"I think a trip to the Salvation Army drive-thru drop off should be an obligation every other month. How often do you think it's necessary to take a hard look at the interior appearance of your home and reevaluate your furnishing, finish & accessory selections?"

There is a missing phrase here -- implied -- that might have influenced some responses. I think Beverly meant: "I think a trip to the Salvation Army drive-thru drop off should be an obligation every other month [for me]." Her next sentence then asks about _you_.

I tweak things when I find something I like that replaces, or more usually fills a spot. Since I have a lot of houseplants and flowering orchids, I tend to use those as replaceable on a rotating basis. I have furniture from 2 grandmothers and a mother, plus a bit of my own, and I love most of it and so not inclined to change. I am in the process now of changing out window treatments, either because they have been inadequate for the 15 years I've been here or because the windows have never been dressed and I finally found the fabric. Of course, I haven't yet found the time to sew them.

I think I may have been misinterpreted in my original posting. My suggestion of going to the Salvation Army every OTHER month was to eliminate clutter & tchotchkes that somehow accumulate and suck the energy out of a home. Not to throw out fine furnishings for the sake of change!!

I was thinking more like lamp shades that are pleated or discolored, chairs that need to be reupholstered, holiday plates & china that you only pull out once a year, books that were read in college and never again, those wine glasses you love that don't fit in your dishwasher, faded framed prints, things that people gave you as gifts that you feel obligated to keep. I'm a big believer in recycling and allowing someone else to enjoy something that brought me joy.

There's a lot to be said for the luxury of comfort and simplicity, and not being a slave to your belongings.

Thanks for the additional thoughts, beverly27. I completely agree that accumulated items can, over time, suck the energy out of a home as well as it's occupants. As we've transitioned from family home to empty nesters and are now contemplating a far away move and big lifestyle change (pre-retirement), I am overwhelmed with the stuff of our lives and often paralyzed with indecision about what to keep, what to purge. There are days I almost wish for something catastrophic along the lines of fire, flood or plague (totally tongue in cheek) to make the decisions for me! The idea of a totally clean slate has much appeal but in reality I know that would be paralyzing for me in a different way.

I'm in the once every 10 years or so category...or at least I was. When we married and moved into our old house, DH had a firm rule that we would only overhaul one room at a time. (He had a cousin who's wife insisted on tearing up one room after the other and never finished any of them. The place was a wreck!) Since most of it we did ourselves, this meant it took a long time to redo all the rooms. (If I recall correctly I was up on a ladder every evening after work for a week scraping over 14,000 construction glue spots where they had glued ceiling tile to the living room ceiling. Yuck!) Sometimes it was triggered by something we hated, sometimes it was a need to change the function of the room, sometimes it was that something was getting shabby and it triggered a room redo.

I mean, I might futz with a credenza display, or table center piece a couple of times a year, triggered usually by the change in the seasons, and lord knows I have lots of projects not yet done, like faux finishing the grate on the stone wall to match the stonework) but not a major redo.

But now that we are in the new house, and all the rooms are of the same vintage, I have no idea what it will take. I mean I picked everything out that I did because I really liked it...if I didn't, I wouldn't have picked it. So I can't see myself not continuing to like it in the future. And a lot of it was designed for low maintenance so it will probably stay this way for a long, long time. I guess it will be a "gramma house" by the time we go to sell it. But I'll be heading for nursing home by then and won't really care...most likely dippier than a DQ cone.

Will come back with more but I am critical of my house all of the time. It is terrible! I want to be done. I want to get the function, proportions, colors, etc. RIGHT and then move on with life!

My mom has not changed her home for 13 years and I love it every time I walk in the door.

If I were to purge my house of "dated" items or items with a bit of wear and tear on them AND replace them, I would first have to purge myself of the children.

I cannot afford to maintain a family and a house to those standards. :)

Not saying I wouldn't like to do so, but it's just not practical for the vast majority of folks.

"but who sleeps under the same bedspread for 70 years? "

Some of my great-Aunts did. Or almost. They used trousseau bedding and things from the time of their marriage in the 1920s until they died.

The house I grew up was not *quite* like that but there are bedspreads that are close to 50 years old, and the "new" tablecloths are ones my mother bought when she moved into this house in the 1970s. The "old" ones belonged to my grandmother or great grandmother and are either from the 1920s or 1880s whenever they got married. None of these things are rags either, they were taken care of.

My nephew was just baptised in the same baptismal outfit his great great grandmother wore.

I don't think there is anything wrong with keeping Anything FOREVER if it works and you like it. My dad still uses the bottle opener my mother got as a shower gift almost 60 years ago. That is "the bottle opener"--there are not a dozen from the dollar store like some people I know, who can still never find one.

There aren't going to *be any antiques from this era because most people are bent on only having the latest and "purging". Purging also means to vomit. I try to keep that in mind.

