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Creating a lovely home is an honor.
It is a gift to your family. It is a responsibility.
It’s definitely a process and a joy!
However, does the thought of decorating your home leave you feeling overwhelmed, anxious, or embarrassed? You want a lovely home, but you feel stuck.
Does the thought of having people over for dinner leave you in a panic. Is your perfectionism keeping you from even getting started?
The two biggest enemies of home decorating are…
clutter and indecision.
Many people live with both.
You can stop being afraid when you follow my 7 Steps to a Lovely Home. No matter your budget or style, my process works beautifully.
I’ve decorated homes for over 30 years. I’m a professional home stager. When you follow my system, you will love your home again or for the first time. Your family will thank you. AND your friends will think you hired a decorator!
Here are my 7 Steps for a Lovely Home:
1. Start with a Clean & Tidy House
A tidy house is a happy house. You might want to jump in and begin decorating one space or your entire home right away. However, a better process starts with a home that is clean and tidy. Remove excess clutter. If you aren’t using something, it just creates more work and stress. People are more important than possessions.
Less clutter allows your home to breathe which allows beautiful decor to shine. It makes your whole family feel less stressed.
Remember: More in your home equals a more anxious family. The brain works overtime to process the clutter.
Despite what you may think, your family will be happier with less. Your children will be more calm and sleep better in a bedroom that is neat and tidy with only a small amount of toys and furniture.
You cannot be a hoarder and have a lovely home. A beautiful home is not an abundance of stuff. It’s actually the opposite. The less you own, the more peace you will find.
Having only what you love and what is functional is key. She organizes by keeping only what “sparks joy.” Marie organizes like I decorate, only keep in your home what truly makes you happy. Remember, less is more because less brings more joy and peace!
So start with a tidy house before you do anything else. But wait! I have great news!!
For Step 1, you only need to tidy what you can see. Save the closets, drawers, garage and attic for a cold wintry or rainy day. After you read this post, see my Quick Start Guide for an easy win to help you build momentum and get that first room decorated. You can do this fast! It just takes focus. I’m here to help keep you on track!
The Home Edit
If you need help with organizing your home, one of my favorite resources is The Home Edit. They are located in Nashville and have quite a few celebrity clients. Clea and Joanna are extremely popular organizing divas and their team can do a personal visit or a virtual consultation online. See how The Home Edit Nashville team transformed our pantry! Buy The Home Edit book on Amazon.
Create a Simple Cleaning System
Your lovely home also needs to be clean. It doesn’t have to be spotless, though. Do I dust every week? No. It’s my least favorite chore. However, you do need a daily, weekly and monthly cleaning routine.
My favorite cleaning expert is Melissa Maker. Remember, the less you have, the easier it is to clean your house.
Watch Melissa’s awesome Clean My Space videos.
Lighten Your Laundry Load
Let’s face it, the volume we have to do on a weekly basis can feel overwhelming. If you don’t learn to master it, laundry will master you.
When you minimize your wardrobe, like Marie teaches, to only keep what “sparks joy,” it decreases the amount of clothes you have to choose from and organize. I like to take it one step further, and pretend I’m a French woman.
The loveliest of French women create a capsule of basics in neutral colors that make it easy to mix and match. Then they add pops of color using a pretty top, scarf, handbag or lipstick.
Minimize your family’s wardrobe so you have more time to enjoy them instead of their things. Don’t let mountains of excess clothes exhaust your life.
2. Design, Then Decorate
After your home is clean and tidy, you can design it for function. Everything doesn’t have to be perfect. It just needs to be organized enough to open the space for planning the design. Whether your home is a blank slate or filled with furnishings, it’s important to begin with the design before you decorate. Plan your rooms, then decorate.
You can lay out each room’s design on a simple piece of paper. Draw out only major pieces: furniture, rugs, and electronics, even if you haven’t purchased them. There’s no need to show everything. Include where windows, walls, and doors are located.
