Young House Love

Home Decorating & DIY Tutorials

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How To Decorate More Confidently

Happy hump-day afternoon, y’all! I made you guys a little something. I realized that while many of our posts are tutorials or projects or planning or shopping related (how we built this, what fill-in-the-blank we found on craigslist, how we painted that, etc) only around 2% of them have touched on the heart of the whole DIY thing: just doing you and having the faith/courage/conviction/confidence to go for it when it comes to creating a home that you love.

So if you’re feeling stuck or second guessing yourself (goodness knows we do that!) these simple words from people far wiser than ourselves might be all that you need to pull the cord and go for it. Because if you’re not all in when it comes to making your house your own, well, there probably won’t be anyone else who can swoop in and save you.

LoveWhatYouLove

I thought making these quotes into free printables for you guys would be fun (using instagram photos we’ve snapped as the background). So feel free to print ’em out and tack them up on your bulletin board or frame one on your wall for a nice daily reminder to go nuts making your house feel like you and no one else. That’s my wish for everyone on this little DIY journey. Not to have a house that everyone loves (how is that even possible?) but to create a home that you’re completely crazy about – whatever that might look like. Note: This one wasn’t said by this B.B. it was this one.

YourOwnStyle

As for how to get to the higher res. printables, just click any of the images in this post and a 5 x 5″ printable should pop up in a new window that you can right-click to download or drag onto your desktop. I went with 5 x 5″ since that’s the size of the prints we had over our sofa in the last house – and they look awesome with a fabric background and the white mat that comes with each of these $19 Ribba frames from Ikea.

Instagram5

I thought I’d toss this one in for any bloggers, writers, or authors-of-Facebook-poetry who might need a reminder to hang over their computer:

PerfectionWriting

Comments

  1. lauren says

    Just what I needed to get inspired for this long Labor Day weekend. We will be paining our (first) nursery for our little boy due in Dec. YAY! I’ve already got colors picked out and just need to purchase primer! I’m ready to go!!

    Thanks Sherry!

    Reply

  2. Sarah says

    Haha good thing you clarified… I read the quote first and was all “a Baldwin brother said that? Really? Hmmm”

    Reply

    • Juanita says

      ya, thanks for clarifying! i was thinking… “ummm…do i really want a quote from one of the baldwin bro’s.” lol

    • YoungHouseLove says

      I feel like the last shot will be him on his boat, speeding off into the sunset… (I kept thinking he’d die when the season started but now I’m in denial I think).

      xo
      s

  6. Tyra says

    We don’t have show time so we are always a season behind in dexter (waiting for the DVDs to get to Netflix), but you just made me really wish we had it! Dying to watch the final season!

    Reply

  10. Maddie says

    LOVE these and love the overall message. Printing the pencil one for my desk asap. Thanks for the pep talk and inspiration :)

    Reply

  11. Laurie says

    Your timing is right on. I’m at that place right now where I think I’ve made a decisions but then everyone’s “helpful” cautions just put me into analysis paralysis.

    Sometimes it’s a fine line from what maintains the selling value of the house and designing for an unknown person who may buy your how someday.

    Reply

    • Kathy says

      Laurie, I just want to say you are RIGHT ON with that last part. The whole thing, actually, I often back myself into indecision-corner, worrying if whatever we’re doing is really going to “pay off” in the future – I need to get over it! (unless it’s a huge huge huge bucket of money we’ll be spending)

  13. Elise says

    What I’m loving right now is THIS POST! :D Hugs all around, guys, and thanks for the printables. That last one is really resonating with me this afternoon.

    Reply

  14. Kelsey says

    Great reminders! Also, just a heads up that in my RSS reader the post cuts off just before the video. I figure it’s just some wonky formatting.

    Reply

  15. Lucy says

    This is perfect! I’m stealing these quotes and putting them on my blog. I’ve been collecting quotes like this, for the past week because I’ve seen so much design snobbery on blogs lately that it had me feeling a little down for not loving everything they said I had to love to be a REAL designer.

    I try to always tell people there are NO rules to decorating. Really. Just some good guidelines, but to do what they love.

    Thank you!

