Have you ever felt your heart race with excitement at the thought of moving into a new house, and then to immediately feel overwhelmed by all the things you have to do and design decisions you have to make to turn this new house into a home that you love?
I think I heard somewhere that we make 35000 decisions a day, from what we are going to eat to what we say to when we go to sleep. If that’s true, then I bet we make over 500,000 decisions when it comes to designing and decorating a new home. Probably another 500,000 if you are renovating your home.
Think about it. From paint colours to furniture upholstery colours and from furniture styles to the style of kitchen cabinet handles, there are a million design decisions you need to make to turn a house into a home that feels like you live there.
And every time you scroll through social media and flip through a home decor magazine, you are presented with a new trend, a must-have item or a DIY project. That just adds to what I call the “design decision overload” that homeowners need to navigate when designing and decorating their home.
Images via Pinterest.
The biggest mistake I see people make when it comes to their design decisions is either focusing on function alone or ignoring it completely. In fact, just the other day, one of my friends said to me “I don’t really care about how things look in my home or whether the ottoman I just picked out from HomeSense matches my sofa.” Then a few days later she complained that she wished her home looked a little more pulled together.
I’ve also seen the opposite where a homeowner may have picked up an item for their home purely based on how it looks and completely ignoring how they wanted it to function. For example, we had a client a few months ago that fell in love with a quartzite countertop that she saw at a friend’s house but she knew she wouldn’t be able to keep up with the maintenance of that type of material.
Most of the time as designers, what we really do is help our clients make good, sound design decisions, kinda like you would get from a coach or a therapist. I know that if that client had moved ahead with the quartzite countertop, she would have eventually been disappointed with that decision if she wasn’t able to keep up with the maintenance. Thankfully, we found another option that better suited her and her family’s lifestyle.
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The Psychology Behind Decision Making
I love examining why we do the things we do. As in why we choose something in the design or why we find it challenging to choose something. For example, why do I stare at the menu at Tim Hortons or Starbucks when I know exactly what I’m going to order. That’s why I think it might be interesting to look at the psychology behind decision making to see how we are likely to approach decision making when we are designing and decorating our homes.
Decision Fatigue
First off, let’s talk about decision fatigue. This is a real thing that happens when we’re forced to make too many decisions in a short period of time. Each choice, no matter how small, uses a bit of our mental energy.
Think about a day when you’ve had to make a ton of little decisions—what to wear, what to eat for breakfast, which route to take to work. By the end of the day, I know that my brain feels like it’s run a marathon, and even deciding what to watch on TV can seem daunting.
Now, apply that to choosing paint colors, fixtures, and furniture all at once, and you can see why decision fatigue makes designing a space so exhausting.
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Paradox of Choice
Another psychological twist I find really interesting is what’s called the paradox of choice. This feels super counterintuitive but the idea is that more options can actually make us less happy.
When we have fewer options, we can compare them fairly easily and feel confident about our choice. But when we have a sea of possibilities to consider, like hundreds of sofa styles or finishes for kitchen cabinets, it actually becomes harder to make a decision.
Worse, we’re more likely to feel a little regret over our choice later, wondering if one of the other options might have been better. I see this with clients all the time. And I’ll admit, I do the same too.
Emotional Attachment
Years ago I bought a car because this car reminded me of a picture of my Mom. It’s one of my favourite pics of my Mom. She is about 20 years old, dressed so elegantly and holding an umbrella in front of a white Mercedes cabriolet in front of a church in Zurich, Switzerland. She looks like a model or a movie star.
Fast forward to 2008, I was at the Auto Show in Toronto with a friend and I see this white Mercedes with a front grill similar to the one from the pic and I was sold. I had to have it. Even though I didn’t really need that car. I went to the Auto Show to check out the Honda CRV which I thought was going to be the next car I buy. Next day, I walked into a dealership and ordered the Mercedes.
Our decsign decisions are often swayed by our emotions rather than practical considerations. Maybe you find a lamp that reminds you of your grandmother’s house, and suddenly you’ve got to have it, even though it doesn’t fit your decor at all. Emotional decisions can be deeply satisfying because they resonate with our personal history and tastes, but they can also lead us astray if they clash with what we actually need in our home.
