325: How to Know What You Like with Myquillyn Smith
Apr 23, 2024
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New York Times bestselling author Myquillyn Smith, aka The Nester, shares insights on how to decorate for every home. She discusses the power of mantras in decision-making, navigating life choices, uncovering timeless style preferences, and the release of her new decorating book. Embracing the evolution of home decoration is encouraged.
Implement mantras 'do what you know, use what you have, and finish what you started' for decorating guidance.
Identify personal style by recognizing timeless classics and avoiding pressure from labeling unique styles.
Deep dives
Start with Familiarity: Three Powerful Mantras
The podcast shares three key mantras: do what you know, use what you have, and finish what you started. These mantras, initially helpful in business, were later applied to home decor. Encouragement and inspiration arise by implementing these accessible directives, fostering a starting point and progress.
Decision Fatigue at Home: Understanding the Challenges
Decision fatigue at home can be frustrating due to the less dire consequences of decor choices compared to life-threatening decisions. Feelings of shame, overwhelm, and frustration stem from the complexity of home-related decisions. While decorating is fulfilling, it involves using real money and facing consequences like disliking purchased items, contributing to decision fatigue.
Discovering Personal Style: Find Your Timeless Classics
Help in identifying personal style comes from recognizing timeless classics, irrespective of having a unique style label. Magazines often perpetuate the misconception that a unique style name is necessary before making progress. Observing enduring pieces in one's home, regardless of trends, aids in defining personal style, fostering a deeper connection to cherished items.
Practical Guidance in Decorating: Rule 'When in Doubt, Carry It Out'
Amid overwhelming decor decisions, the rule 'When in Doubt, Carry It Out' simplifies choices by focusing on existing, successful choices in the home. Applying familiar design elements or features observed in the house can guide decisions confidently. Replicating effective decorating choices in new decisions streamlines the process and maintains consistency in style.
I'm so glad to welcome New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author, Myquillyn Smith. You may know her best as The Nester and I know her best as my big sister. The good news for all of us, is that Myquillyn has a brand-new book available on this very day.
It's called House Rules: How to Decorate for Every Home, Style and Budget. She's never met a house she didn't love, and today, she's here to help us learn how to do the same. If you struggle knowing where to start or feel overwhelmed with the number of decisions you believe stand between you and the room that you love, I hope you'll listen in.