My favorite form of procrastination is looking up apartment listings in cities where I don’t live. When I can’t sleep, I imagine my life in other places. I picture myself drinking coffee on a balcony in Paris, or walking my dog after I get back from my morning yoga in DC, or getting drunk with my friends in seedy Baltimore bars.
Whenever I travel to another city, I get all hung up on the idea of moving to that place.
It’s not that I’m miserable where I am. Jackson is lovely, friendly, and ridiculously inexpensive. I have friends here who I cherish and I’m building a life with a man I’m super into. I’m not desperate to get out. I’ve just always been this way. I’ve always been reluctant to call any place “home,” but I’m able to feel at home pretty much anywhere. It's a blessing and a curse.
Maybe this prolonged sense of disquiet explains my habit of constantly rearranging and redecorating my house. If I can keep making my house look and feel different, I won’t feel such a powerful itch to get out. I also work from home, so I spend a lot of time staring at these walls and decorations. It’s important to me to switch it up so I don't get too stir-crazy.
The only thing that changes more than my taste in home decor is my taste in clothes. I’ll go weeks where I only wear black, and then after that I’ll go a few weeks where I only wear colorful sundresses, and then after that I’ll go a few weeks where I only wear my boyfriend’s clothes, and so on. In general, I’m a person who gets bored way too easily. Also, I'm in my early 20s and according to all the self-help books I've read, this a time in my life where my personality changes a lot.
It's cool! It's exciting! It's stressful and terrifying! Best years of my life!
Lately, I’ve been trying to keep my personal style as minimal as possible. Think black and white, clean lines, and almost no makeup. It’s satisfying, especially since it’s too hot to put a lot of effort into my clothes these days, but it’s making me HATE the way my house is decorated. Suddenly, the walls seem cluttered if there’s more than one piece of art hung. My surfaces seem covered in junk I don’t need. I hate all my furniture because it’s colorful. I’m dreaming of living in a big, empty loft with white walls. It's not going to happen anytime soon, but I've doing a lot of dreaming and Pinteresting.
Do other people switch up their personal and home décor styles as much as I do? I got to thinking about how to decorate your house according to your personal style. Stores like Anthropologie and Modcloth that sell both apparel and home goods have the appeal of promising an entire lifestyle to their fans. What if every store sold the whole lifestyle? (Also, did you guys know Zara sells home goods? I just found out.)
I’ve come up with some home good wish lists to match up with all the personal style phases I’ve gone through, in case any of y’all are also in the mood to revamp your entire life/closet/house/personality. (JK about the personality. You're perfect.)
Quirky Colorful Cat Lady
Personally, I'm not much for kitsch anymore. I ha,ve bangs and a record player so I've got my quirky girl game on lock already. I can appreciate humorous, cutesy touches in a home though. Adorable animal-themed décor, fifties-inspired touches, and a colorful, bubbly aura are easy to achieve in both home and wardrobe.
Wallpaper has come a long way since I watched my mom painstakingly apply it (and then, even more painstakingly, remove it) as a kid. This Pineapple print wallpaper from Rifle Paper Co. is super adorable, and would make for an excellent accent wall. Or you could do a whole room in it. You can literally do whatever you want. (As long as you're not a renter, I guess.) Lots of sweet touches, like this cat clock from Modcloth, can bring a lot of personality into a home. A heart shaped cutting board is obviously appropriate for serving fine cheeses, because everyone hearts cheese. This "Good Vibes Only" banner from Etsy will keep you and your guests riding the happiness waves, while this cute bike candle from R. Nichols will keep your house filled with the happiest of scents -- orange blossoms and spring flowers, and according to their website, "pure sunshine."
Whimsical Wannabe World Traveler
My boyfriend kind of scoffs at the idea of home decorating. It’s not because he likes his home as plain as possible, but rather, he was lucky enough to grow up in a family that traveled the country and the world often. They picked up bits and pieces from their travels, as well as collecting artwork from family and friends, and slowly but surely these pieces became his home surroundings. Ideally, my home would be filled with trinkets from my own world travels but I’m a broke 24 year-old and the closest I’ve ever come to “backpacking” was a high school field trip to Genesee Valley.
Oh well. I can always decorate my home with pieces that remind me of places I’ve never been. (OR I guess I could not buy them and save money to actually visit those places.)
Every globetrotter's home needs, well, a globe. This one from Restoration Hardware is great, but I see them at yard sales and thrift shops all the time as well. This Hula girl lamp from CB2 will help quell your desires to jet off to Hawaii (maybe) while this Union Jack paperweight will have you daydreaming about foggy London days. You could spell out your name (or a variety of words) with these map-printed letters from Urban Outfitters. This vintage style poster for the Italian Fiat 500 promises, "You can do more of what makes you happy" and that sounds awesome.
Outdoorsy Nature Lover
It’s a bazillion degrees here but I still love to play outside. I’m always ready to go swimming, hiking, or cycling. Nature is rad, right? All my favorite foods come from the ground but I have the worst backyard for growing a garden and my front yard is a parking lot. However, I can always bring aspects of nature indoors for an outdoorsy vibe in my home, and you can too!
I think just the sight of a good hammock can put me in a better mood, and an indoor hammock is very cool. This hammock chair from Terrain would look awesome indoors or out. You can fool yourself into thinking you're a magical woodland fairy with this forest tapestry from Urban Outfitters. Continue that woodsy theme with this tree trunk stool from Zara Home. Some Agate bookends can bring super pretty color into your bookshelves, while this garden veggies dishtowel will help remind you to get those daily servings of fruits and vegetables.
Minimal, Black & White Chic
I doubt I’ll ever be able to achieve this simplistic look I dream of. I’m too all over the place. I love the idea of a house that’s mostly black and white, with some pops of color. Maybe one day. Until then, here’s some products I’m swooning over.
This gray rug from Zara Home is simple and minimal, but soft enough to keep your home from looking too harsh. White gauze curtains will allow plenty of light in, while this Ikea desk lamp will help you focus in the evenings. Some minimal pipe shelves would look great holding all your very serious books on art and culture, right? Or even holding your trashy romance novels. This black and white poster from Etsy quotes Oscar Wilde -- "Be yourself; Everyone else is already taken." Good point, poster.
Have you gotten the itch to redecorate your house yet? I'm still just itching to move away, but this is helping me feel better right now. Tell me about your home and personal style aesthetics, and your favorite city you've ever lived in. I've got some daydreaming to do.
