How to Create a Whole House Uniform

Learn how to create a whole house uniform that allows you 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!

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

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

You can see the solution I came up with in video format below, or keep reading to check it out in blog post/picture format!

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As I was wrestling with balancing my love of decorating with my "practical" side, 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 few years, I've started experimenting more and more with the "uniform" concept for our house. It worked out well timing-wise because we had only been in our house for a short time when I started and were 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. (Though I do occasionally still bring out the red at Christmas!)

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. Pinpoint 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!

Help Choosing the Perfect Color Scheme for Your Home

My friend Corey from Hey There, Home is a genius when it comes to creating color schemes for your whole house, and she has a free printable cheat sheet that can help walk you through the process. Snag it by clicking the button below.

And if you want to dig even deeper, you can take Corey's free class, 3 Simple Steps for Choosing and Using Color in Your House Like a Pro, by signing up right here.

It's totally possible to have a beautiful, seasonal home you love without having to spend big bucks on decor all the time or add a bunch of clutter to your house. The whole house uniform philosophy-- while not for everyone-- can be a huge help in streamlining your space and helping you fall in love with it all over again!

Let me know in the comments below-- what is your favorite color scheme to use in your home??

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Thank you so much for following along! Have a wonderful day!

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