    Reply

  16. Ashley says

    Love the timely post! I made some bad, first-timer decisions when we bought our house 3 years ago, and that has instilled a fear of making any further decisions. I’m really trying to get over that though, since we still have a lot of renovating to do! And we haven’t even touched decorating since I can’t commit to a layout. Hopefully these words will motivate me to finally get moving on that and loving my house!

    Reply

  17. Jennah says

    There’s an extra space in front of the last line in the first one :)

    xoxo
    an editor who can’t help it and who has randomly been commenting a lot lately

    Reply

  18. Marcie says

    I never comment, but I’m a long time follower! This post really touched my heart, especially the Alder quote.

    I recently painted my front door yellow and have had friends and family question my decision-I try to act like it doesn’t bother me but my feelings always get hurt.
    At the end of the day I LOVE IT and it make me smile when I come home. I suppose that’s all that really matter

    thanks for this :)

    Reply

    • Tessa says

      I painted our shed door bright turquoise. My husband’s friend made a negative comment about it… but I love it. And I wouldn’t consider him much of a tastemaker, anyway. It makes me smile, just like you! Who know doors were day brighteners?

  19. betty (the sweaty betty) says

    ahhhh I cancelled my showtime subscription before I remembered i’m still watching dexter. i’ll probably just get the whole season once theyre all done and I can watch 12 episodes in 10 hours :) hahah that’s how I roll.

    Reply

  21. MMingo says

    Love this!! As a blogger I love the Margaret Atwood one. Thanks for making and sharing these.
    OK now onto Dexter..OMG!!I’m all caught up and will try not do give any spoilers but I’ve been calling an all death finale. Seriously, I can’t see it end any other way! My husband think I’m crazy. I say it every week…”All death finale!!” I also watched an interview with the actress who plays Vogul and she said Dexter fans will be “bereaved” with the ending. One can only assume.
    PS I also love the new Eminem song and I’ve had a mad crush on him since 1999. I was excited after I got married my initial became M&M :) :)

    Reply

  23. Casey says

    Sometimes you need to see just the right quotes…these are those :) Also, don’t you just love Jonathan Adler?? Gah, I feel like he GETS me!

    Reply

  24. Kylie Helm says

    Thanks for this, Sherry. As a new blogger..it can be really discouraging sometimes seeing how fantastic other homes look, and how wonderful it all seems to come together. It’s hard to remember that it all takes time, and as long as you’re faithful to your tastes and creating a home worth loving…it doesn’t get better than that.

    Thank you!

    Kylie

    Reply

  26. Stephanie says

    Love this post, thanks so much for it and all you do! Also, I am a big fan of Dexter and am torn between my impatience for the next episode and my sadness that this last season is going too quickly and I will have no more Dexter in my life. #dexteraddiction #cantthisshowlastforever?

    Reply

  27. Jess says

    This post comes at the most apt time for me! Huge Thank you.

    After working hard for years all that me and hubby could afford was a small 50 year old ranch home in Jersey.

    What’s worse is that back in March when a relative found out that I am searching for a home, they got jealous and bought a huge McMansion. They threw a house warming party past weekend. I came to my apartment feeling like a looser and all nervous about what will all those people think of my old tiny home. I will remind myself to Love what I love.

    Reply

    • Sandra T says

      Jess, I feel your pain. Try to remember that the person you speak of is now in BIG debt. And you are not. Believe me, that is the better way to live your life! And sleep well at night.

      Sandra, owner of 1970’s house in NJ

  30. Judy CS says

    While, I already loved your blog, you just made love you that much more with your declared love for Eminem…

    Made my day!!!

    Reply

  32. Laura says

    Somehow I’m surprised, even though I shouldn’t be. I’m in the growing-pains stage of a business venture right now; and I prayed today for a sign that would be obvious to me whether I should continue or not. Well… consider yourselves the messengers for The Big Dude, because I got my answer RIGHT HERE. :)

    And, these will SO get printed and pinned onto the corkboard.

    THANKS, GUYS!!!

    Reply

  33. Sam Frank says

    These are so sweet! I can’t wait to get them up on my walls!

    Thank you for this, what a nice gesture to brighten a dreary gray day (at least here in PA)!

