How to Buy Less Decor and Still Have a Beautiful Home

Learn how to buy less decor and still have a beautiful home! Decorating seasonally doesn't have to break the bank or add a bunch of clutter to your house!

Welcome, welcome! So I'm delighted to be a part of the Seasonal Simplicity Home Tours, hosted by my dear friend Krista from The Happy Housie!

If you're popping over from Chelsea's place at Two Twenty One, welcome! Isn't her loft area so beautiful?

I thought I'd take you on a little tour of our kitchen, sunroom, and living room today-- c'mon in!

My Struggle with Seasonal Decor

This post contains affiliate links. For more information, see my disclosures here.

I must confess: before I was a blogger, I actually didn't do a ton of seasonal decorating.

While I've always loved creating a beautiful, welcoming home, there is also a part of me that is intensely practical. (Also, cheap. 🙂 )

So I became torn.

I love, love, love to decorate. I love pretty things and pretty spaces.

But spending tons of money on new decor for each season didn't really line up with that practical streak, not to mention that I would then have to find a place to store all of my newly acquired items when they weren't in season, which didn't really seem like the best use of my space.

Now don't get me wrong-- there are people who LOVE to decorate for each season, buy new things, and switch out their decor often, and I think that is awesome. That is their passion and their gift and I think they should embrace it and use it to its fullest.

But in my case, I went out searching for a balance. How do I create a beautiful, welcoming home that reflects the current season without having to buy (and store) a ton of new decor all the time?

Incorporating a Whole House Uniform

As I was wrestling with that question, I got to thinking about successful people like Mark Zuckerberg and Michael Kors and several others who have simplified their lives and their decision making by adopting a uniform.

They choose to wear the same thing each day in order to free up some brain space by having to make one less decision, while always guaranteeing that they feel comfortable and confident at the same time.

And if a uniform could work for streamlining their clothing, could it work for streamlining my home as well?

So over the past year or so, I've started experimenting more and more with the "uniform" concept for our house. It worked out well timing-wise because we have been in our house for less than three years and are still making a lot of decorating decisions, so while I was at it anyway, it seemed like a good idea to streamline.

I took what I knew about my design style-- that I loved lots and lots of neutrals with pops of aqua and some hints of blush pink here and there-- and adopted that scheme in nearly every room of our house.

After years of trying different colors and styles, I always seem to come back to this combination. To me it is calming, welcoming, and beautiful-- all things I want to experience when I spend time at home.

Benefits of Adopting a Whole House Uniform

I have been thrilled to find out that this strategy has had even more benefits than I had originally expected!

Simplifying Decorating Decisions

First, it guarantees that each room in our house will match my preferred aesthetic. I don't have to guess at whether things will work well together-- I already know that they do because I've used that same combination before.

It also makes the decor pieces I own more versatile. Since the colors and style in each room is so similar, I can easily swap things out from space to space, and everything still works well together. When I'm feeling like a room could use a fresh look, I can shop my house and make some changes without having to buy anything new.

Providing Guidelines for Buying New Items

In that sense, it has saved me money as well! I still buy new pieces occasionally, but I make sure that they can fit in with the uniform and work in multiple spaces around the house.

When I buy something new, I have also been trying to go for one larger piece that can make an impact on its own for a cleaner, streamlined look, rather than a bunch of smaller items that could end up looking cluttered.

Minimizing Clutter

And speaking of which... My spaces are less cluttered, too, because I don't need to keep as much decor around.

Since I'm committed to our "uniform," I was able to donate or give away items that didn't fit that particular aesthetic. It freed up space in our home, and the people who received our items were happy to put them to work in their own houses-- win-win!

Streamlining Seasonal Decor

And of course, employing the uniform also solves my original struggle with seasonal decor.

Rather than trying to work in traditional color schemes at different times of year-- like Christmas or Thanksgiving, for example-- I have just stuck with the palette that I know I love in our home and have added seasonal touches in those colors.

This way, my same basic pieces work for most of the year. I add more flowers (real and faux) in the spring and summer, pop in a few pumpkins in the fall, and add some extra sparkle and a few trees for Christmas, but I can use many of my pillows, throws, and tchotchkes all year around.

Incorporating a Whole House Uniform in Your Own Home

I realize that the "whole house uniform" philosophy definitely won't be for everyone. If you love to go all out with traditional seasonal decor or are a color lover and it makes you happy to have all different colors throughout the house, go for it!

That's what I love so much about creating a home. There's no one "right" answer. Everyone will have styles and color schemes that make them happy, and they can incorporate those into the spaces they come home to each day!

But if you're looking to streamline a bit, maybe consider giving the uniform strategy a try. It definitely doesn't have to be done all at once. I've spent years working on our house, and I still have a long list of things I want to do! I've just moved in that direction slowly over time.

And your "uniform" can look completely different than mine. Hone in on what you love, the colors and styles you seem to be using a lot of anyway, and use those as a starting point.

Then when you're adding new elements to your home, simply choose items that fit that aesthetic. It definitely doesn't have to be complicated!

And if you're looking for some gorgeous home inspiration as you think about your own preferred style, be sure to visit the talented ladies on this week's tour! They have some beautiful spaces in store for you.

The incredible Summer Adams is up next, and you can catch the rest of the tours by clicking the links below!

Nearly 40 bloggers are sharing their summer home tours this week! Sharing with me today are...

Thursday

Kim Power Style // Maison de Pax // Jenna Kate at Home // Two Twenty One // Just a Girl and Her Blog

Summer Adams // tatertots and jello // The Tattered Pew // Aratari at Home // Crisp Collective

And sharing the rest of the week...

Monday

The Happy Housie // Rooms FOR Rent // Shabbyfufu // Maison de Cinq // My 100 Year Old Home

Southern State of Mind // All Things with Purpose // Grace in My Space // Love Create Celebrate

Tuesday

Town and Country Living // Taryn Whiteaker Designs // Designthusiasm // This is Our Bliss // My Sweet Savannah

Rambling Renovators // The Turquoise Home // Clean and Scentsible // She Gave it a Go //Lemon Thistle

Wednesday

Modern Glam // Craftberry Bush // Setting for Four // Inspiration for Moms // Zevy Joy

Life is a Party // Tauni Everett // Finding Silver Pennies // Sincerely, Marie Designs // Amber Tysl

Sources for Our Home

Click on any of the images below to be taken to the item's source.

Kitchen

Sunroom

Living Room

Do you use a similar color scheme throughout your house, or do you prefer to switch it up from room to room?

Thank you so much for stopping by! Have a wonderful day!

This post contains affiliate links. For more information, see my disclosures here.