My Decorating Philosophy

When I decorate, what I like to keep in mind and what I consider to be my "decorating philosophy," is layering. This isn't a technical or formal term by any means, it's just the best way I know to describe what I do to achieve a look that I like when it comes to decor.

So what do I mean by layering? Basically this means accessorizing, but more specifically, it means grouping items or adding one item on top of another and this can be items of differing heights, styles, textures, etc. I could ramble on and on, but the best way to explain it will be to show you!

This first picture is of my bedroom at my old college apartment. It came furnished (none of which you can see in this picture, except the bed) with a dresser a desk and the bed which had a plain wooden headboard. As you can see, though, I made my own headboard with a gray floral pattern fabric, which we will call Layer #1.

Layer #2: Matching white pillow cases

Layer #3: Purple ruffled pillows (texture & color)

Layer #4: Black victorian patterned pillow (different pattern from the headboard and the black goes with the furniture and the curtain)

Layer #5: White damask comforter (same style pattern of the pillow)

Layer #6: Heavy black curtain

Layer #7: Light and flowy purple curtains (brings the purple back, but in a different shade)

You can also see that I have flowers and decorative boxes that are all within the black, white, purple color scheme, but what I loved was that it wasn't too matchy-matchy, it had a boldness to it from the black, but at the same time, it felt princess-like with the purple ruffles and light, flowy curtains.

As you all know, I just moved, which is what inspired this entire post. The remainder of the pictures though, are just going to be of specific examples of how I incorporate layering into home decor and not entire rooms worth because none of the rooms are complete yet! haha

Guest Bathroom: Simple example here- textured purple and white towels layered one on top of the other, with a decorative box (which houses cards I've received and other memorabilia throughout the years) on top of the cabinets. I love to layer hand towels this way, to me, it just looks so much more "done" than tossing one hand towel over the bar and calling it "good-enough."

Master Bathroom: I got this decorative plate from Pier 1 and since we have double sinks, it anchors the cups, soap dispenser and toothbrush holder in the middle of the counter instead of these 3 things floating out in the middle. The wavy edges to the plate are also a nice contrast to the straight lines of the holders and soap dispenser.

Dining Room Table: I noticed such a difference after we accessorized this table, the whole "living area" just looked like it was coming together. We put this brown and gold detailed table runner down first, then added a mirror plate because mirrors automatically add another layer in with the reflection, and then added three candles to give it some height and dimension.

Sofa: The sofa we have now is pretty small and slender, which works because the living room area itself is small, but I found that adding a plush throw blanket in the same color to the back "beefs it up" a little. And yes, my purple ruffle pillows have made a return because they add some color, more texture and a little femininity to the space. I really like the pillows layered together this way because of the masculine-feminine vibe from the ruffles, the colors and the map pattern.

Kitchen Island Centerpiece: We have a pretty large island in the kitchen and at first, we were going to keep it empty, but I pulled this cylinder hurricane vase with the candle out of a box and plopped it down on the island. It looked nice with just the candle in it, but I thought it would look even better once I incorporated a little "layering" into it. Also, I thought it would make it look more like it belonged in the kitchen. We went out and bought whole coffee beans, added the candle on top and now it looks a little more "done" and it smells amazing when you walk by!

What I love about layering is that it just makes things look more rich or grand. Layering adds visual interest to an area and can make something drab look more exciting, unique or plush. 

Hopefully you guys were able to stick through the whole post and learn something or be inspired by my decorating philosophy :)