I Spent 10 Days Restyling My Home. Here’s What Happened.

Lately, I’ve been feeling bored with my house. Things have been feeling a little bit stale and uninteresting. I don’t have a ton of big projects left to do, and the ones I have left are out of the budget, or too hard to do with the kids home for summer. I wanted to make some changes around the house but I didn’t really have the time, energy, or resources to make it happen.

Does that sound familiar?!

I spent weeks (literal weeks!) brainstorming what I could do to make things feel a little better. Finally, I landed on a really simple solution: I would spend 10 days restyling various places around my house using what I already had. The theory was that I wasn’t bored with the style of my home (though, for a minute there I was worried!), I was just bored with how things were set up. I needed the house to feel a little more alive. So I set some ground rules and got to work.

Here Were My Rules for Restyling My Home

• I couldn’t spend any money.
• I had to choose 10 small areas in the main living area of our home.
• I had to change something in the space. I wasn’t allowed to say “I just like it like this” and leave it. Something had to be added or taken away.
• I have to live with the new styling for at least two weeks before I change anything back.

It felt simple and attainable, and I had nothing to lose. Worst case, I hated it all and moved it back. Best case? I would finally shake off the feeling of frustration with my home and fall in love again!

And, spoiler alert? This definitely leaned more towards the “best case” scenario!

The Spaces I Restyled

I started off by making a list of spaces to tackle. Of course, the list will look different for everyone depending on your home, but here was my list:

• The kitchen island
• The kitchen counters
• Plant shelf in the dining room
• Dining room table
• Coffee table
• Living room side table
• Living room open shelving
• The mantel
• The bar cabinet in our living room
• Couch cushions

Lessons Learned From Restyling My Home

So, what happened when I really honed in on restyling around my home? Well, a few things. Let’s talk about a few of the lessons I learned, what I wish I had done differently, and if I’d do it again.

Lesson One: You’ve Got To Clear the Surface!

This is something that’s really important if you truly want to make a space feel different. Sometimes I was tempted to kind of leave things as they were and just move them around. And every time I did that, I really struggled to actually change anything! There’s something about it that just makes my brain go “well, that thing works there so it should stay”.

The only way to really and truly shake things up is to fully clear off the surface. Sometimes that’s easier than others (the living room shelves are a beast to empty!), but I found it to be worth it.

Lesson Two: Sometimes, It Isn’t Broken.

Of course, on the flip side of that, I also learned that some things tend to stay the same because they just work. My kitchen counters are something I’ve spent hours upon hours styling and restyling over the years, and I really like where I’ve landed with them. So, no matter how much I tried to change things up, I just didn’t like anything better than what I already had!

I did end up changing a few things (gotta follow the rules!), but for the most part things stayed very close to how they were. And that’s okay!

Lesson Three: Make a List While You Work

Something I didn’t do but really wish I would have is to make a list of things I want for my home. For example, I’d be working on a particular area and think to myself, “man, I wish I had a small vase I could put here,” or “this area would be better with a pop of color”. I wish that in the moment I would have taken the time to jot those thoughts down on a note in my phone so I can reference it when I’m shopping in the future! Sometimes I’m just browsing Target and I’ll be in the mood to buy something, but I won’t because I’m afraid to buy something I won’t use. If I had a list, I could buy with confidence knowing I’ve already got a spot at home waiting!

Lesson Four: A New Spot Makes a Huge Difference

I was truly a little bit blown away by how big of a difference it made to just move something to a new spot in my home. Things that I’ve been staring at for years suddenly took on an entirely new life when I simply placed them somewhere different!

I know it sounds a little silly, but there’s power in just moving things around in your home without feeling like you need to buy anything. I was able to really look at the things I have and find new appreciation for them. And, a vase that didn’t do much for me sitting on a shelf might suddenly look stunning when I place it on the mantel!

Lesson Five: This Works

Similarly, I think it should be noted that this little experiment worked so well for me. Did I fall absolutely in love with every single space that I restyled? Definitely not. But just the act of doing it made my home feel fresh, alive, and interesting again. It got me thinking about things I want to change. And, I did fall absolutely in love with a few of the spaces that I restyled!

This was such a good way for me to take inventory of some of the decor pieces, vases, pillowcases, etc. that I have tucked away in cabinets and closets. It also encouraged me to take a long, hard look at the things I have out in my home to determine if I really love it. I ended up donating a few things over the course of the week, and things are feeling full of so much potential.

So, Would I Recommend Restyling Your Home?!

Absolutely and unequivocally, yes!

If you’re struggling a little with feeling like your home is uninteresting, or maybe if you’re even questioning if you like your own style, this experiment is for you. You can, of course, set your own rules and choose your own spaces to restyle. You don’t have to do it exactly like I did! But, taking the time to really intentionally shake things up can be a really great way to get yourself feeling good about things again. I think a lot of us tend to place things in one spot in our home and just never move them again! But, that can really lead to things feeling flat and bland. Taking the time to clear things off and start over every once in a while can really make a huge difference.

I think I’m going to make an effort to do this once or twice a year going forward. I really already do it a bit after the Christmas season as I re-set our house back to normal, so I think doing another round in the summer like this is perfect!

If you want to see each individual space that I styled, click here to see them all on Instagram!