Its not really a motto, but I tell clients never to buy something just to fill a space or something because it "goes." Better to do without and wait for the right thing, --it will come along. Buy something because it has personal resonance, not because it matches the color scheme.

"My house, My way!"
My family and I have to live here day in and day out. While I like for it to look pretty and uncluttered to others, my main concern is that it's warm, comfortable, inviting and practical for us . . . decorating rules and trends be damned. So, that's my own personal decorating motto that I live by.
Lynn

mine:1) Eclectic works!

2. A few antiques, a little oriental.......softens ultra modern.
3. Too much of a good thing? Not all matchy match.
4. There should be a little red in every room.
5. Organized clutter can be called decorating. :0)

Ditto Runninginplace -

Mine is also:

From the great Magnaverde: Decorate for the life you live, not the life you want to live.

ESPECIALLY when you have kids!

I always self-check myself on this as I go through the decorating process or am standing in the store ready to make an impulse purchase because that staement can also be taken in a financial sense.

I have rich tastes but it must fit w/in my meager budget.

These are all so great! Thank you for the laughs, the insight and now I know each of you a a little better now. Please feel free to post more!

Go with your gut, dont second guess yourself or try to talk yourself into something...wait for the right thing.

Jeez, I wish I could follow my own motto!

When in doubt, do NOTHING. Most mistakes are made by making rash decisions. Wait it out and think about it.

In my constant need for perfection I've decided to take on a friends motto ..........

"It's good enough"............

A thing of beauty is a joy for ever: Its loveliness increases.

Paint is your friend.

This has been a favorite of mine since I was in art school receiving daily critiques, and it is mine, LOL:

"It doesn't have to BE perfect, it just has to LOOK perfect."

;-)

"To thine own self be true." - and- "It doesn't matter how good a deal it is if you don't love it." (took me a long time to learn this one).

From the great Magnaverde: Decorate for the life you live, not the life you want to live.

I like that one too.

From my seat in the peanut gallery far too many people put off coloring their environments because of what they plan to do "some day". Or, they've been told they have to "paint last" and they're living from budgeted purchase to budgeted purchase until they can finally paint; which is fine unless those budgeted purchases are spread out over years.

You can only effectively color for what you have now or what plans you are executing now -- some day is just some day.

If some day does come and you get that new sofa or area rug or whatever, ya just have to reconcile with the fact that you might have to repaint. Recoloring happens and repainting is necessary.

It doesn't matter if your mom likes it or not, it only matters what you like.

It's better to do than to have.

At times it is better to beg for forgiveness than to ask permission. life motto- works here too!

"Oh, why didn't I buy ________ the first time I saw it?"

and

"Close enough. Who's ready for a drink?"

"It's only paint. And paint can be changed." This was from our painter as I struggled with the risk of choosing deep colors for some of the rooms in our home.

Why did I think this post was going to be about wall words?

"Form before function"...keeps me on my toes and constantly complaining. :)

If at first you don't succeed, hide all evidence that you tried.

I just pitched my version of some stunning shell topiaries that were in a shelter mag. Mine looked like beachy Christmas trees. Yuck! I tried, I failed, I pitched.

Now I am freaked because I ~was~ about to purchase a sofa table to age and paint... gold and glossy black. Plus my mother said it would be a neutral in my house, that a gold and glossy black table wouldn't add or detract. I was so sure of myself before I got feedback from my mother. :O/

Maybe my motto should be: If you are positive about something, don't ask for opinions.

Yes, Paint Chip, if you just want approval, don't ask for an opinion, unless you are ready to hear it.

dody

How about "If you can't afford to use it, or lose it...you shouldn't spend the money on it."

I like to take care of things and I am not espousing being sloppy or destructive, but if you are going to worry about how expensive a fabric is or how careful you need to be with something, maybe you should pass.

"How about "If you can't afford to use it, or lose it...you shouldn't spend the money on it."

Now you tell me.

Don't the perfect be the enemy of good.

Aw, give it a try-you might like it...and if not, you can change it!

I am surprised no one has quoted William Morris yet. (Johnmari, where are you?) Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.

I just used that Magnaverde line on my husband this morning! I'm having a mentalpause and cannot remember the context, but I said it with a certain authority that could only have come from internalizing Mag's words of wisdom.

I used to be a perfectionist and it was killing me when we were remodeling. By the end of the whole house project my new mantra was "Finished is better than perfect."

