Unless your style is super minimal, you can’t DIY everything in your home. I prefer to DIY the statement pieces in my home…the pieces that give my home personality. Then, I tend to buy to fill out the room and style the space.
I have few great examples of my “buy to fill and style” concept.
First, when I decorated the top of my armoire in my dining room I started with a favorite family photo canvas. To add a little extra personality, I DIYed the jute wrapped monogram. Then to fill out the space and get it completely styled I bought a few select accessories. The larger vases were a gift from my MIL. The small blue vases were a clearance buy from Target years ago. Having three of any item is great for styling. The bamboo bowl is from Target and was purchased for this space. Love the interest it adds. (Side note: I like to move decor around my house all the time. I “shop” my house first. The big vases here are now on the family room mantel. The small blue vases are styling out the desk in the guest room).
Second, my family room built ins are definitely filled out with buys. I love having my DIY mercury glass hurricanes up there, but to complete the space I purchased the rest of the items. These built ins evolved for a while until I shopped and collected enough pieces I loved to “complete” the look. They have been static for many months now and I have no plans to change them anytime soon. Since I stuck to only buying things I love, I ended up with a display I love.
Lastly, this cute little red nightstand in the guest room. I bought the little red cabinet on sale at Target. Then, other than the DIY gold leaf stars, I shopped my home for previously purchased accessories to style the nightstand.
My tips for “buying to fill and style”:
- Shop your home first – I try to buy accessories that would work anywhere in my home. When I need to style a new space, I look for accessories around my home that I could use.
- If you buy, only buy what you love. And, keep bullet number 1 in mind…buy pieces that can later be used somewhere else in your house.
- Shop around. Shop outlets, thrift stores, consignment shops, clearance aisles, discount retailers. Shop around to save money, and shop around to get a collected look.
- Before going shopping, write a wish list for you styling needs and stick to your list to control spending.
Styling my home has been challenging for me. I am concerned about cluttering the space, but have so many items I love to have around me. It’s a dilemma. I love those mercury glass mushrooms!