3. Joyful Decorating!
Once your room is planned out, the REAL FUN BEGINS! Decorating!! I decorate like Marie Kondo tidies up. She teaches to only keep what “sparks joy”. I say it this way: “Only decorate with pieces that you truly love and that bring happiness.” That doesn’t mean expensive.
Decorating is all about layering and it’s a process. It can happen over a weekend for the super zealous, or it can take a series of weeks or months as you curate the perfect pieces. I also like to decorate the way French women dress: start with neutrals and add color through less expensive accessories.
First, establish your style. Are you traditional or modern, French country or farmhouse? So many choices will need to be made on paint color, furniture, lighting, curtains, rugs, pillows, wall art, frames, decor accessories, storage, flowers, and plants.
If you need help finding your style, I recommend pouring over magazines or Pinterest, saving images you love. Many people find inspiration for their home decor style by matching their wardrobe style.
Is your fashion sense all glamour? Add some glam to your home. Do you dress more conservatively? Then maybe a more traditional home is for you. If you love color, make a bold statement with the use of color in your decor. Your home should be a reflection of your total sense of style.
It begins with finding the best stores for furniture and home decor. Here are my very favorites:
Ashley HomeStore
My first choice for furniture is Ashley HomeStore. I am blessed to represent the Ashley brand because I love so many Ashley pieces from living room, and bedroom, to dining room and home office furniture.
In addition, I love their accent chairs, coffee tables, bookcases, lamps rugs, mirrors, bedding, and home decor. You can find me at the Ashley HomeStore location at 100 Oaks in Nashville. We can ship to over 100 major markets across the USA.
Ashley is the largest furniture retailer in America. They are also the largest manufacturer of furniture in the world! With lots of price points and no interest payment options, you can find something for your budget.
In addition, they sell Tempur Pedic, America’s most highly recommended mattress. Investing in a proper mattress is essential since a good night’s sleep affects both your health and energy level.
Ashley gives back to the local community through their Hope to Dream foundation. For every mattress sold, they use some of the proceeds to purchase a bed for children who do not have a bed.
See my 7 Reasons to Start Shopping at Ashley!
New Beginnings Furniture
Every time I go to this local used furniture store, I find 10 new pieces I wish I had room for in my home. New Beginnings Furniture is located in Hendersonville, Tenn., just north of Nashville. The best part is you can get any of their one-of-a-kind pieces using uShip!
Owners Andy & Vivian specialize in finding unique, used pieces of furniture and painting them. They use Blackberry House Paint – THE best furniture paint! Their color Warm Milk is the perfect creamy white.
Hobby Lobby
My go-to store for all home decor accessories is Hobby Lobby. This place is so much more than arts and crafts. I love their company philosophy. Also, they are based in Oklahoma where my dad lives. But what I really love are their great deals on high-quality home decor!
Every week there is a new set of merchandise that is 50% off! If an item is not on sale. My top favorites are their floral stems, vases and containers, picture frames, wall art, Christmas ornaments, and more! I could go on and on.
Kirkland’s
My love for Kirkland’s started back in college when I would visit their store at the McCain Mall in North Little Rock. Their stores smell amazing when you first enter. They understand the importance of making a great first impression and you are always met with the latest on-trend decor.
The other reason I love Kirklands so much is that their corporate office in Brentwood, Tenn. is literally 20 minutes from my home! Their flagship store in Cool Springs is white and bright. It’s designed for easy, breezy shopping. My Kirkland’s favs are their wall mirrors that look like windows and this French Country cream distressed mirror in our bathroom.
Chic Artique
Located in the downtown antique district of Goodlettsville, Tennessee, Chic Artique is my favorite local Nashville home decor shop. The moment you step foot inside owner Jenna Rummel’s store, you are overwhelmed with so much beauty, your eyes can hardly take it all in! I get loads of compliments on our “Highfaluting” Plate Rack in creamy distressed white.