I have recently been going through and really looking at much of our home. We moved in 14 years ago, with furniture to fill less than half of it. Over time we have made changes (hopefully mostly improvements) and still have a couple more "big" items to tackle as time and finances allow.

I agree with beverly27 about purging those items that don't work in your space and become clutter. One thing I have been trying to do is to store some items if I just can't part with them and bring them out later. Accessories, pillows, even artwork can fall in this category.

I recently grouped a number of art pieces that I had stored along with a few that were already hung. I also lowered the items on the wall after seeing a GW post that made me realize I have been habitually hanging artwork too high. The new "gallery" arrangement looks much nicer, plus I got to use a few items that didn't have the weight to display on their own. And it didn't cost a penny!

Seasonal decorating changes can be a great opportunity to evaluate. Instead of just layering Christmas decorations over the existing decor, for example, I remove some items and replace with seasonal versions. Then after the holiday season I may decide to move some things around or put something in storage or donate if it is no longer pleasing to me.

LOL lazygardens. May I adopt you please? I always wanted one of my kids to know to do all about electronics stuff.

I don't take a hard look at my house very often. In fact, not usually until I take a photo and see things that I never even notice IRL.

Pal the idea of purging becomes appealing when part of the diet has involved binging and who among us is not guilty of that in our homes to some extent? Raising my hand here as one who has purchased or inherited (or saved, as in school papers, newspaper articles, etc) more than I need and now more than I want to be responsible for when my ideal is a far simpler life. So purging seems perfectly appropriate because when I think about either trying to move all this stuff or my sons having to sort through it all (as I did with my parents), I do want to vomit.

My grandmother's house remained the same for 50 years pretty much, even the kitchen and bath. It was never my taste but it was comforting for me to go there and have it be the same...can't really explain it. Granted, she was from a time when you repaired and held onto things and I think that notion is sorely missing in today's disposable society.

Some people simply can't afford to update even if it needs it. We were certainly in that position when we were putting 3 kids through college over an 8 year period with 4 years of two in college.

Some people simply don't care much about decor. My old boss is very well off and lives in an upscale part of town and could well afford a beautiful home, but it's a mish-mash of hand me downs, bad 80's colors, original 60's bathrooms, etc...

I often hear " decorate with what you love" but I find I love very little or get sick quickly of things I do buy. Accessorizing is my biggest challenge. I hate buying stuff just to fill shelves or walls, but everything would be bare if I waited for stuff I love. I just get overwhelmed, bored and turned off seeing the same junk everywhere at places like home goods, etc..I don't know what would look good where..so I do nothing and then get frustrated things are bare. Maybe our grandmas had the right idea....put the Hummels in the curio cabinet on the wall next to the stairs....and get on with your life.

Purging clutter is a totally different animal from redecorating a house. It's not a part of decorating unless the clutter involves having 15 chairs in a single room, not to be confused with hoarding. Getting rid of things for the sake of keeping a house from becoming overly cluttered and disorganized needs to be done either or a daily or weekly basis, throwing out junk mail for instance. Regarding furniture and decorating in general, if you*think* your home is becoming a version of a furniture store, consignment store, or even a thrift store, it *is* time to purge. Listen to your gut.

Pal, I'm so green with envy re:your vintage items! I don't know what my Mother did with hers and G'ma's, so I have to buy them as I find them. I've been using a hand crocheted tablecloth or could be a bed cover as a canopy on my 4 poster rice bed for several years. Some vintage items never go out of style, and who cares anyway? ;o)

Yes, exactly what lazygardens said. In my opinion, so many design oriented industries (home decor, clothing, interior design, etc) push consumers to replace and "update" all the time. Not everyone has the same priorities as the interior design industry. I generally don't buy tchotchkes and most of the clutter in my house is day to day living clutter, things we use for work or recreation or just day to day living. My house is not "finished" and I've lived here for 8 years. I am more focused on replacing worn out things, remodeling, and buying furniture either to fill empty spaces/purposes or to replace hand-me-downs. Hopefully some day I will get to the point where every room has been "done" at least once and I can at leisure replace what seems tired or outdated. But no, I don't evaluate my decor on a regular basis to determine if I belongs at the Salvation Army.

I'm not certain exactly the intent of the images in the original post. The decor style is not really to my personal taste, but otherwise it looks pretty clean and tidy. There seems to be a lot of plants (or fake plants?) on the ledge, but otherwise I don't see much clutter.