    Reply

  37. Jennifer says

    So funny…I’ve been thinking this season of Dexter is the WORST! Very boring to me (way too many bland/awkward conversations with Hannah & Vogel) Dexter’s acting also seems weak – but I’m so intrigued to see the end. Maybe I’m in the minority though – still love the show overall. The previews for these last few episodes finally look like some exciting stuff happens!

    Oh, and I love the prints. The last one might get used in my classroom :) Thanks!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      That’s so funny! We thought last season was sort of blah until it picked up at the end, but we’re on the edge of our seats with the last 4 or so episodes…

      xo
      s

    • Rebecca | the lil house that could says

      Gah I felt this way about the this season too! We watched the first couple of episodes, then cancelled cable and haven’t caught up. We can stream them, but we just didn’t have that edge of our seats feeling like we usually do (and we got hooked on Mad Men) If you say it’s picked up though, I’m intrigued and will have to have a mini marathon soon!

  38. Alisha says

    I just love you guys. You always throw something new at us and this made my day. It’s like you knew it was a hard day and I needed this uplifting break. Thank you for being your awesome selves!

    Reply

  39. Nell @ Allbritton or Nothing says

    I do everything that Oprah tells me to, and she says that your home is supposed to rise up to meet you. Not anybody else. Just you. I think the Petersiks do an INCREDIBLE job of making your home a place that brings joy to you when you walk through the door. I don’t read every single day because I agree with every choice you make. I read because you show me how I can do what I want to do in my own home. I didn’t know how to paint furniture until you told me how. Why shouldn’t I install my own tile? YHL showed me how!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Aw, I love that Oprah quote! Nate Berkus had some amazing ones too. Something about ‘guarding your threshold and not bringing in anything you don’t love’ – I love the idea of guarding my house and only filling it with adored things.

      xo
      s

    • Bonnie says

      I agree with Nell re: why I read YHL! There is this dumb ‘thin brick’ over drywall in the entranceway of my small house that was poorly put on by the previous owner. Some of its crooked, some pieces fell off, the gaps between the bricks are enormous and it was never completely filled in with mortar. I’ve just been living with it, but after seeing what you did with white washing, I think it will actually make it look good and interesting while opening the place up. I’ll probably hire someone since it goes up a 15 foot wall over stairs, but I’m actually excited about it now.

    • Brandi says

      Oh come on, Jennie. You can’t tell me that you don’t find it inane that Sherry thinks we would want to FRAME a picture she took of pencils and slapped some text on. I mean, really!? I’m all for a heartfelt blog post about DIY motivation or something similar, but to spend a couple minutes on some Instagram graphics and assume anyone would want to frame that just really rubs me the wrong way.

    • YoungHouseLove says

      I think it’s extremely easy to tell someone how to blog or decorate their house. Heck, that’s exactly what this post is about! Our goal is to write and decorate for ourselves, which is what got us here. Some posts are big projects, others are small random musings. We like the mix. It keeps us inspired and saves us from burning out after 6 straight years of DIY. We’d never expect everyone to love every post (I scroll through other blogs all the time and just pause to read the posts that grab me) so it always surprises me when someone expects to be entertained or amazed by every single post that we share. That’s waaay too much pressure!

      xo,
      s

    • Angel says

      I think the whole point of this post went over your head Brandi. Sorry if you are having a bad day. I hope tomorrow finds you in a better mood.

      Thanks for the inspiration as always, J&S.

    • Jennie says

      I don’t think it’s inane at all, but we all have different opinions, of course. It looks like a lot of people found inspiration here today, so I think that is a lot more powerful than expressing irritation over something with an intended positive vibe. Don’t we all have more important things to get rubbed the wrong way about?

    • Ashlie says

      Brandi’s not alone. Glad this post works for so many other people, but I think this my last time reading YHL. Too much filler, not enough substance for my anymore. Can’t even agree with you on Dexter, this season is a Snoozefest.

