Why Every Piece Of Decor In Your Home Should Have A Designated Purpose

When considering your home's aesthetic, it's exciting to imagine all the wall hangings, objets d'art, and general accessories you can bring into the space. Whether you're following the golden rule for a more minimalist look or learning how to decorate with a bohemian style, you still want everything to be imbued with intentionality. And that's easier to achieve when the items you bring into your home, regardless of high or low expense, truly matter. As Erika Dale, House Digest's interior design expert and founder of Erika Dale Interior Design, said exclusively to House Digest, "while it might be lofty to say that every piece of decor needs to have a designated purpose, I certainly agree that the more meaningful or sentimental pieces you incorporate into a space, the more your home will tell your deeply-personal story." She continued, explaining that "purposeful decor crafts an exquisitely intentional, personal, and well-balanced design."

In an effort to avoid the peril of precariously packing your space with meaningless decor just to finish your design project, Dale suggested to "think of it as a long-term goal — take small steps every year to inject your home with collected treasures that are far more interesting than something you find at a home goods chain store, and over time, you will create a curated interior that is uniquely yours." Check out the rest of Dale's tips for crafting a design that's truly purposeful.

Shiny, pretty things can be hard to resist on a whim, whether they catch your eye on an unrelated shopping trip or they're served up by an all-knowing social media algorithm. But you'll never regret skipping those impulse buys. "A common mistake is purchasing a generic decor item simply as a placeholder to take up space or fill a wall," Dale shared with House Digest exclusively. "If it's for the sake of function (such as an entryway mirror you use everyday), there is certainly more leeway in using a temporary item until the perfect forever piece eventually finds you. But otherwise, bringing in a purposeless decorative item that has no meaning, joy from exceptional beauty, or sentimental value means it is not adding anything to the aesthetic," she said.

Avoiding those temptations can be easier said than done, but there are ways to fortify your willpower. Just like you never want to grocery shop hungry, so too should you avoid buying home accessories when you've simply had them on the brain. It's totally sensible to pore over potential purchases, but if you've been browsing unique candle holders for the perfect addition to your dining room table, you should try to avoid snapping up the first one you encounter in the wild just to scratch that itch. Instead, always have a shopping plan. Know what colors, finishes, and materials will work best in your home, and don't settle until you find the right fit.

If you're going to spend money on anything that you plan to possess for a while, you may as well try to spend that cash once and spend it best. And you can make even necessary home goods a bit more meaningful. "Choosing functional decor items is easy — simply choose a beautiful version of the thing you need so that you enjoy looking at it every day, " Dale said when talking exclusively to House Digest. This can apply to otherwise mundane objects like wastepaper baskets, shoe racks, napkin holders, and whatever else you're in the market for. Then, regarding your home's purely-decorative elements, Dale's point about small steps is key. You want to grow your art, sculpture, and general design collection over time. Waiting to find things that truly move you, or even tethering purchases to special occasions, are each easily applied techniques.

"The best advice I have is to follow your gut and heart," Dale noted. "If you feel drawn to something and it speaks to you or evokes an emotion in you, that's a surefire sign you're on the track. Whether it is an actual momento from your travels, a quirky personal collection, or simply a piece of art that reminds you of something or someone special, the medium can vary greatly," she said. That way, even when those momentos fade from fashion, they will still be tailored to your own space and tell stories that things you've simply tossed into a cart never can.