pillows, curtains, knick knacks, and artwork can all pick up that color.
One could also add memorabilia around the room. Photos and other memories go well on a wall or a side table.
Do it yourself projects always make a good story. Local antique stores or yard sales are home to plenty of well-loved furniture and other décor that could use some TLC.
Collections can make both great décor as well as fantastic conversation pieces. Coffee mugs, figurines, books, baseball cards and more can add personality to a room and make the owner more comfortable in their surroundings.
“Don’t worry about having something quirky or weird in your house,” said Kati Miller, Real Estate Agent, and Cashiers resident.
In her home, Miller used a wide range of quirky décor to embellish rooms. She stuck with neutral colors on the walls and then added in her favorite colors such as royal blue and orange as accent colors. Different styles of furniture all blend together to create an interesting mix of the old and new. To top it all off, she adds in the weird with a colorful cow painting on her fireplace mantel.
“Just pick what you like and go with it,” said Miller.
While colors and accents around the home are fun, it’s important to remember that a home is somewhere to live. Furniture should be comfortable as well as stylish. Homeowners shouldn’t be afraid to choose function over fashion.
“You have to balance your needs and your wants,” said Anna Jestin, Interior Designer at The Designer’s Market LLC in Cashiers. “Consider whether
Kateri madden, left, and Anna Jestin of The Designers Market look at fabric samples this month in their Cashiers Store. Photo by Rachel Plouse.
what you want is practical or not and go from there.”
If a guest room seems impractical, one could turn it into a home office, playroom, or even a gym. The deck can be screened in to highlight the outdoors without the bugs. The possibilities are endless.
According to Jestin, there is such a thing as too much personalization when it comes to decorating. A rooms purpose should be taken into consideration when decorating. An office where one would have clients should show more professionalism than personalization, but a living room is perfect for décor experimentation.
It’s always important for one to remember that a house is not a home unless they can see themselves living there.
