Decorating: Scaling Down Surface Decor
Lately when it comes to decorating, I find myself scaling down surface decor.
I’m wanting to edit my home decor and have fewer things to look at in my home.
I want to limit what I use on each surface to only a few items. And I find myself arranging these pieces asymmetrically instead of centering them.
When you only use a few things to decorate a tabletop, then you tend to appreciate those few items. To give them all your attention instead of your eye moving back and forth to take in everything.
I no longer want to clutter up spaces. That look now makes me feel weary.
Isn’t it interesting how our styles change over the years? I went from wanting to clutter an entire surface, to wanting less and less.
Maybe it has something to do with aging. Or just appreciating that sometimes less is more.
Different Shades Of One Color:
I like a more monochromatic look. Or maybe just different shades of one color. It is somehow calming.
I still like all the different colors of the rainbow. Just less of them in one spot. I appreciate them more when I can zero in closely on the fewer objects and let my eyes rest on them.
Less Is More On Table Surfaces:
On the green buffet in the dining space, I just wanted a few things relating to the serving of meals.
There’s a simple light-colored dough bowl and Granny Smith apples.
Cloth napkins ready to hand out at a meal. Olive stems to accent them.
I found this mustard-colored piece of pottery at Hobby Lobby. It was 66% off or I wouldn’t have purchased it. That brought it down to a little over $13.
That mustard yellow is one of my accent colors. I use this color all over my home.
Greens and browns and that shade of yellow is the color palette I’m leaning more and more toward these days.
In the summertime when it’s hot and humid outside, I just want to close the curtains and live in a darkened world.
Decorating That Feels More Restful:
It isn’t gloomy; it’s more restful somehow. Makes me want to take a deep breath and slowly breathe let it all the way out until my body is relaxed.
What kind of decorating do you find yourself using now? Does it differ from the style you found yourself gravitating toward a decade ago?
I think the older I get, the more I just want to scale down and simplify. Maybe that should be my mantra: Scale down and simplify.
A lot of things can make a room cozy, but I agree with you – lately that just feels like to much stuff. Less feels more peaceful to me. I really need to purge my possessions, but it feels to overwhelming, I hardly know how to get started!
I have been slowly scaling down the last couple of years, but in February we had our carpet pulled up and new floors put down. To do that we basically had to move the entire contents of our house, with the exception of the big furniture, down to our basement and garage. Once the floors were finished and we were able to move everything back upstairs, I was very choosy about what actually came back up and I’m so pleased with the new streamlined look in our home. It’s very soothing and I feel so much more peaceful as I come through the door after a long day. It’s also so much easier to keep clean! This made our garage and basement turn into a big cleaning out project, but I’ve been slowly going through that this summer and should be completed soon. It’s a great feeling to declutter, isn’t it?
My decorating tastes change all the time, too. And I agree, less is definitely more! I find myself getting tired of clutter. I’ll look at a space in my home and think, “there’s too much stuff there” and I remove a few items. It usually ends up looking much better.
The less we have to tend to the better as we age…now if I could get my energy together and tend to it!! The hot, sweltering, sultry time has arrived, later than usual thankfully…but oh my yes, we too are staying in a mostly shuttered insides…to help keep as cool as we can cause the AC seems not able totally tend to it.
Yes, yes and yes! Great post. I agree with you on every point your brought up. What I once wanted and liked in decor is no longer what I need or want. I find I like a more minimal look. I will never be a severe minimalist, but I am enjoying no longer being the caretaker of the wrong details in my home.
Today I actually dusted my small living room…it has needed it so long…it felt good to get it done and as I did it I kept taking things down and simplifying the look…you tire of things after time passes. I am going to keep at it…did some in the great room too…less dusting…more calming…your things look very nice…It was just nice to feel well enough to do something productive…like you I have out in my flowers puttering also…praying for rain tonight or it will all need water tomorrow…blessings to all…your blog means so much💕
Scale down and simplify. I like that.
I love all that you do with decorating, and it is fun to see your changes over the years. I think it is OK for us to change over the years…I have pared down a lot myself. Twenty-five years ago I was going to every craft show and event that I could find. I got a lot of cute things…but most of them I have parted with now. Just outgrew them I guess. I decorate for holidays minimally now, and I am still happy! Been married for 56 years, so my tastes have changed a lot. (except when it comes to husbands…hahaha) Still have the “original”. 🙂
Three weeks ago I moved from my four bedroom home to a two bedroom apartment. It is time for the “crunch”. I have put things in place. Those are my favorites. With most of my things in their new places, I plan to make a huge donation to a charity with the left overs.