I admit that I'm slow purging my stuff (I just don't have the energy of late to drag the stuff down the stairs) but I love to freecycle and am happy to give away things that I know longer need.
As far as the long hard look, I don't need to. Yes, maybe I'm a Senior and stuck but I'm happy with myself. I don't need the latest and greatest decorating trend nor am I about to overextend myself with a new car "just because".
I have lace curtains on my windows because I LIKE them and don't care who doesn't. My furniture is the same because as hard as I've looked, I don't see anything I like better.
So maybe I am just a Sr. who's comfortable in her home.
Why shouldn't I be-it's MY home.
My son can do whatever he wants when I'm gone. I won't be around to care, and if I decide to sell before then, I can update to sell, I just don't want to live like that.

we are at the point in life were we have the funds to decorate the way we want. I used fabrics that aren't trendy in design or color, but more important, I didn't have to compromise and got what I loved. I don't see myself changing drapes or main furniture pieces for a very long time!

This is us exactly. We bought 3 years ago and have decorated from scratch. I am choosing colors and items that I love, but they are not particularly on trend. I can't see myself changing main pieces or window treatments in the foreseeable future unless they break or wear out. In fact, when I'm done I can't see myself doing more than tweaking things a little here or there.

As for accessories, I decided to take things very slowly and only acquire what I really love. As a result, there is a lot of empty space right now where accessories should go, but I don't want to fill it with stuff. I'd rather have one beautiful piece than a shelf full of mass produced items. Clutter is not really an issue, as I am unsentimental about objects-- if someone gives me something I don't like that I can't return I immediately give it away to someone who does.

My mother is in her 80's and selected her furniture/decor items carefully throughout her life. And I think her taste is pretty good. She hasn't bought anything new for years, but her home does not scream "grandma house" at all. We saw a lot of grandma houses when we were house hunting, and most of those were never in good taste to begin with.

Annie, I know exactly what you mean: Hubby and I are both in the military so we move pretty often--usually just around the time I've got the place the way I want it : / And our dogs tend to eat/break accessories, sofas, toss cushions and comforters long b4 they go out of style, anyway...

But after getting hurt pretty badly overseas, I've got a little more insight into what it's like to paint, decorate and renovate with physical and visual limitations. Sheesh, just a few months ago I got down on the floor to paint baseboards and couldn't get up! Plus, all the necessary shopping for paint, furniture, fixtures etc is no fun if you have mobility issues: Home Depot and crutches do NOT mix. Not to mention the difficulty of carrying heavy purchases up stairs, and the expense which isn't exactly pension friendly.

Frankly, after my experience with this house--where it's taken me 10 times longer to accomplish 1/10th of what I normally would--metallic wallpaper and vintage dusty rose bathroom fixtures are starting to look good! You never recoup the cost of updating a house when you sell, anyhow : P

This post was edited by Baroo2u on Thu, Oct 3, 13 at 19:58

We got rid of a few items when we bought this 1890 Victorian. I kept all my art work added antique Persians. Painted all the walls...that was in 2002. In 2006 we did the kitchen and Master Bedroom suite. Have never painted again and have no intention of doing so.

I am in the group of folks that have things I love and it takes me a long considered time to acquire anything. I have a lot of vintage things that were my parent's and grandparent's . Most of my furniture I had made for me and it is all one of a kind.

I never will change WT's because I love what I bought in 2002 and also I will never spend what it would cost to custom . I cleaned one kitchen drawer this week and DH and I went through our closet and drawers and gave away some clothes. We do that 2x a year.

I have no clutter in my house. I never have and my Mom never did. It is just the way I was raised. I luckily passed it on to my kids and their apts are all clutter free too :)

mamagoose.allison, pal, dlm and lynn said it as well or better than I could. I agree with their every word. c

I don't think there is anything "wrong" with serial redecorating in and of itself, any more than there is anything "wrong" with time capsules in and of themselves.

They are two different populations. But the people that I know that are serial redecorators just never seem to have very nice stuff, because it has an almost ephemeral nature. They don't want to spend a lot of money because they know they aren't keeping it long, they *can't spend a lot because most people could barely afford to buy really good stuff Once let alone over and over.. I suppose there are serial redecorators that *can afford good stuff all the time, I just know anybody like that other than from magazines.

I also wonder how much personal meaning decor has if you can change it so easily.

Maybe it doesn't need to mean anything at all, to some people.That's fine. I like the stuff that I have to have a personal meaning, I don't want random space filler even if it is nice and tasteful. This has its downside too...should inanimate objects be assigned meaning even if all they are is little doo-dads? Maybe not.

But I am pretty democratic and I will put ugly but meaningful next to "good piece of art" lots of times.
So maybe the constant refining and getting rid of things that "don't go" ends up looking a bit too slick for me. I like a little wear and dirt and imperfection.

Honestly, my life is so crazy that I usually only focus on really cleaning and clearing up when company's coming; i.e., making everything look the way I know I'd like it to look.

That said, I LOVE it when I do this and immediately appreciate our home so much more. I wish I did it monthly. For me, it takes the idea of other people looking at the area, for me to make it into what I really like. Yes, I'm mostly talking about cleaning/decluttering, but the same goes for furniture and decorative choices.

