How to Avoid Mindlessly Buying Home Décor
Simple guidance to prevent you from blowing your budget on things you don't need when decorating a space...
I love shopping for home décor. No, really—I love it. I practically live for those moments nowadays when my budget is flush enough to prompt a trip to HomeGoods or my favorite antique store to source new art, linens, pillows, furniture, or baskets for our space. Being able to wander the aisles and fill my cart with curated treasures is my idea of the perfect day. But now I do my very best to do so with intention rather than simply to satisfy my arbitrary need for retail therapy.
I remember back in the day when we were young and living frivolously I would shop constantly for home décor. I went to antique stores every single weekend, and I felt this unnamed pressure to buy something every time I went. I had gotten to know the shop owners at that point, and was too shy to just wave and offer a quick “Have a good day!” before leaving empty-handed. Instead, I would wander until I found something I liked, even a little bit, just so I could go to the register with something in hand to satisfy the shop owner.
This, of course, meant that our tiny townhouse was absolutely bursting with excessive home décor. I still cringe to think back on that time—not just because of my icky insecurities, but because of how much money I wasted and how I filled our home with unnecessary baggage.
Just before we moved, John and I ended up taking multiple car loads of décor to charity shops for donation, and I remember living for weeks under a mountain of mental angst calculating all the money I had wasted.
This recollection might sound overly dramatic, but I know that going through all of that taught me a key life lesson: that shopping for home décor needs to be done with absolute intention, not just for fun—and certainly not to make some shop owner feel validated. I hope I’m not the only one who did this…
Ten years later, I’ve adjusted my mindset when it comes to shopping for home décor. I no longer run to the antique or “Big Box” home store (think: Target, HomeGoods) every weekend, and I also keep a running list of reminders in my head when I do happen to go shopping for current room makeovers. Keep scrolling for my tips for reining things in and buying only the very best for your space.
How to Avoid Mindlessly Buying Home Décor…
If you can wait, don’t buy an item right away. Let’s say you come across a lovely vintage framed floral print, but you don’t necessarily need it. If an item is on your “want” list but not so much a “need,” then leave it behind. At least for me personally, I’ll often get a rush of excitement simply from the discovery itself, but then forget about it a couple of days later. This is an easy way to distinguish something as unnecessary. On the other hand, if you can’t stop thinking about the item days or even weeks later, then treat yourself! That tells you that it’s something really special, and worth splurging on. I never want to disparage purchasing things “for fun” because it really is so much fun, but it’s important to define whether it’s the item that excites you or simply the discovery itself. Go back for it if the piece is still calling your name days later! But be prepared to accept that it wasn’t meant to be if it’s already been sold.
One of my favorite ways to decide if it’s worth making a specific purchase is questioning its versatility. Can I reuse the item in another room when I inevitably change my mind on a certain room design and need to move it elsewhere? Are there other spaces in our home that could absorb the art print/nightstand/table lamp that I’m considering? If not and it will only work in one room, then it’s not a wise investment, and it’s best to leave it for someone else to discover.
If home décor shopping is sort of a compulsory obsession for you, too, then it might be best to only go to the store when you have a list of real needs. I have a running list on the Notes app in my phone that names all of the home décor accents that we genuinely need for any given room in our home. For example, I’ve been on the hunt for a marble drying mat for our kitchen and a rust-colored quilt for our primary bedroom. Because I know that I actually need these things, I can go to HomeGoods and shop with intention. This keeps me from wandering aimlessly down the aisles filling my cart at random. Instead, I make a beeline for the appropriate décor departments and stick to my list. Turns out this is a much more satisfying way to shop anyway—I think it has something to do with being able to cross something specific off my list.
Finally, if you’re working on a more substantial room makeover, try making a digital mood board to hone in on your purchase plan ahead of time. This allows you to test out different colors, patterns, and styles of home décor before you even leave the house to go shopping. This is the very best way to shop with intention, in my opinion.
What are your favorite ways to avoid mindlessly shopping for home décor? I’d love to know your tips and how you make it fun, so leave a comment with your suggestions. I love that I’ve gotten to the point in my life when I can acknowledge that home décor shopping can be both thrilling and purposeful just by making a few key mind shifts.
Things worth mentioning this week…
New On The Blog: One of my goals for this year is to share more budget-conscious DIY projects, starting with this plain white $90 nightstand that I made over using wallpaper scraps and samples. Read the tutorial here.
What I’m Watching: I’ve been sick for the past two weeks, and stuck in bed for the majority of that time. I decided on a whim one morning to start Nobody Wants This, on Netflix and absolutely loved it! So witty, unexpected, and charming.
What I’m Reading: I just finished The Idea Of You (like fifteen minutes ago, actually), and wasn’t as impressed as I thought I would be having already seen the movie. Frankly, I’d suggest not even bothering with the book. Just watch the movie instead! I’m going to start The Assassin’s Blade tonight and can’t wait to continue that saga.
Noteworthy Substack: I really enjoyed Wanting What You Have by Megan Karp. You can read the whole post for a more anecdotal take on being an influencer and inadvertently promoting consumerism, but I feel like the best advice was at the end of the story starting with “How am I training my mind to do this? A few ways:” I loved reading the whole post, though, and felt more empowered to want what I already have.
Favorite Recent Purchase: I haven’t been buying much home décor lately, but I did happen to have a credit at Loft thanks to a holiday return, so I treated myself to a new outfit that I know I’ll get tons of wear out of: this striped sweater and these jeans. I’m wearing both right now, actually!
Looking Forward To: Springtime. Don’t get me wrong—there’s so much to love about winter, but I’m really excited by the idea of being able to read outside on the front porch and seeing green leaves back on the trees. What’s the weather like where you are? Have you broken out your shorts and sandals yet?
A few favorite posts from the Dream Green DIY archives in case you’re new here:
Weekly editorial notes and requests…
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