Nate Berkus, the interior decorator to the stars and former host of The Nate Show, often said, “Your house should rise up to meet you!” What does that mean? Mainly that your home should reflect your life, and “a life well lived” is reflected in a house that tells your story. In other words, your home should include all of life’s treasures – things you love – that invoke good feelings.      A recent conversation with local designer Elizabeth Melhorn, of Ten Lime Design, revealed how to create a home that tells your story. She reveals the goal is to remind us where we’ve been, who we are, and what we love. The first step is to decide what pieces you want to take to your new home; remember, only the pieces you LOVE! Build your home around the items you want to keep. The other furniture can be added in along the way, but don’t design around them. Next, let go of those things that have no meaning. Get rid of pieces you “got on sale” or picked up because you thought they were “cute,” but then never really used. Sometimes we hang on to things because they cost us a fortune and we remember writing that big check, maybe it’s time to let go. Instead, examine your current home and itemize only your absolute favorite things – these will be the building blocks of your design. Let’s talk about budget, because the reality is the ideas on Pinterest are indeed free, but the acquisition of new furniture is not. You may need to add in some pieces when your budget allows. Elizabeth Melhorn offers these suggestions if you are feeling overwhelmed:

1. Create a house board or a Pinterest board and collect photographs of everything you like; don’t overthink it. After you’ve gathered pictures of all the things you love, examine the board to see what is consistent in all the pictures. This will help you narrow down what you want, and identify recurring themes in your tastes.
2. Clearly identify what you want to take with you to your new home. Remember – focus on the items you love.
3. Pinpoint the colors you like. Again, using boards and Pinterest will help with this. Perusing the paint stores is also helpful, and you can take a “paint chip” home to spend time with the color.
4. Make a budget and identify what you can do now versus later. Create a timeline of when you can acquire new pieces.

Finally, be realistic. We love the great “show homes” and model homes in our communities, but those houses are designed to show off hot design trends. They aren’t intended for everyday living with the realities of clutter, kids, and pets. Gather inspiration from these homes and incorporate the trends you like, but layer your own pieces with those trends. Remember, new homes – while shiny and pretty- have no past or story. By borrowing their trends and balancing them with your own pieces that bring you joy, you will create a home that shows the world who you are, and ultimately rises up to meet you.