Good topic Beverly27.

We pay cash (okay we get the card points then pay it at the end of the month) for everything we do, whether it's a new pillow or a room addition. I have things from my grandparents that I like most and I add something new from time to time. I rarely buy something I end up not liking and I'm really disappointed when I do. I love my luxury car that is 11 years old....which is a metaphor for how I value money and things.

I understand decorating might be your profession, but I'd rather go on vacation out if the country at least once a year (twice this year), try a new restaurant, drink a really good bottle of wine with friends, buy a pretty dress, hire out a service, keep my standing beauty appointments and save money while I'm doing it.

Everyone has different priorities.

I think the idea of purging to change home decor often, living in a time capsule or anywhere in between are very personal choices and should be left to the individual and their families. To me it's all about the love the fills the walls, not it's furnishings. That doesn't mean I don't want to have a beautiful home with some new things in it that others complement me on it, it just means family takes priority.

This post was edited by justgotabme on Fri, Oct 4, 13 at 10:04

I remember that after my Grandfather passed away, my Grandmother had completely redecorated the master bedroom. They'd had the same furniture and bedding since the early 60's and she hated it-but never said anything to him. In fact, after he died, she had the beige carpet and custom drapes in the living room removed and new print drapes and a beautiful green carpet installed in the front parts of the house. She'd lived with this stuff for 40 years and had hated it for 35.

My grandfather was a painting contractor-but in his opinion only Navajo White was an acceptable wall color. He was really bothered by the matrons who chose to use light blue in the living room or sunny yellow in the kitchen.

There was a silk Italian mural in the dining room-once he was gone she had that torn out. There was custom made furniture in the house and she was planning to have the 18 foot sofa removed and buy a couple of sofas instead, but she had a stroke before she could finish her dream of redecorating. Every item in that house was immaculate and worked perfectly-but it was a Palm Springs style tribute to the Rat Pack!

These are all great examples, and I relate to each one of them in some way.

I will add that the best piece of advice I ever received about decorating is to buy something because you love it, not because it will fill a space. I'm sitting in my home office writing this, and within eyeshot have 2 examples to illustrate: I ran across an industrial metal locker box a few years ago. I didn't have a particular place in mind for it, but I loved it... I bought it, and found a spot in my office. I see it every day, and keep a vase of fresh flowers on it from my garden. The juxtaposition of metal and flowers makes me smile. On another note, I had a bare corner in my entry hall that I filled with a big floral thing that fits the space. It's proportionate and fills the spot, but I don't particularly like it. I bought it for a space.

In the past decade, the items I have donated to Goodwill or other charitable organizations have been those I bought to fill a space. The items I love are those I bought because I really loved them. I find a space for things I love.

I'm also a big fan of DIY-ing projects because there's nothing they're making in China or selling at Restoration Hardware that I can't replicate myself, or with local sources. It may take more of my time to make something than it takes to buy something, but I remember my time more than I remember my credit card bill.

I cringe when I'm in HomeGoods and I hear a customer say, "This would look good on my buffet table." I'd rather hear, "OMG! I love this! I have no idea where I'll put it, but I have to have it!"

Maybe aging is a good thing: the trends I blithely followed with joy have long been discarded to yard sales/ Salvation Army and the furnishings I now pursue are expensively timeless.
Pier One, rip.

It just makes sense to buy what you absolutely love, otherwise you'll be getting rid of things a lot sooner which means you're wasting money~it ain't rocket science.

I've been feeling a *slight* urge to change a few things, but really love my home the way it is. It's either I should versus I could~I could if I wanted to, or i should since it's been 5 years

There is a post about RH and China made items. I thought about this and my mind went to all the painted furniture, reclaiming, good tailored slipcovers, etc.

It has been in the last 30 years and continues further to what I believe is over 90%, computer designed/fabricated everything. I was part of this at the beginning of history, training engineers in all facets of computer application design (CAD,etc.). I loved architectural design and although this was part of my career, it still plays hard with creativity that a hand drawn design is gone.

Most cannot afford hand skilled or American made (beautiful) furniture and accessories. If you can find such. At least the reclaiming of past brings these items back.

My son has to have the latest computer upgrades. Thankfully he keeps rebuilding mine. Although my head isn't as good as once was, even with an IT background. Am beginning to have little patience with changes to what worked just fine for me yesterday.

My daughter is what I call a marketing junky. The latest craze she cannot seem to ignore, those tons of decor items surrounding her in stores. A lot of money spent with the masses for home, etc. She does have a nice cottage, but too much of the trends going on for me. Not that I haven't done this at some point. When I do, they seem to be the items ending up in a pile for sending away.

There are many furniture and decor items I would like to have back from past discarding. Do my own thing, but feel I do stay within limits without a crush of the latest.