Jenna mixes cottage-style in her handmade furniture and home accessories store with a touch of farmhouse and French country. She offers one-of-a-kind furniture including charming farm tables and handmade headboards, complete with dimmer-controlled reading lights and USB ports.
Lowe’s
The best store for all things home improvement by far is Lowe’s. What I love about their stores is their layout. It doesn’t look like a hardware store from the 1950’s. Lowe’s looks like a combination of a design center and a retail department store.
From lighting and rugs to paint and appliances, Lowe’s has everything under one roof. You can also order online and have products shipped to your home.
Facebook Marketplace
I also recommend Facebook Marketplace for budget-friendly used furniture and accessories. I’ve purchased so many amazing pieces from Facebook Marketplace—from ornate gold frames to vintage furniture—both for myself and for clients. My favorite was this French blue tufted chair I now treasure.
Facebook is one of the safest places to sell your used items because you can check out the potential buyer’s Facebook profile. Just set your distance radius, and happy searching!
If you are feeling overwhelmed in the least, take a pause and begin with My Quick Start Guide first.
4. Scents & Sounds
What makes a lovely home is not only the beautiful decor, but also that it plays to your senses. If you don’t consider the smells and sounds, your home is flat or 2-dimensional. Make your home 3-D by adding these scents and sounds to your decorating mix. When people enter your home, the smell is the first thing they notice. Make it lovely!
J’aime les Fleurs
Flowers are kisses from God. Adding fresh flowers to your home is always a lovely choice. They don’t have to be expensive. I like to choose flowers from my favorite grocery store Publix. I prefer getting one type of flower likes roses also with eucalyptus. Cut the stems shorter and put them in a beautiful vase. Easy and elegant!
Amber Vale Home
I love all things local — and this local Franklin candle company is sensational. Amber Vale Home makes hand-poured soy candles using all-natural soy wax. Their eco-friendly candles have a pleasant scent and a long burn time.
You see, when you have scents called Franklin and another called Tennessee Backroads, we take notice. The scents are out-of-this-world wonderful, and they really make your home smell like everything cozy and lovely just like our beloved state of Tennessee.
Essential Oils
Essential oils offer many health benefits because they trigger certain positive responses in the brain. Some scents tell your nervous system to relax, others help you focus, sleep or feel more energized. You will need a diffuser to release the essential oil into the air. This is my favorite diffuser by Williams Sonoma. It’s beautiful and designed well.
Amazon’s Echo Plus (aka Alexa)
Filling your home with beautiful music is another secret to a lovely home. Finding the balance of noise and quiet is important. Yes, there is a time for silence, for work, study, prayer, meditation and sleep.
There is also time for TV and home movies too. But let’s not have the television playing in the background all day. I confess I have done this. It stirs an anxiety within you. It’s not good for the children either.
To quote one of my favorite singers, James Ingram, “How Do You Keep the Music Playing?” My current favorite way is using Amazon Echo Plus. We love the Sandstone color.
Good music is good for the soul of the home. My favorite playlist is the Most Relaxing Classical Music in the Universe as it is perfect for every day. For parties, I love Ina Garten’s Love Songs.
This hands-free device will stream your music playlists and songs with ease with its 360° audio. With premium Dolby speakers, you can choose from Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, Pandora, SiriusXM and more.
5. Family Meal Time
Eating is not only a necessity, but something we enjoy that brings the family together. Isn’t that what home is all about? Sharing our day. Sharing memories. Sharing laughter.
Some of our best memories of home are the tastes and smells of our favorite foods. However, planning meals and cooking is not every mom’s favorite task.
Many years ago, I was a Pampered Chef Director and got the opportunity to meet its founder, Doris Christopher. Her book, Come to the Table, teaches how gathering together for a meal can help strengthen your family.
I enjoy cooking, but I don’t always have a lot of time. On weekends, I love to whip up French toast, blueberry pancakes or make it a “Family Affair” and a teaching opportunity. Our teenage son Baron is an amazing chef, and prepares many of our dinners.
