Pretty Things that Nobody “Needs”

I can fill up a basket full of things I like and talk myself out of every item. This might be my biggest decorating dilemma of all.

When I read Gretchin Rubin’s Happiness Project, I closed the book with a few realizations about myself, one being that I’m an under-buyer, as opposed to an over-buyer. The main criterion that put me into the under-buyer category was this statement–You often consider buying an item, then decide, “I’ll get this some other time” or “Maybe we don’t really need this.” I even go as far as returning to the store with the intent to purchase the items I walked away from previously and talk myself out of them all over again.

Sometimes, under-buying contradicts a goal. I want my house to be well decorated and styled, but I have trouble finding throw pillows I don’t return to their home on the shelves. I know to achieve my goal, I need art on the wall, but I’d rather buy something else, or even nothing at all.

I have loved the quote below since I first read it, but now, I am learning to embrace the “beautiful” part.

The under-buyer side of me has cared largely about function, and often neglected beauty. Interior Designer Albert Hadley said it well when he said, “Decoration is really about creating a quality of life, and a beauty in that life that nourishes the soul.”

While I will always be an under-buyer at heart, and even admire that trait in many, I am realizing that sometimes the goal has to be bigger than my own resistance, and that beauty can be as important as function, or my goal will not ever be achieved.

And so, as you can see below, I have picked up a few items to bring style, order, and a bit of whimsy to my home.

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In true frugal fashion, I picked up most things on clearance, or in outlets, so many of the items above are no longer available or do not reflect the prices I paid.

If you are looking to style your shelves, I have been pouring over images that point toward picking up bookends, trays, decorative boxes, lamps, throw pillows, and figurines. If you have more styling tips for a novice such as myself, please, comment below.

Thanks for Reading,

♥ Dominique