Decor is so very personal. Those of us here love it. Many outside of this do not have the urge we do. I'm here everyday because I love the new, different, great ideas so many of you have. And I'm ticked we lost PAL.

When people visit our new house for the first time, they are often interested in seeing it. As we walk around the house, I point out things like the pie crust table that DH's grandfather made, the stained glass lamp shade and the bench my Dad made, the wooden boat my grandfather built, the oil painting my cousin did or the one my Grandma painted, the beams and the light fixtures we salvaged from the old house, the oil painting of the old house, the antique clocks FIL rescued and his collection of over 500 volumes of books that fill the library. I may point out architectural features, like the segmental arch theme, the use of light in the space, visual cues to break up open spaces without dividing them into rooms. I never point out the stuff from overstock or pier 1 or ikea. Who cares....they may be functional and serve their purpose, but they aren't things that are valued, things that give our home uniqueness and history. It is those things that give our home its uniqueness and history that aren't going anywhere and it's why hard look redecorating would take years to do...if ever again.

I do try to get rid of clutter and unused items, and it's always refreshing to suddenly have an empty drawer or shelf.

I sometimes struggle with getting a room to look the way I want (FOUR sets of drapes in the guest room before I found the right ones) so when I'm satisfied, I don't change much.

I think ugly is in the eye of the beholder, and when a lot of people say something is "dated" they really mean that it's ugly. I'll change out things I think are ugly, but it's because I don't like them, or they no longer work in a room, not that they're from a particular decade that has now been declared "out."

I do get bored, though, and always seem to find a new fabric or color that I like, so I've decided that the mantle and the powder room are places where I can be as fickle as I want with no guilt or angst. I painted the powder room in a boring but very neutral shade of tan, and the wooden storage shelf an equally sedate shade of cream. Accessories, art, window treatment and towels change with the seasons or whenever I find a treasure. When I swapped out the darker things for winter for the lighter spring version, my husband thought I was a genius!

I just changed out the mantle decor to a fall scheme, and I absolutely love it. I don't want to cover every flat surface with seasonal stuff, so it gives me just enough space to enjoy it, without being overdone, or having to store boxes and boxes of things.

I think I definitely fall into the "serial decorator" or "nester" category. Making my home a better place is my passion, and I am the first to admit that it consumes me. Honestly, I'm the type of person who has to move every 5 years or so, because when my house gets "done" I start looking for the next blank slate that needs saving. I'm not sure I'll ever feel completely settled in one place for a long period of time. I understand that not everyone gets off on it like I do though, so when I walk into a place that seems "dated", I don't judge the people who live there , I just see the potential and play a little game of "what would I change if I lived here".

This is what I love about the Garden Web. We can discuss topics and not get all nasty to each other for our difference in opinions on a subject.
Oh some of us react with shock, but rarely have I seen what's called flaming of another online member. It all makes for a very interesting read.

Then there is green to consider...the more we save reduce, reuse and recycle, the smaller our footprint on the earth...disposable everything is much harder on the environment.

A few random reflections on this

1. I always have a Goodwill box "on the go". Sometimes it has decor items in it, but most of it is kid's clothing and or books or toys. It's a great idea to have a designated spot for those things as you come across them, and then drop them off when it's full.

2. We have staged homes twice now. Even though we have cleaning people in twice a week, stay on top of maintenance, etc., when it's time to stage you always find a way to pare down and always find things that need care. I tried to take a lesson from those experiences and try to "stage' my home for me, too. It means having a good maintenance person for all the little jobs (or diy), splurging on plants or flowers (not from the Stop n Shop!) now and then and it means admitting your decor mistakes and ousting them.

2.I like a cohesive house, and I want to enjoy it. I grew up in a house that had a spanish tiled and beamed DR, a toile LR, and a mod "rec room" with a shag rug, a sectional, and "age of aquarius" flocked wallpaper (don't ask). I read AD as a preteen and always was impressed by the fact that every inch of the homes seemed to be part of a theme.

3. I know that if I do things over time, I will probably get better/more lasting results. However, the competing fact is this: life is short. Several months ago I read some story in a shelter magazine. It was about a woman's home in Cape Cod and the small guest cottage she built for her Mom. It actually brought a tear to my eye, because I thought, "I'm an idiot, why didn't I do that for my Mom, when I could have". (my Mom is too old to enjoy travel anymore, but she used to love the beach).

We aren't just buying and decorating homes, we are creating spaces to live our lives and share our lives with other people. Of course, you can do that anywhere. But you can also make choices that are more conducive and pleasant to hosting holiday dinners, dinner parties with friends, block parties, family reunions, etc etc.

In order to purge stuff, you have to have stuff.

