Hello friends!
Today I have a thought-provoking post and video to share: Why you don’t want a “Pinterest Perfect” home.
First, let’s define what a “Pinterest perfect” home is. It is the pictures you see on Pinterest, Instagram, home improvement shows, and home decor books and magazines. This home, while incredibly beautiful, isn’t real. The angle shown is from the perspective of an observer, generally from a doorway. The lighting has been significantly supplemented, furniture rearranged for the most appealing shots, and the “perfect” accessories placed about as props. These photographs can make you feel discontent, or inadequate since your home doesn’t look like this. However, you are not an observer; you live in your home. These photographs, while, lovely, are not real life.
Sources for images will be noted below the images.
Now that we’ve defined what a “Pinterest perfect” home is, let me balance that thought by saying Pinterest is a fabulous resource that I have, and will continue to use and recommend. Pinterest is a tool, not a goal.
Source: isuwannee.com
Source: isuwannee.com
My wonderfully homey (dated) kitchen!
- Real: An imperfect home is a real home.
- In a real home (yours and mine) it’s not perfectly staged. There may be boots on the floor, dishes in the sink, homework strewn across the island, or a sewing project taking up the dining table.
- In a real home there are home improvement projects to do. These “imperfections” or projects may include replacing a 1960’s mauve bathroom, removing popcorn ceilings, or addressing peeling wallpaper, or dated cabinets. Our imperfections will look different. For us, the dated, orange-y oak cabinets make for a darker space that I prefer. This makes filming in the kitchen and dining room a challenge. What you never see behind the scenes are all the lights blazing away to get the best shots when I’m filming for you. It’s blindingly bright, and hot. Even so, when it’s time to edit, the footage is dark, grainy, and yellow which requires extra editing to brighten and balance the color. That’s OK, I love my kitchen and enjoy dreaming of the day when it’s painted brighter, lighter colors. The cabinets are well built, the scalloped trim around the top is cottage-y, the area around the window is one of my favorite spots in the house. Decorating this kitchen brings me delight. Do your best with what you have and where you are ~ but embrace imperfection. It will always be a part of your home – that is real. Your perspective isn’t one of an observer where everything is perfectly staged and updated, you and your family live in your home.
If not a “Pinterest/Instagram perfect” home, then what? A wonderfully imperfect home. The one you live in! An imperfect home is:
“Imperfection will always be a part of your home ~ that is real.”
Source: nadinestay.com
2. Living: An imperfect home is a living home.
- A living home is always changing. You and I are living beings, we change constantly. From year to year we learn new things and adapt to new seasons in life. A living home should reflect the season of life you and your family are in. You may be single and in your first home or married with young children. You may be caring for an elderly loved one, or newly retired and eager to display your life’s collections. Different seasons of life require different things and a living home will adapt to meet them. Practically, this means there will always be projects and a to do list. A living home well adapted to the changing needs of you and your family will naturally be comfortable and inviting.
- A living home has to be reset, to suit where you are now. This means you cannot just “do” a room and leave it. It will get stale and begin to look unused. Keeping your home fresh, clean, and suited to your needs is an art and a privilege. There is a purpose and a place for things. This suitability gives the feeling that you can use your home, it’s serving your needs, and that is comfortable. There is something incredibly inviting about a home that is well suited to meeting the needs of those living there.
Source: oldhouseonline.com
3. Loved: Where is your heart for your home? It may be overwhelmed, discouraged, or at a loss for where to begin. No worries!
- Begin by doing something you love to do in your home: bake a loaf of bread, make cookies, sew curtains, or throw pillows, organize a cabinet, light a candle, play music. An imperfect home is a loved home. We all have real homes, and sometimes those realities (imperfections) are all we see. Care given to a home builds appreciation. Remember to focus on what drew you to our home in the first place. Take some time to touch up paint, rearrange furniture, plant cheery flowers. These are simple, doable things which cause us to adore our homes ~ and they have a ripple effect!
Source: missmustardseed.com
- Take it a step further and create cozy spaces, and comfort areas. Once you’ve begun by doing what you love in your home, I’m sure you’d like to see lasting changes ripple through your home. May I suggest you begin and end each day in orderly, beautiful peace? This is a targeted approach that takes a little more thought and effort. If you begin and end each day in orderly peace you work from a position of strength ~ and can get even more done! So where do you begin your day? What spaces greet you first thing in the morning? For me, this space is my closet and tiny master bathroom. First, I tackled the closet and brought it from a horrible mess (that would make anyone grouchy), to one of function and beauty through the capsule wardrobe method. Next, if any of you have seen our bathroom remodel series, you know how we redid the bathroom to suit our needs and tastes. Starting and ending you days in peace and order will give you the ability to move to other areas in your home to do the same thing there!
CLOSET BEFORE & AFTER
BATHROOM BEFORE & AFTER
4. Fun: An imperfect home is a fun home!
- Because your home is imperfect it’s as if you have permission to experiment. I love this part! Since I enjoy art, and there are many blank walls in our home, I can play around with the art we’ve gathered from thrift and antique stores. Swapping pieces around gives a different feeling in a space and helps to further define my style. Plus, I’m able to study the scale of the pieces compared to the size and shape of the wall. When you shop second-hand you find pieces that are so much more interesting.
- Limitations in home sizes and budget is a blessing. Limitations force creativity. A tiny bedroom may have the most charming nook bed, a small budget may result in the most fabulous vintage window treatments from vintage linens discovered secondhand. It may have been a limited budget that revealed the hidden potential in creating your own home goods, or shopping secondhand.
Source Left: thegoodluckduck.com
Source Right: thisisglamorous.com
Conclusion: Remember that we all start somewhere, and we are at different points along the way. Someone else may be praying/wishing for what you have right now, others may be just ahead of you. When our hearts are full of gratitude for the blessings we have; our lives are full of joy. Remember, house and things don’t really matter ~ home is the people.
Source: studio-mcgee.com
“This journey is unique in that there is no time limit, no competition, and you are the one who decides where the finish line is. You are the one who determines what home feels like for you and your family. This is not dictated by trends, standards set by designers, or by glossy magazine or on blogs, Instagram, or Pinterest, but by you.”
~ Marian Parsons aka Miss Mustard Seed ~
Thank you for stopping by today. I hope you found this post and video helpful wherever you may be in loving your real, living, imperfect, fun home! Until next time, take care,
Warmly,
Rachel
Rachel, Im new to your channel. I love watching you. Ive learned alot.
I love tea parties as well. Your home is lovely. My home is styled Cottage Core.
I adore Thrifting. And antique furniture.
Most of my decor and all antiques are thrifted. So as you say…my house has revolved over time. My passion is home devote.
Sincerely,
Lisa Davis
Welcome, Miss Lisa to the channel and here, to our blog.
We are glad to have you along and grateful to hear a part of your home decor story! It makes me happy to know you are learning more about what you love. Thank you for visiting today!
Warmly,
Rachel
Hello Rachel,
Loved this. I think I like my home
even more now with all of my “me” things. No more worries about my touch & style. Thank you for this enlightening video.