    • Callie says

      I hope this comes across as “pep-talk” and not snarky: Your response “saves us from burning out after 6 straight years of DIY.” Burn out? Really? I personally was very offended by this. Didn’t you both CHOOSE to become full-time DIYers? Aren’t you putting your time and effort into your “DREAM” home (not like this house is just a means to and end)? Maybe you should start reminiscing about your previous full-time jobs and remember what true burn out really is. Time to check out of the pity party and get back to work… All the best…

    • YoungHouseLove says

      It’s true that this job was truly born from a passion of ours (we wrote hundreds of posts without making a dime), for which we’re very grateful. But I think even if you love your job like crazy you still have to go at a sustainable pace that fuels your creativity instead of draining it. Everyone needs to pace themselves no matter what they’re doing or how much they love it, right? So we work at a pace that works for our family. Those who enjoy it come back, and those who don’t do not, and we’re cool with that. Doing what works for our family is much more important than chasing hits or money for us.

      xo,
      s

    • Callie says

      Wow, I feel like you just tossed me an invitation to see myself out and not come back, so I will graciously accept and wish you well.

    • Stefanie says

      I have to agree. I’ve just taken YHL off my reader after several years of following along and buying their book. I used to tell my friends about “this cool thing I saw on YHL today!” Now, whenever YHL comes up, it’s always in the context of “How can they make so much money doing absolutely nothing?”

      It’s hard to believe that your job is so stressful that posts like these keep you from burning out. Every day, there’s a new photo on Instagram showing you guys going somewhere with Clara (museums, parks, beaches). Your latest posts have had no details that would be helpful whatsoever to someone doing DIY (“We hung a light! It was really hard! See, it’s pretty!”)

      This attitude is really discouraging to those of us who work a full week (my husband and I often work 55+ hours) and do these projects on the weekend. We’ve managed to do the same amount of renovating on weekends and evenings that you’ve done with two adults allegedly putting full-time hours in on the job. Don’t you see how frustrating it is to then say that you’re so burnt out and your readers are picking on you?

      I used to truly love your blog, and I used to admire the two of you and your work ethic. I visited your sponsors, I bought products because you recommended them. This isn’t just some angry internet troll – I’m a real person with real disappointment that a blog I loved and felt inspired by has turned into this.

    • YoungHouseLove says

      I’m so sorry you feel that way, Stefanie. And while I don’t agree that we’re “doing absolutely nothing” I can completely understand that some readers enjoy certain phases of our decorating process more than others (ex: the beginning might be exciting for some and boring to others). In the past 3 months since moving in we’ve laid hardwoods in 5 rooms, painted all the trim/doors on our 2nd floor, stripped/restained our deck after patching a hole, gutted our sunroom & lofted the ceiling, removed wallpaper in and painted several rooms, painted the front door/sidelights, and whitewashed our fireplace. I think it’s the most we’ve ever done in 3 months after a move! We’ve always said that we do most projects at night & weekends just like everyone else (during the day we switch off between taking care of Clara and sizing photos, writing posts, answering comments, managing sponsors/giveaways, working on the showhouse or book stuff, etc). I’m very sorry if our Instagram photos make it look like we play all day, we just try to capture fun moments that happen between the work stuff (we figure photos of ourselves painting endless trim, typing at our computers, or filing our quarterly taxes would be a drag, haha!). But again, I’m very sorry for your disappointment.

      xo,
      s

    • Alison says

      Stephanie, your response really struck a cord with me. I have noticed the instagram photos. We don’t go to the Fair here because it costs so much. It does seem like they have a pretty lavish life these days. I use to check this blog first thing. Not any more. I think you have lost some of the passion you speak of. And it seems like you spend a lot of money these days. Must be nice.

    • YoungHouseLove says

      The county fair is $8 a person for adults and free for Clara (anyone under 5 is free) so to us $16 is well worth a night of family fun. We’ve gone with John’s parents every year since we moved to Richmond 7 years ago and have blogged about it in our archives too :)

      xo
      s

    • Liv says

      Hmm, Sherry, I think you make a valid point on thinking it strange that people expect to be entertained or amazed by every post. It is a lot of pressure. But on the other hand, you guys make a lot of money off this blogging deal. You’re not just putting this stuff up for fun – you’re making a VERY comfortable living off it. Why shouldn’t we expect a certain quality of material from you? If you’re not going to put out quality material, then why should you be getting paid so much for doing this?