Meal planning doesn’t have to be a drudgery. You don’t have to be a great cook or prepare everything from scratch. You can find a variety of well-balanced meals at any grocery store. Our favorite grocery store is Publix because of their quality and customer-friendly shopping experience. You can even order online and let InstaCart deliver right to your door.
Food is food. It’s more important to find time with the family than worrying about the process. On busy days, fast food is fine, too. Our favorites are Chick-fil-A, Chipotle and whole pizza pies from Whole Foods (their goat cheese pizza with mushrooms and spinach is amazing!).
6. Hospitality & Gift Giving
A lovely home is also a generous home. Showing hospitality is an honor and a privilege. We have opened our home to hundreds of people for parties and gatherings. If you love to cook, dinner parties are great. But asking everyone to bring a dish is totally appropriate and super fun.
You can even order cakes online! This Williams Sonoma Pink Rose Chocolate Layer Cake is as delicious as it is pretty on our dining room buffet. We also love supporting local bakeries like Triple Crown Bakery in Franklin, TN.
One thing we began doing years ago for parties is that before our guests leave our home, we gather in our foyer and take a photo or a selfie together with each guest or family. It’s the perfect way to remember the occasion and better than signing a guest book. Read my 7 Tips Ina Garten Taught Me About Throwing a Fabulous Dinner Party.
Speaking of photos. My all-time favorite gift for weddings and special occasions is printing a photo of the couple or person and putting it in a beautiful frame. Shop my favorite Hobby Lobby frame.
Every lovely home needs a gift wrapping closet, cabinet, or drawer. Fill it with pretty wrapping paper, gift bags, tissue, ribbon, scissors and tape. Be generous and kind. Be a giver!
7. Love, Laughter & Livability
To paraphrase scripture (1 Corinthians 13), if you have all the above, but don’t have LOVE, then it’s all for naught. A lovely home starts and ends with LOVE. Love for your family. That’s why you put all this effort into making it so special. It also includes a LOVE for the Creator of all things beautiful and lovely.
In addition to LOVE, you need LAUGHTER. Your home should not be so serious and so stuffy that those who enter and live there cannot relax and have fun. Home is a place of comfort and respite from the world. Your family should have a longing to be there.
One of our family’s favorite things to do is to play a hilarious game of Apples to Apples. We also love to watch movies, sports, and of course HGTV.
Our most favorite pastime is playing with our cat Duchess. Every lovely home benefits from having a furry friend. If you don’t want an indoor pet, simply set out some black sunflower seeds and enjoy the birds.
Finally, your home must be LIVABLE! Our home is not a magazine cover. It is much more than shelter. Our home is the foundation of where our family and legacy is built. Like our Ancestry Gallery Wall of Photos.
Let’s Review!
- Start with a Clean & Tidy House – It’s easier to clean a home that’s only filled with things you truly love.
- Design, Then Decorate – A pencil, paper & Pinterest will do.
- Joyful Decorating! – Follow my step-by-step guides to decorate every room along with my favorite sources. I am here to help you! You CAN & MUST do this for your family.
- Scents & Sounds – When you activate all 5 senses positively, your home will bring delight to everyone who enters.
- Family Meal Time – Connection with our families is the reason we all desire to have a lovely home. Make mealtime simple and a family affair.
- Hospitality & Gift Giving – These are essential joys to teach your children about selflessness and servanthood.
- Love, Laughter & Livability – Make your home comfortable, and a place your family will remember with joyful thoughts.
Focus on the lovely!
“Whatever… …is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things.”
– Philippians 4:8
May your home be filled with all things beautiful and lovely, especially the people you love most.
I’m here for YOU!
Much love & joy,
Get my Decorating Guides:
How to Set a Lovely Table in 7 Joyful Steps
How to Hang an Ancestry Gallery Wall
7 Tips Ina Garten Taught Me About Throwing a Fabulous Dinner Party