This is Day 2 of the series “31 Ways to Make Home Uniquely You.” If you missed Day 1, you can find it referenced here. Also, our $159 kitchen makeover is entered in a contest for a grand prize — if you’d like to support it, please look for the voting page. Now… on to today’s post!
Years ago I attended a home decor workshop led by Jane Lockhart from the television program Colour Confidential. The evening was exactly what I hoped for: full of practical tips, lively conversation, and a great deal of inspiration. I left feeling energized and determined to make changes at home.
Jane opened the workshop with a playful personality exercise that revealed how our characters often shape our decorating habits. She asked a few quick questions, then described different decorating personalities and how each one tends to approach decisions about color, furniture, and finishes. I didn’t take many notes that night, and I never did find the few scribbles I made, but two of the personality types stuck with me — and I can still see how they played out in my own life.
First, there’s The Indecisive Decorator:
- She spends endless hours comparing paints, fabrics, and finishes, always worrying about making the wrong choice.
- Fear of a poor decision freezes her into inaction; she avoids committing to any significant change.
- As a result, her home often stays the same for years, even when she feels dissatisfied with the way things look.
Then, there’s The Impulsive Decorator:
- She’s full of energy and ideas, constantly starting new projects.
- While painting the bathroom, she spots an inspiration for the kitchen and abandons the bathroom mid-job to begin the new project.
- Enthusiasm for the next big idea frequently leaves rooms half finished and projects stacked around the house.
What made those two types memorable for me was how clearly they described the trap I kept falling into. I would swing between paralysis by analysis and spur-of-the-moment action. I’d spend weeks researching and second-guessing, then snap into an impulsive decision that sometimes didn’t work out. When an impulsive change disappointed me, I’d retreat back into indecision. It was a frustrating loop.
{Our kitchen when we moved in…}
For a long time our kitchen went through phases as I oscillated between those two extremes. At one point it was painted a bold Dill Pickle Green — a decision I made with a burst of enthusiasm that later left me uncertain. I knew I wanted to enjoy my home and feel comfortable in these spaces, but I needed a way to combine thoughtful planning with the ability to act.
{The kitchen in its Dill Pickle Green stage…}
After that workshop I made a conscious effort to change how I approached projects. I learned to slow down just enough to make clear choices, and then to commit to follow-through. That shift didn’t mean losing my creative energy — it meant directing it. Instead of allowing indecision to stall me or impulse to scatter my efforts, I started setting small, deliberate goals: pick one paint color after a short period of comparison, finish one room before moving to the next, or test a bold change in a limited area first.
Those simple guidelines helped me tame the cycle. I still enjoy sudden sparks of inspiration, but now I channel them with a short plan. I allow myself a reasonable window for comparison — enough to avoid buyer’s regret, but not so long that nothing ever changes. Then I commit and complete the project, learning from each result and refining my taste as I go.
{The kitchen now… and I finally love it.}
If you recognize yourself in either of those decorating personalities — or in the back-and-forth between them — know that a balance is possible. Small changes in how you make decisions and how you act on inspiration can make decorating feel less overwhelming and more rewarding. Prioritize a clear path: identify what matters most to you, limit the time you’ll spend comparing options, and focus on finishing one project at a time so you can enjoy the results.
{Come back tomorrow to hear how one particular day and one specific approach changed my decorating life forever. 
Source: livingchannel.co.nz via Rita on Pinterest
