When it comes to decor there is an immense pressure from influencers & advertisers to buy something new every season.

Whether it is an entire household of new decor or just a few new pieces, there is still pressure. Pinterest, advertising, Instagram- influencers popping up everywhere- it’s exhausting. Not only is there this underlying pressure to spend money that you may not have to spend, which that’s what credit’s for, right? (Wrong.) Not only is there that pressure but there’s this expectation that your house needs to look like what everyone else’s house looks like that season. Keep up with the trends, don’t date yourself by putting out old styles of decor, have your style but don’t forget to incorporate new elements so that your status doesn’t waver. We find this everywhere- clothes, decor, food- etc. and it’s unbearable sometimes to try and keep up; when you have money and when you don’t!

Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t hate keeping up with trends and it’s fun to get new stuff! That being said, I really can’t afford to keep up and honestly, it’s unhealthy to constantly be buying and storing and that’s just a lot of clutter to deal with unless you’re actively getting rid of stuff. It’s not impossible, but for the majority of people that isn’t realistic or financially feasible. I digress though, I’ve already gone on this rant before so I will not go into it again, but I do want to give you a few tips for how I practically deal with this dilemma.

Back when I was in school I remember learning about the 3 R’s, but I’ve decided to add another one. They all point to the same direction but they all have slightly different effects.

Repurpose, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

REPURPOSE:

You’ll want to start off and see what you’ve already got. Whether it’s from last year or just from another season, it doesn’t matter. I’ve had pieces that I can fit into every season with just a bit of sprucing up so don’t count anything out. Decide on the spaces you want to focus on with your decor. I have my main piano area as my decor spot and then I put small accents throughout the rest of the house. Consider neutral colors, hand towels, candles, vases, dried florals- etc. I’ve noticed when you focus on those categories, especially if you keep neutral options around, it’s not hard to customize to whatever season you’re going for.

REDUCE

Don’t like something anymore? Consider what you could use it for in the future and if you still feel like it can’t easily be reused or you just really don’t like it anymore- get rid of it. Sell it and pocket the money to buy something new or donate it. Reducing the amount of stuff you have will you help you to easily decorate without getting overwhelmed plus it will give you room to bring in a few new pieces if you have extra money or if you are given new stuff!

REUSE

Now I know this is basically the same thing as repurpose but I want to use it to make a different point. Have you ever thought about reusing other people’s stuff? Facebook marketplace, buy-sell-trade groups, family or friends doing their own decluttering- there are tons of options to find gently-used decor from others for very cheap or free. It doesn’t have to be free to be useable. Don’t take stuff you don’t like, but don’t be afraid to take donations and get creative. My fall display this year? All given to me at one point or another. I was very blessed because this year we didn’t have the money to buy new fall decor so this was a really beautiful way that God blessed me.

RECYCLE

When you’re done? Pass it on. Give your decor to someone else if you’re someone who likes to change it up every year. Trade and get creative with it, you never know what you can find!

There’s nothing wrong with buying decor but if you’re going to do it make sure that you focus on buying sustainable, reusable pieces that you can use over the years, in multiple seasons and in multiple ways. Accessorize with color pallets for each season and sprigs of dried flowers and little hints. In the fall I love using real pumpkins- big and small- throughout the house. My usual dried flowers decor goes from summer to fall instantly and all that changes is the pumpkins. Switch pumpkins and burnt orange out for pine sprigs and cranberries and you’re into winter. It’s truly amazing what just a few springs can do to elevate a space.

I know this is a very simple concept, but I want you to hear from at least one person this season that you don’t have to buy anything new, that you’re allowed to decorate however you want even if your decor is ten years old and you don’t have to go into debt to decorate. Ok? Ok. Cool.

Happy Decorating!