It’s Rachel, here. Can we discuss “home decor” today? Good, I thought you might want to! As an artist, I’m often asked to help friends decorate their personal spaces, like Priscilla’s office. I’m always glad to help, but I have to give a huge disclaimer that I’m not an ACTUAL interior designer – just someone who enjoys making things look good. I’ve learned a few tricks from the real experts I’ve worked with, and the first one is this:
Start with an inspiration piece.
It could be a piece of fabric from a sofa or drapery.
It could be a furniture piece that you love.
A famous painting.
Or a collection from Pottery Barn.
It could be a rug you found at Home Depot, or a vase from Target with that perfect shade of blue-green in it. Your inspiration could even be a place, like a vacation spot or a restaurant. The point is, having a starting point is vital to pulling together a room you’ll love. When I’m working on a decorating project, I’ll often carry bits of fabric, paint chips and photos in my purse so I can make decisions based on my goal, and not on a moment of emotional weakness. “But it’s on sale!” is usually not a good enough reason to pull something into the mix that I’ll regret later.
All this decorating talk has made me think of keeping “spiritual inspiration” on hand. For example, carrying scriptures around in my purse or car keeps me focused on the goal of being heavenly minded. They remind me to choose what is important, and what will please the Lord. Having a clear picture of “what would Jesus do?” can only come when I spend time getting to know Him in His Word. And surrounding myself with other believers who exhibit Christlikeness in their lives inspires me to keep working on making my life beautiful – inside and out. It’s the same principle as decorating, except a whole lot more important.
While Priscilla and I work on finding the right inspiration piece for her office, let me ask you:
What inspires YOU? How does having inspiration make a difference in your life? Do you inspire others?
Rachel-Anne