My dining room has a table and chairs. Two plant stands with plants. There is a rocker in a corner. Nothing on the walls. One piece of glassware on the table.

Living room has couch, love seat, 2 tables (1 with a lamp, 1 empty. TV stand holding just the tv and related stuff. Nothing on the walls. NO decor at all.

Do these rooms look empty and need decor? Yes but I don't like shopping and it has to be something I really like for me to spend money on it. So if anyone here is purging and has stuff that may work in my rooms, send it over, LOL

I get my decorating fix here. Hoping for motivation to actually add some decor.

I have been married for 48 years. I am no longer sixtyohno. As of last month I am 70oyvey, but it is too much trouble to change my user name.
The only new furnishings in my house are beds and computer desks. Almost all my furnishings come from yard sales, ebay, auctions, travels, used stores and hand me downs, but it is all "good" stuff and as far as I am concerned, timeless. I am also attached to most of it for various reasons, especially my mother's things.
What we do is decraparize, old books, photos of people we don't know, clothing, broken things, old appliances, junk the children abandoned in our basement, etc. It refreshes the whole house.
I do however need new dining room chairs and I am on a mission to find 8 new chairs. They need not match. I love the quest.

This is an interesting thread and brings up a bit of emotion for me....

I recently passed up on a few antique/heirloom pieces from a close relative who passed away due to a spat among my siblings. However, I was able to retain some artwork and smaller accent pieces that still have meaning to me. I have them out on display and enjoy them each day.

That being said, I'm sure we've all made decorating mistakes - purchased things because we thought they'd work (or were a great buy!). There is something to be said about "if it doesn't make you happy, don't keep it."

There are rooms in our home that aren't quite finished and this is mostly due to the fact that I sometimes find it difficult to make decisions. I have tried to adopt Mtn's attitude of "life is short" - however, I get caught up in not wanting to make costly decorating mistakes - and often end up in neutral gear.

During the past few years I've edited and re-edited and donated a lot of items - mostly accessories, lamps, rugs, etc. I wouldn't consider myself a pack-rat, but have a history of not wanting to let things go. It is liberating and I feel good about the thought that someone else can enjoy these items.

What has changed the design scope of our home dramatically has been fresh paint in colors very different from what we had previously, but still work with our "main" upholstered pieces. We've been able to make this work economically by changing out pillows and throws to tie everything together. Also layering rugs over existing rugs. I also try to move furniture from one room to another for a completely fresh look.

There are many schools of thought on this - and not one is right or wrong. Bottom line - do what you can afford and what makes you happy.

Sixtyohno, If you change your screen name I will take your old one. I turned 60 last week and I find it hard to believe that so many years have just gone by in the wink of an eye!

In another post I commented that I am "boring" in my decorating but I now think that I am just such a traditionalist that I don't do trendy, so my decorating style may seem outdated or stuffy. I know my guest bathroom is old fashioned but I smile whenever I go in there. I have several hand stitched pictures and beautiful vintage plates hanging on the walls. I use beautiful antique jars for q tips and cotton balls and a sugar bowl that contains flossers and a creamer that is used to store toothbrushes. You won't see my powder room in Home Beautiful but I love the cozy, dated loveliness of it. I get ready for my day each morning in my little space and I very much enjoy it!

I am still enjoying this thread.

Janice742, hope you don't mind me saying this, but I had to chuckle at how the first sentence in your second paragraph was worded :)

mtnrdredux - Love the permanent Goodwill box idea. I think a large plastic box with a lid in the garage would work well for us.

holly-kay - sounds like you have just the right decorating style to please the person who matters the most.

My parents collected many wonderful antiques through their travels (we grew up overseas). My Dad told me years ago that when he bought something, he always tried to buy the best quality he could afford, or if it was something disposable, to buy something as cheaply as possible. My older brother has a timber framing business and his motto is something along the lines of when you buy quality, you only cry once. I think this sentiment is similar to peony4's "Buy it because you love it."

My mom always told me that you should redo rooms every seven years--- not necessarily the furniture, but the placement, soft furnishings art and accessories. She moves things around in her house pretty often and amazingly it all looks great together whatever the combination. She paints, wallpapers, (well, she supervises) and makes other changes about every seven or eight years.

Sueb I also used to go into panic fixit mode when we were having a big party or house guests. But about three years ago I met our "man of all work" and now he comes down about four days every month to fix, change, upgrade or advise on any house problems or concerns. He brings a bag and his adorable dog and stays until my punch list is complete. He just left and while here he replaced lightbulbs, checked the gutters, replaced a few post caps, sanded and repainted a deck board, and put up a garden shed behind our tennis court for the ball machine to live in. He is coming back as soon as the fence people put in another gate, to pour a small concrete walkway from the shed to that new door so the ball machine can be rolled right out of the shed and onto the court. We were storing it and pails and pails of practice balls and other stuff in the unfinished basement. This is much closer, and we have electricity out there so we can also put a leaf blower in it. This guy has literally changed our lives because he can either do the work or find someone who can. I no longer worry about the house, and it is in perfect condition always!