      You really can’t see why it’s frustrating for some readers to see you complain about burn-out? Sure, you guys do a lot of back end blog stuff during the days. Sure, you have to do house stuff during evenings and weekends. But one of you is not working for half the time while you take care of Clara. You don’t have treacherous commutes to get to and from an office every day. You have the flexibility to go on family outings any time, trips, etc. You both get to watch your kid grow up. And at the end of the day, your job is making your house look nicer, which the rest of us have to do in addition to our regular jobs and don’t get paid for it. And to top it all off, you’re pulling in tons of dough.

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Hi Liv, thanks for your comment. We’re hardly Scrooge McDucking it over here and rolling out in fancy clothes and luxury cars, but we’re extremely grateful to make a living from this blog and apologize if it sounded like we take anything for granted. It seems Sherry’s comment may have been misunderstood as complaining about actually being burned out, but she was just saying that we guard ourselves from staying up all night to do a ton of additional projects in an attempt to chase everyone’s approval or hits/income, because that would be an exhausting and futile existence. We want to deliver quality content as much as you want to read it, so for those who feel we’re not doing that, I’m sorry. At any given time over the last few years we’ve heard “This is my favorite project to date!” and “This blog jumped the shark. It used to be so much better!” – sometimes within the same post. Some people want short easy-to-digest posts while others want them meaty & detailed, some want us to spend more and stop being so cheap while others want us to spend less, some want simple projects at a real pace while others want big makeovers every day. We do our best to deliver a variety of posts based on the projects and topics that we find interesting at a pace that we can sustain. We did acknowledge in this post that our pace would be different at this house, just so that we can make the most thoughtful design decisions (we also fully acknowledged that some people might like that approach less). We’re certainly aware that if the majority of our readers no longer like our blog and tune out, our traffic and income will be the first to take a hit, but we’re very thankful that we get to do this for a living for as long as it lasts – whether it’s a few months, another year, or a decade.

      -John

  41. Jeana says

    I love this and agree, thanks for sharing. I was reading one of your forums about “design mistakes” and I started feeling a little bad. So what if you like themed rooms, vinyl on the walls, or family photographs on your walls…if you love it then do it. Maybe your house won’t end up in a magazine but every time you come home and it makes you happy then mission accomplished. I love reading your blog and all your ideas and probably was a little too sensitive to the mistakes because I have done a few of them.

    Reply

  43. MMingo says

    Love this!! As a blogger I especially love the Margaret Atwood one :)
    OK onto Dexter! My husband thinks I’m nuts, but I’ve been saying “All death finale” since the beginning of the season. I really don’t see it ending any other way??! Him and Hannah riding off into the Argentinian sunset with Harrison in hand just seems to go to be true! Although, I’d be happy with that ending, but it’s not very “Dexter-ish”. Also, I saw an interview with the actress who plays Vogul and she said Dexter fans will be “bereaved” with the ending. So who knows!
    PS: I love the new Eminem song, but we have to wait until November 5ht for the full album. NOOOOO!!! I’ve had a mad crush on him since 1998 :)

    Reply

  44. Julianne says

    Always nice to have little reminders of this. Trying to stage a place for sale takes a little of the fun outta decorating, but I definitely have that bright spot burning in my heart for the next place. Can’t wait to start digging into a space I love and make it my own! :0)

    Reply

  45. Jennie says

    Love the quotes! Thanks for sharing them, and for the great reminder that your home is for you. We are remodeling right now, and it can be hard to stay sane amidst the seemingly millions of decisions (and indecisions …) Sometimes there is pressure to do what is popular for resale, but I love our house and only want to do what is right for us!

    Reply

  48. ashley says

    His voice is like nails on a chalkboard. Sorry Sherry. xo
    My boyfriend is Macklemore. Don’t tell the hubs. :)

    Reply

  50. Juanita says

    oh and Dexter…OH EM GEE!!! i cannot wait to see how it ends!! i really hope it’s a happy, sail into the sunset kind of ending, but something tells me i’m going to be sad.

    Reply

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