A More Sustainable — And Fun! — Way to Decorate Your Home

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Treasure hunting at a thrift shop in Panama City Beach, FL is one of life’s little delights that I really enjoy. I miss walking through the doors of the thrift store thinking: I don’t know what I’m going to find today, but I know it will be something good!

Decorating your home by reinventing furniture and home décor items other people no longer want or need is a more sustainable way of living. And, I would argue, it’s also more fun. The challenge is designing a look that perfectly reflects your personal style — and simply feels good whenever you walk through your door.

Getting started is easy. Just choose home décor items that appeal to you. You can design a room around a favorite color or a beloved collection or even just a really comfy chair. 

Remember: What other people think of your design choices doesn’t matter. YOU are the one who lives here! If it looks good — and feels good — to you, it’s perfect.

Choosing vintage furniture is another great way to design a more sustainable home. Vintage furniture is usually sturdy, well made and functional. And it costs less than buying new.

If you have children (or amazing nieces and nephews!), you probably have one-of-a-kind artwork. Decorate your home with it! It will make them proud to see their work on display in your home. And it always makes me happy knowing this art was created especially for me with love.

Next, I perused my bookshelf and found two books with turquoise covers that matched the lamp.

Finally, I topped off the books with a flower arrangement. I’m not good at keeping plants alive so this was perfect for me. Hydrangeas are one of my favorite flowers. I didn’t have an exact spot in mind when I purchased the flowers. I just liked them because they didn’t look too “fake” and they reminded me of summer. They appealed to me, so I bought them. When I got home, I found the perfect spot.

It reminded me of Christmas ornaments and the colors matched my rug so I bought it. I also found a tall vase to stick it in. Now I have an inexpensive and unique little objet d’art tucked into this corner thanks to somebody who donated it to the thrift store instead of tossing it into a landfill.

Will it appeal to everyone? Nope.

But that’s OK. Everyone doesn’t live here. I do! And I like it.

I hope this post encourages you to follow your instincts and choose home décor items simply because they appeal to you. You don’t need to justify it with a good reason why you like it. You just need to like it.

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