I had to go back ito the beginning of the thread to take a better look at the pictures Beverly posted. With my very first glance I knew there was nothing in the room I would have chosen to begin with. There's not one thing I would consider to be traditional, so the room was doomed to be dated almost immediately. 20 years ago I had cherry tables, VERY traditional, but a look that was classic. Today it might seem a little stiff, but would still be considered a classic style.

It's like wood working, measure twice, cut once~choose right, and avoid future problems. It doesn't need to be Grandma' s traditional with cherry tables, and damask upholstered pieces. Traditional style has been updated with painted furniture, glass, iron, casual fabrics, etc., making a home into rooms you actually use, not just a showplace. It could be considered Eclectic, or traditional with a twist.

Of course it's always about choosing what you love, and sometimes it's love at first sight. I've always found that works best for me, in all aspects of my life. ;o)

I don't have as much time to change out decor as often as I'd like, and I totally admit to procrastination and, at times, analysis paralysis. Am dealing with both right now for a master bath re-do/refresh as a matter of fact.

But we do make a yearly donation or more to the Habitat Re-store or Goodwill. And yesterday was our bi-annual community cleanup day where we can take most anything for disposal (old paint, yard tools and equipment, household items). DH had the truck bed full.

I find myself going for more subtle changes, such as seasonal touchups, rather than major overhauls as a general rule. But then every few years it strikes me that is is 'time' to replace bedding, draperies, a rug here or there, or a well-used table. Our art mostly just gets moved around or changed as we add a piece, or we take something to our lake condo sometimes if we can use it there.

Patty, you hit the nail on the head. The more trends used in a room the more quickly it becomes dated. That factor may not necessarily preclude using anything trendy but I would want to use the trends in items that are less costly than case goods or upholstered or leather furniture. A beautiful classic table or lovely traditional sofa will always look good.

The only time I ever took a hard look at the house was when the cleaning lady quit and it became totally my job. I did get rid of a few things because I didn't like them enough to have to dust or clean them. It looked a little emptier or plain at first, but I quickly adapted. Better the blank DR wall then have to dust and straighten those prints that I never loved.

I've had the downstairs rooms painted twice in the 20 years we've lived here. Last year I did repaint the powder room, 2nd time in 20 years, and my husband's office, also for the 2nd time since we moved in. I've only painted the upstairs bedrooms once. We don't have kids or pets or smoke (and my eyesight is weak) so I just don't see the need to refresh the paint for the sake of refreshing the room.

I don't change things often or at all in some cases. I'm content with how it looks. It works for our purposes.

I have give-away stuff for the thrift store truck 4-5 times a year because I'm always re-evaluating. We don't entertain like we used to so platters and extra things like that were donated. I used to decorate with some seasonal things but decided it was too much bother, so out they went. After a reasonable period of holding onto gifts I don't want, out that stuff goes.

I love reading posts here and have learned so much that I can offer my friends and family advice, even if I don't decorate my house. I always credit my imaginary friends for the things I've learned.

oldbat2be --
Ha! Funny.... I'm usually a stickler for semantics. Must have sent that post too fast. :)

To me the funny thing about the 'hard look' is how selective it is when I do it--I've painted some rooms three times since we moved in, had curtains made for the living room twice...but the hideous sconce on the dining room wall is right where the previous owners left it. WHY?

I feel like I'm always taking a hard look at our home. However, in most cases there isn't a lot I can do about it. :) We built in 1989, on the absolute tightest of budgets.

When we first moved in all of the rooms weren't even finished. So we finished them on a budget, and have been slowly re-doing them as we go along. We have Summer Season restaurant jobs, so we usually do a project in the Fall and sometimes one in the early Spring. I refuse to buy art that I don't love. My budget doesn't leave me much to choose from right now. So we go along, adding small things here and there. I love the change of seasons and the chance to move things around.

For the most part we choose and stick with things we love. My dining room is dated, but you know what? When we sit in there for a family meal, we are comfortable and cozy. I can't see us changing it drastically any time soon.

This photo is from Thanksgiving, so everything is off because I had to make the table big. But it gives you an idea of the early 90s of it.

Beth, your dining room is lovely. Isn't it wonderful to be surrounded by family and friends?

I never realized until a few weeks ago that my home looked so old fashioned. My DD was supervising my DGS bath in my bathroom and he said "Nana's house is really old isn't it?". Geesh I know my bathroom needs updated but that sure drove the point home. After my living room and library are finished being painted and redecorated it's time to do the two upstairs bathrooms.

I found that when I was younger I changed accessories far more often and had lots to donate but as I get older I have become more discerning in the things I buy.