Amy, I do believe in what William Morris said! We actually had wall words made of his quote and it was one of the first things we put in the shop, right above the counter:
{{gwi:1541045}}

Well, since I'm really the only one that searches, finds, figures out and analyzes everything with regard to interior design, this is my motto . . . "if mama aint happy, aint no one gonna be happy" So, I buy what pleases me and everyones happy

I've spent the last week trying to make a final decision on paint for my kitchen. I was reading online today various articles on color selection by designers and one was advising on kitchen paint colors- select a color that "sounds delicious"! Those are always warm and welcoming colors that are perfect in a kitchen. Made my mind up- Ansonia Peach!

decorating motto depends on my mood,
If I wanna make changes to my room furniture, then I replace with the new one, Just same as when I see my curtains are looking old, I simple change all curtains.

glorian

Here is a link that might be useful: Down Comforter

Paint colors should be colors that make you look good.

And, of course,

Decorate for the life you have (lather, rinse, repeat)

All great mottos!

Mine would be Take Your Time!

and

Throw away (recycle) most catalogs the minute you get them! Trust your own style instead!

Kat :)

I like the KISS principle----- Keep It Simple, Stupid! It can apply to almost anything.

DH is used to hearing me say "I'm (planning on doing, going to hang/place/install/finish) x as soon as we get y done but we have to do z first..."

*DH* says "No more furniture/china/artwork until we finish the house!"

DD asks "When are we going to be done building our house?"

*I* think "Finished is good!"

I need to work on "It doesn't have to be perfect" (something close to what my dad means when he says "It's just a house!" except that he's fine with anything as long as it can be jury-rigged to work - this is the same guy who admired my newly-stained front door and told me I should leave the painter's tape on the glass "b/c the door looks really good with the blue up there").

"Buy the best - so you only have to cry once" LoL :-D

sally, you're shop looks adorable! I could have some serious fun in there! :D

Glorian, what's with the "Down" commercial? Is there a motto I missed? :oP

Ok back to the topic...

Don't settle!

If you love it, there's a place for it.

Children should use crystal and china. (this motto is closely followed by the motto "It's just stuff")

Embrace your dark side :) I've always loved that one

And the most important one of all...."It ain't a home if there's not a chicken inside".

This could be a situational motto...but it's current for me:

You CAN have too many doilies!

"Scale is paramount"
"Never buy anything just to fill a space"
"Don't bring it home if you don't love it"

LOL, some of these are my new favorites (3 dozen tacky things are awesome and if mama ain't happy). I have always leaned toward: If I love it, I'll find a place for it and I'd rather set the trend than follow it. And my favorite statement "Look what I did (or bought) and the politically correct response "It's wonderful, you are so talented" But really, you should trust your own taste and go for it.

Make it new,
Make it over,
Make it do,
Or do without

Happy Wife, Happy Life!
It's true in my house :-)

How about "get your pants off the ground", sounds like a good idea to me!

Um...............my would be...............HELP GW!!!

I missed this thread the first time through. Around here we decorate like Anna Quindlen...

"I would be most content if my children grew up to be the kind of people who think decorating consists mostly of building enough bookshelves."
 Anna Quindlen

#1 - Don't settle
#2 - If I don't know what to do, I don't do anything (hence #1)
#3 - Yeah, that's nice/pretty - but it is JUST NOT ME!

These three mottos is why it took me 3 years to buy a sofa and lamps and a year and a half to buy drapes (still looking). Thank goodness the budget is not ready for tables!

"If you are never IN style, then you will never be OUT of style."

I think I'm paraphrasing Magnaverde there. That's my rule for clothes as well. IMO it is downright stupid, yes, I'll say it straight, stupid, to throw out perfectly good things because some wonk (who is more often than not trying to sell you yet more stuff you're expected to throw out and replace in a couple of years) says it's no longer "fashionable" to have whatever-it-is.

flyingflower, my grandmothers (from Scots families who moved to Maine - can we say "squeezing a penny until Lincoln screams"?) pounded a similar verse into my head all through my childhood, but the one I know goes:
Use it up,
Wear it out,
Make it do,
Or do without.

mari-

I'm from Vermont, and my French/Irish grandmother and Scottish grandfather said the same little ditty to us, I guess it's a NE thing.

sandyponder

"Rules are made to be broken!" ;-)

Not a motto per se, but whenever i'm shopping with a freind and see something expensive, but doesn't look as though it would be too difficult to make, I inevitably say, "we could make that"! If I had something to show for every time i've said that, I would be a millionaire. LOL

These are great....some of mine would be:

"Shop Till You Drop"

"The One With The Most Fabric Wins"

"Anything Goes"