After the excitement of the holidays is over, we will be beginning a new year of hopes, dreams and resolutions. Here are five simple decorating resolutions to help you transform your home into what you have always dreamed.

Resolution #1 – Make a Decorating Plan. This year think about the decorating projects you would like to accomplish and put them down on paper. Remember to be realistic and consider your budget and time. Write out each step you need to do, how long it will take, how much it will cost, when you plan on starting and when you want to finish. Then do not shop without your plan. Just like when we grocery shop without a list, we over buy, over spend and sometimes forget the items we need.

Resolution #2 – Don’t Just Fill a Space Because It Is Empty. Just because a room is empty doesn’t mean you have to run out and buy furniture to fill it. Wait until you find that perfect piece you love and it is within your budget. Don’t buy any piece of art for the wall unless it is something you will enjoy looking at every time you walk by. You will be lying to yourself if you say that it is only temporary until you find something better. I have found that the temporary time frame turns into years.

Resolution #3 – Don’t Design With The Latest Trends. Just as in clothing, what is in today will be out tomorrow. Clients always ask me what is in. It is good to stay up on the trends because it may just be that you love the color purple. In the past you could never find accessories in purple, but now you are noticing them everywhere. Well, if purple is “in,” you might want to take stock, because I can guarantee that it will be “out” again. The best way to decorate with trends is by incorporating them into your accessories and not your major purchases.

Resolution #4 – Decorate Your Home With What You Love. Don’t let friends, family or the decorating industry force you into anything that is just not you. You will be living in your home not the sales person, your sister or your girlfriend. Just because they happen to love country with ruffles, bunnies and bows doesn’t mean you have to live with it too. As a designer, I can decorate with any theme or color scheme but it doesn’t mean that is how I would decorate my home. We can all enjoy and appreciate all kinds of themes and colors, but we must love what we live with day in and day out.

Resolution #5 – REDESIGN WITH WHAT YOU ALREADY OWN. Work with what you already have in your home to make it as comfortable and attractive as you can, until you have the time and money to buy new. Very few people have the time or money to just completely redo their home. It is more the norm to make purchases room-by-room or piece-by-piece. By using what you have to the best advantage, it allows you to enjoy your home and then plan your purchases. You are less likely to impulse buy and overspend.

During this holiday season, I wish you all a very Happy, Healthy, Safe and Prosperous Holiday and New Year. Happy Decorating!

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