When I was packing I discarded so much. I find that less out is better for my decorating style.
I’ll never go back to the 1980s full statement vignettes. I’ve really pared down. For years, I’ve enjoyed a more spare look. Fresher
I would be tempted to get another piece of pottery that relates to the mustard pitcher, remove the herbs and echo the painting of 2 pitchers.
Ive always decorated more in the fall and winter. Probably bc I’ve been busy with everything else to do, so I never made time for it. I worked so much and took care of my kids plus there was always a lot of kids at my house every weekend.
Have a great weekend everyone and stay out of the heat!
I like your new look Brenda. I don’t like a lot of things out – like you, I see and enjoy each item more when it is showcased in an uncluttered, simple way. I like negative space and places for the eye to rest. I do rotate some items in my home that I have a lot of including artwork, vases, decorative objects etc.
I feel this way about jewelry as well; I rarely wear earrings and a necklace at the same time – or more than a few pieces total including rings (watch excluded). As Coco Chanel famously said: “Before you leave the house, look in the mirror and take at least one thing off.”
I agree with you and all the comments. I have been feeling older lately. Yes, it is creeping up on me at 64. I decided to wash all the silk plants and flowers and part with most of them. Less feels better and more calm. Except for my family room, kitchen and sunroom all the surfaces only had one decor item or lamp on them. I sold a resin table and chair set from the sunroom and put 3 other resin chairs in storage in the basement. I am having fun puttering and rearranging the wicker, wood pieces and decor I have. I have always admired stacks of quilts and finally it dawned on me that I didn’t have to have a special cabinet to showcase them. The are in a glass cabinet above my t.v. in the family room! It is the perfect spot to admire them everyday! Everyone have a great weekend!
I scaled down when we moved house about 5 years ago, I let a lot of my decorative things go. I just have enough for my rooms to not look bare but still interesting. I decided I didn’t want to be cleaning and dusting, I wanted to spend that time in my craft area. No the house isn’t as clean as it used to be but it is passable.
In the summer I spend a lot of time in the garden and crafting in the winter. My husband has a heated workshop attached to the garage and I have a craft room which I can leave things as they are and not have to tidy up. I just come out and close the door!
I’ve never liked cleaning , so I prefer things to be simple . Just pictures on my walls, no shelves. Only one that’s a quilt hanger and great grandma’s quilt hangs on it. Of course there’s a few old favorite things on end tables ect . When I moved into my condo about 14 yrs ago I went with function first decor 2nd .
I wonder if it’s the heat that makes us want to shed the extras in life, making room to breathe? And once the crispy cool of fall returns, will we want to cozy up again in a warm little nest feathered with color and collectibles? Remains to be seen! But I like all your tasteful decor in every season! I’m a bit envious that Ivy, unlike my cats, doesn’t make a game of hopping up and swiping your items to the floor!
I like your “less is more” approach to vignettes. I lean more and more in that direction, too. It’s nice for the eye to have places to rest. And, as you pointed out, you can more fully enjoy individual objects.
I’ve scaled down a ton! For some reason, it gives me incredible peace to have less. Not stark by any means, just less. I had my living/family/master bedroom painted a month ago and have yet put anything up. I’ve taken everything I didn’t notice or didn’t like anymore to the local thrift. I’m even at a point that I am so sick of the same decor type. But I fear that I will tire of something else. I’m loving the boho/cottage look, but that requires revamping everything I own. But I feel like it’s more “natural” along with textures and plants. I just love natural, autumn, nature. It gives me peace and tranquility. I find over the years if I had anything trendy, I tired of it quickly. Or… if I bought it THEN it became trendy, I got rid of it. I want interest, but I want peace and in AZ with all the dust, I don’t want to deal with all these intricate dust catchers either. I’ve decided to find a place to “redecorate” and leave the rest, tiring of full closets of stuff. So a mantle, or a shelf spot, etc. instead of the whole house. At 62 and a bad back, I just couldn’t paint and it was such a huge process, that I need to simplify what goes back up. And you know what? I realized what I actually needed in decor rather than buying something, getting it home and walking around with it then putting it in a closet! Without all the “crap”, I could actually see what I loved and noticed it.
I’ve never been very good at decorating however I do have a tendency to follow a less is more attitude. It served as a cop out for me but I liked it. I’ve never cared for a cluttered look only because I don’t know how to mix it all up.
I do like the changes you’re making and definitely understand that it’s more relaxing.
We must do what brings us peace, tranquility and joy. Over the past almost 5 years I’ve learned that I have to do what makes me happy. I apply that to everything I do now.
Have a wonderful day and week end!