...On the Bright Side: Timeless redecorating ideas to feel "at home."
- Jo-Anne Penn
- Apr 25
- 3 min read
Updated: 5 days ago
The depersonalized, clutter-free “Millennial Gray fix and flip” or the ubiquitous, soulless “light and airy hotel/spa-like” fever dream approach to our homes is, at last, fully giving way to cozier, more colorful and curated spaces filled with personality and character. And, IMHO, it’s about damn time!
Cottagecore, Granny Glam, Maximalist, Vintage Vogue, Contemporary Color Drenching, and WhimsiGoth are among the terms being used (or that I made up) to describe what is really just a return to allowing creativity and personal style to guide our design decisions instead of making short-term, transactional choices based on some speculative resale value or on transient trends spoon-fed to us according to corporate profit margins.
Why the shift?
The housing markets have changed and will continue to change. Here in the Danbury/Brookfield CT (and larger Fairfield County) area current economic uncertainty plays a large part in deciding to stay put longer in our homes. And the grays and lifeless, generic décor we picked to play it safe won’t do for us now because if we’re hunkering in for the duration, our internal “tolerance sponge” for enduring surroundings that are not reflective of who we are and how we want to live will get fully saturated pretty quickly. This can impact our mood, motivations, and general sense of well-being. And we are NOT having it.
So what can we expect going forward?
Less is More.
Over the next few years, generally speaking, there will be less large scale remodeling and more redecorating; less disposable/fast fashion décor and more repurposing or curating of higher quality, meaningful, or heirloom items. And less call for “open concept cookie cutter” in favor of more creative space planning to carve out functional areas and cozy nooks - with more walls (and trims) for furnishings and art.
While almost anything goes when making a space your own, the fundamentals of form, function, scale, texture, lighting, layers, and the editing of your ideas and treasured collections still apply. These provide basic guidelines to be played with (and sometimes purposefully ignored). The point is to ask yourself how you want to feel in your space. Usually that answer will conjure up timeless adjectives and images like warm, inviting, comfortable, luxurious, glamorous, easy, organized, and above all, a place of refuge where you feel free to express your authentic self! Make color and styling choices accordingly, and please don’t get hung up thinking you’ve got to fully commit to a particularly named style/trend – mix and match to create your own, unique vibe.
TL;DR Every inspired splash of color or object de art chosen deliberately, or any charming curiosity procured with a backstory to share with friends/family helps make any house a home that reflects YOU. It also affirms the message to yourself that the welcoming phrase “make yourself at home” applies to you first.
AWW can help you find or refine your style, repurpose what you have, and help you create spaces that inspire and reflect how you actually “live, laugh, love” instead of putting up those dang signs as reminders to do so.
(Some images of timeless redecorating ideas to feel "at home" are mine. Most are from around the web for illustration purposes only, including from @vintageshowpony, a Danbury, CT design icon made up of powerful sparkles and contagious joy)
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