Adding some color to my living room has seriously made me so happy. But to be honest, I didn’t know I needed more color until I started adding it. 

In the beginning of 2021, I watched a lot of home decor YouTube videos where they talked about the decor trends for 2021. One thing everyone mentioned was saying buh-bye to minimalism and welcoming maximalism. If you are unfamiliar with minimalism, it’s the idea of less is more. Maximalism is just the opposite. I slowly started welcoming a more maximalist approach to my decor style, but in a way that didn’t feel rushed. I wanted it all to be purposeful. I wouldn’t say maximalism equals clutter, either. To me, it feels homey more than anything. And that’s exactly what I want for my home. I just want to be in my space and feel content. 

The only issue with that is I have lived in my house for more than two years and I am seriously wondering if people ever feel settled in their homes, or always feeling unsettled is just a me thing. It feels as though I’m constantly changing things around. Putting decor up, taking it down. Buying second hand item, re-donating them again. It sort of hit me that the reason I didn’t feel like sticking to my decor items is because I bought a lot of it on a whim. When I first moved in, because this was my first home, I just purchased things without really thinking about them.

So about March 2021 when I really started thinking about redesigning my spaces to make them exactly what I wanted and not how I thought they needed to look, I focused on things that made me happy. I wanted people to walk in to my house and know exactly who I am. I wanted my space to reflect me. Bright, fun, cheery, snarky. I jotted down movies, television shows, quotes, and music I like. I looked for patterns I liked. I really started thinking about the colors I want to look at all the time. And I think what I cam up with really, really makes me excited. 

Here are the four main things I did to spruce up my space:

• Purchased digital prints from Etsy
• Purchased a couch cover
• Thrifted unique items 
• DIYed decor

*** Below are affiliate links. All items purchased through these links will earn me a small commission. The money I earn allows me to continue making cool content for you.

Etsy Prints

I didn’t want to buy prints or artwork from big stores. I thought having items from small businesses would make my space feel a little more personal. Buying digital downloads from Etsy is honestly my biggest tip if you are in the mood to redecorate your space. Prints cost around $5 and then I paid for the prints to be printed professionally either through Shutterfly or Kinkos depending on the size I wanted. I picked prints that meant something to me or were something that inspired me. I wanted my space to be filled with powerful women like Michelle Obama, RBG, and Beyonce. I picked some prints that made me happy like the Cafe Lola print from You’ve Got Mail. (It’s the cafe where Joe figures out ShopGirl is Kathleen.) Below are the prints I chose for my space:

Couch Cover

My couch is originally brown and a little boring. Also, I realized that most of the Pinterest living rooms I was saving had a colorful couch. And because I am not made of money, and because I didn’t want to get rid of a perfectly good couch, I couldn’t just buy a colored couch. So I searched for couch covers. I know someone is going to cringe at the thought of a couch cover, but I want to say they have come a long way since the 90s. The one I purchased for about $40 is a dusty pink color is a super soft/velvet-like texture. I absolutely love it. It was the first thing I purchased and it really made a huge difference. I’m linking the cover I purchased. It comes is several colors.

Thrifted Items

When I first moved in, I thrifted items I like, but didn’t love. This time, I told myself I could only purchase items that really spoke to me. They needed to go with the items I had already decided on and even if I liked something, it had to work together. I think before I didn’t have a cohesive plan. I just got things and slapped them together. If you are thrifting, don’t just buy things because they are cheap. Buy them because you can see them in your space.

DIY Decor

I have been a fan of crafting for as long as I can remember. I was always drawing, painting, glueing from such an early age. Sometimes they were flops, but sometimes the really worked out well. In my space, I told myself to take it easy. Craft slowly. Don’t rush just to get a project done. I wanted everything I DIYed to look home-made, but in a good way, not a Pinterest Fail way. I DIYed some candle holders, a few wall hangings, and pillow cases. 

One of the best DIYs I made in my opinion are the pillow cases. Do you know how expensive pillow cases are!? It’s really really bonkers to think about. But that didn’t mean I didn’t really want pillow cases that were super funky and kind of out there. I looked for months to find some I liked, but I really just couldn’t find anything in my price range. One day when I was doing a closet clean out, I stumbled on my favorite dresses of all time. It’s white with a bunch of random animals on it. I never wear it anymore because it’s a tad tight, and also, I would be so mad at myself if I spilled on it. So it sits in the back of my closet. Which is sad because it deserves people’s eyes on it. I decided I want to make it into a pillow case. And then I remembered a friend gave me a shirt to sell on Poshmark that also had an animal on it. So I am making that into a pillow case as well.

Then, I also decided to buy canvas pillow cases and paint on two of them. I can’t even tell you how I came up with the ideas for those two, other than I found the inspiration through Pinterest. One has a living room scene with a person reading on the couch, which just felt super homey to me. The other is a window scene with a bunch of plants on the porch. These pillows make me so so happy. I find myself sitting in my chair opposite of my couch and just staring at them. 

All in all, I don’t think I have ever been so excited about my space before. Because I took the time I needed and wanted, I feel as though it really represents who I am. It inspires me. It makes me smile. I am proud of the work I did and the time I put into it.