For interior design to be successful, it needs to not only look beautiful and be functional, but it also needs to feel intentional. So how do we achieve this? We have to take our time!
It truly is one of the most difficult things to do—especially with social media. We see reveal after reveal, and our senses are constantly bombarded by what we see. But rushing the process won’t get us there—trust me on this one!
So, what does it mean to design with intention?
1. Take your time in selecting furniture and finishes.
Furniture and finishes are big investments. Don’t rush to purchase items just to have them. It’s the worst feeling five months later to wish you had chosen something else.
My husband hates me for this. At our previous house, we actually sat at a folding table for dinner for an entire year! A year is extreme—this was during COVID when there were supply chain issues—but I refused to buy something just because it was in stock. It’s a big piece of furniture that you spend a lot of time around—it needed to feel right!
2. Assess what you need from the space and ensure its functioning for the way you live—not how you think you should live or how you think a space should function.
This is probably the most important point to remember. Don’t rush to design a room before you’ve truly lived in the space. After a few months, you might find that a room needs to serve multiple functions for you. Live in the space, establish your routines, and then design. There’s nothing worse than living in a space that doesn’t work for you.
3. Select pieces that inspire you, pieces you truly love.
You’ll get more joy from one object you love than from ten objects you bought just to say, “I’m finished styling this space.”
This one is especially important to me. I don’t like clutter. Perhaps when you’ve seen photos of my home, you’ve wondered, “Where is all their stuff?”. We don’t have much because I only buy and keep things I truly love. If something no longer serves me, I donate it. I want my home to be filled only with pieces that have a purpose and bring me happiness, whether it’s in the moment or from a memory. This mentality for me makes each item in my space intentional.
Closing
While these three things may seem simplistic, maybe even obvious, I think we all struggle with them in one way or another.
I crave a finished space—probably because we’ve been moving every two years for the last ten years (thanks, NYC real estate), but also because I love a beautifully designed room. I’m extremely visual. I have to force myself to take my time—this way, we only buy things once, and every corner of the room makes my heart sing.
What’s your biggest struggle—1, 2, or 3?
