Sunday Stewardship: My Top Three Principles for Decorating Your Home

We will tackle Couture Chateau Principles all year

For today, a simple stewardship exercise

Think about your home

Take a few minutes & walk your space – do any of these Principles need attention?

If you can, make small progress in 1 area today

I do this periodically in my own life

Here are my top 3:

1. DECORATE with no more than 7 years in mind

We get bogged down trying to decorate for a lifetime. Even ancient Israel let the land lay fallow in the 7th year. If it was good enough for them, it’s good enough for me!

I learn so much from gardening & farming. We don’t plant forever – fruit trees have life cycles. So too  decorating. Give yourself permission to decorate for the next 7 years of your life. It actually helps us get off the horn & get it done!

2. Remove ANY item that is emotionally unsafe

An Example: Client “X” struggled to remove a 6 figure inherited painting that reminded them of an abusive home. I decorated without it for them & emotional freedom followed

This painting has delightful memories for me. It was originally owned by my Grandparents, then parents. I remember when it went off to Sotheby’s in the 1980’s.  I keep a copy in my own home = delight. My parents bought & sold many things freely. Many people struggle MIGHTILY to let go of highly valuable things that hold bad memories for them. Emotional safety & freedom is critical to great decorating. It simply is. “Summer Pleasures” Edward Henry Potthast (American Artist, 1857-1927)

This can be anything in your home from a book to an antique to a painting to a record or movie

Get rid of it (donate, auction, sell, trash) and live

3. Fiercely protect the HEART of your home

Whatever your custom living situation is, there is something about your space that makes it tick

Make sure that tick – I call it the “heart” of your home – is good

This takes some thought. WHO controls that tick or heart in your living situation. Is it you?

My husband and I joke about this constantly. I am not by nature a “picker” but I do keep this proverb close at hand.  I am well aware that as a Designer by trade  I probably wield more influence over the tick or heart of my home than others. If my heart is good…then it is pleasant for those around me 🙂

If it is you who controls the heart (tick) of the home, make sure you decorate in conjunction with how you tick – what your heart is telling you

An example: Client “Y” lives without TV

In our vetting process, Client “Y” kept referring to how miserable they were when the TV was on

So we decorated without one. Simple. Done.

Next?

Sometimes we just need permission to decorate within our Principles

Me? I love TV. Sorry, just do. From Downton Abbey all the way to The Middle + Breaking Bad

🙂

The point is, our Couture Chateau Decorating Principles are universal

How we apply them is custom

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We are developing new materials for this Principles process we work through with our Full Service Clients for the blog

For now, may these three Couture Chateau Principles be freedom + blessing to you and yours

“Live a custom life. There is only one you.”™

xo Ann