I have a favorite piece of furniture I have waited years for but it does not fit my house. It was my Grandma's so I have offered it to a cousin. Heartbreaking but the right thing to do as we will be in this house for at least 15 more years.

I like to change things but in little tweeks. Big furniture very rarely. Our kitchen table is the next piece to change out but it could take a year or so for me to find what I want in my price range. So maybe I should be called a turtle decorator now slow and steady.

Interesting thread.

How often do I take a hard look at my home?

Frequently, however that doesn't mean I do much, or anything, about it. I can relate to what stephf said and often play the game of "what would I change if I lived here" in other people's houses but also play âÂÂwhat could I change to improve my worldâ in my own. Most of the time I only change out accessories without buying anything new as have enough to rotate items. I satisfy my need for change by decorating seasonally. I'm not using as many accessories as I used to and my seasonal decor is much more subtle but there are changes to more seasonal colors. Now that it's fall I'm using accessories with fall colors, more natural and wooden items, and a few faux pumpkins/Jack-O-Lanterns. A few years ago we repainted and bought new upholstery with neutral colors so this works well. After many years of trial and error and sometimes not liking my house much I am finally happy with most of my choices and there's not much I want to change right now. When I move (likely in the next couple of years) I will be ready to buy all new upholstered items and will then change my color scheme and perhaps style.

I'm a senior but will likely never stop changing things around in my house. I have never changed out everything all at once in 47 years. Have added and eliminated but never decorated from a clean slate. The only time I decorated 'from scratch' was when we moved to Europe for 3 years and bought almost everything new and a few things 2nd hand. Sold everything before we returned home as I had no attachment to any of it. I much prefer to collect over time and let my decor evolve as it will. Some of my old pieces have good memories such as pieces that belonged to DH's and my Grandmothers. I buy several new accessories every year, mostly handmade art pieces now. I have downsized and re-homed many items in recent years and continue to do this. I sell the better things thru a consignment shop and donate the rest to thrift stores.

We had this house built 17 years ago and it now looks completely different from the way it did when we moved in. Different color walls, different flooring, different furniture. While I like to think I don't change things often my decor has definitely evolved over time. It has happened so gradually I have never realized until now how different it looks. I still have the same DR furniture, a chair that was DH's Grandmother's, and a small antique sideboard but everything else in the public areas has been acquired since we built. Only the upholstered furniture was purchased new, everything else is antique, vintage, or repurposed. I still have many of the same accessories but also many different ones, purchased new as well as from 2nd hand venues.

Realistically I expect my house will continue to evolve subtly and will look quite different 10 years from now.

In the house before this one, 24/7. I spent my every waking moment on it. It was like a job. Most of the time it was fun, and I tried really hard not to be totally consumed with it but to no avail. Of course, I was not working then so it was easier to do and at the time thought it was our forever house.

Within four years of purchasing that house, we sold it and moved into an apartment for 6 months as we were moving to a new city after the school year was out. There was one big pay-off on having previously focused all of my time on the inside of that house. When we sold, the new owners bought most of the furnishings (all but antiques from family) and accessories from us on top of the house purchase. The house we were moving to was less than half of the size of the one we sold. I wasn't certain how long we would be in the smaller new house and didn't want to pay for storage on all of those things so we sold them. Turned out to be a good decision as we have been in this smaller house for 8 years now!

That move was easy too. There were rooms where I just took a picture or two off of the wall and left everything else in place.

In our current house, the first couple of years I did focus a good bit on the interior. But then life got in the way and most everything was as done as it was going to get without a major overhaul so not so much over the last few years. Most of my focus on the interiors of this place were space planning and working heartily on a kitchen/full house remodel so basically future designs. Those plans are no longer on the table as we are under contract on another new to us older house that we will start working on within the month. However, since we are now having to sell this place more focus has been put back on it now as we are having to get it ready to put on the market. So now I am currently focusing on two places, I guess you could say.

Not to sound preachy, but over the last few years several different events have occurred within my family that have put many things in perspective and making it my life's work to find just the perfect fabric or accessory for one particular spot is just not as important. My new philosophy for that is I'll know when I see it and until then life goes on. I'm not saying that I won't do a little research or ask you all for help, but it won't be life consuming.

LouisianaP, your post rang so true! It's the focus of things more important than a *house*~making it a *home* is #1. You don't need the latest paint color, a certain style of furniture, custom draperies, granite/SS, wood flooring, or any of things the market throws our way. I'm at a place in my life where it really IS all about my family and the special friends I have. Besides, I really don't need a thing, and that's for real! I buy for my space at the antique mall so that's how I get my shopping fix.. It's become my passion that I've really come to enjoy, and hearing generous compliments on my painted furniture can make my day. It's the simple things that makes us the happiest, not a well decorated house.