Analysis Paralysis
Finally, we often fall victim to what’s called analysis paralysis. This is where we overthink our options to the point that making any design decision feels overwhelming. This usually happens when we’re afraid of making the wrong choice. So we get stuck in an endless loop of what ifs and find it hard to commit to any one thing.
Knowing which of these might trip you up in your design process is key to avoiding the overwhelm that usually comes with all of the decisions you have to make when you’re designing or decorating your home. Being aware of what might cloud your judgment will make your design journey that much smoother.
So, how do you make sound design decisions? Follow the steps below.
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Step 1: Establish Your Design Goals
Let’s say you wanted to go to Rome for a holiday. To make the most of your trip, you need to have a vision for it. That vision is based on a budget – how much you can afford to spend on this trip. That determines if you will fly first class or in economy. Which hotel you’ll stay in. How long your trip will be for. Whether you will join a tour group or hire a private tour guide or DIY it.
Designing and decorating your home is very similar. You need to have a clear vision for what you want your experience to be and what you want to end up with. For example, you want to have a good sense for how you want each room in your home to function, how you want it to reflect your lifestyle, your personal design style, and how much you want to spend.
Clear goals not only provide a roadmap but also act as a safeguard against the distractions of shiny new trends that might derail your project. So, take a moment, think it through, and set some solid goals.
Step 2: Gather Inspiration Wisely
This is where I see a lot of people trip up. It might be where you come across the Paradox of Choice. Think about all the choices and possibilities that are available to you online, in magazines, movies, via friends and family. This phase can be incredibly fun and exciting, but without a strategy, it can also become overwhelming.
Focus on sources that consistently resonate with you and provide practical ideas that can be adapted to your space and budget. While it’s tempting to scroll endlessly through Pinterest and Instagram, too much input can cloud your vision. Try to limit your time on these platforms or set specific goals for what you’re looking for.
A mood board is an excellent tool for organizing and refining your inspiration. And you can do this digitally on Pinterest or Canva for free. Ask yourself whether it aligns with the function and aesthetic goals you set in Step 1.
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Step 3: Understand Your Preferences and Limitations
Designing and decorating a home is an expensive venture with unlimited options. Knowing what you like and your limitations will not only make it easier to make design decisions but will help you create a home that really resonates with you and who you are.
Take some time to really think about what types of designs, colors, and furniture make you feel most at home. Do you lean towards a sleek, modern look with lots of glass and metal, or does a cozy, rustic style with lots of wood and soft fabrics speak to you? Knowing your preferences helps you filter out choices that don’t suit your taste, making your decision-making process faster and more focused.
Be realistic about what you can afford to spend and what changes your space can actually accommodate. For example, you might love the idea of a massive open-plan kitchen, but if your home’s layout doesn’t allow for it without extensive renovation that you don’t have the funds or the patience for, you might need to reconsider.
I see this often with homeowners who really want to take down all the walls on their main floor to create an open concept space. But their budget, timeline and sometimes the structure of the home simply doesn’t allow for it.
By thoroughly understanding your personal preferences and limitations, you’ll be better equipped to make informed design choices that not only look great but also seamlessly integrate into your everyday life.
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Step 4: Make Design Decisions in Stages
How do you eat an elephant? One piece at a time. I actually hate that saying. Who wants to eat an elephant?! They are lovely creatures. Actually, my favourite animal. But I like the metaphor for explaining what it’s like to design and decorate a home.
Begin by setting the overall vision for your space as in Step 1. This involves deciding on the layout and major pieces like flooring, wall colors. These design decisions form the foundation of your design and influence all subsequent choices. Think of it like sketching the outline of a painting before filling in the details.
For areas like kitchens and bathrooms, the next step is to choose your fixtures and appliances. Then move on to selecting large pieces of furniture. These are significant investments and will have a major impact on the function and feel of your rooms. Picking them early ensures that everything else in the room complements these key pieces.
With your main pieces in place, you can focus on secondary furniture items such as side tables, bookcases, and additional seating. Next, lighting is crucial and often overlooked by homeowners until the end. Don’t make this mistake.
Now for the fun part—selecting textiles like rugs, curtains, and cushions, followed by decorative elements such as artwork, plants, and knick-knacks. These items bring personality and warmth to your space and tie all your previous decisions together.
Breaking down your decision making into these larger phases like we just discussed will take away the decision overwhelm.
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Step 5: Seek Professional Advice When Stuck
Even with a clear plan and a step-by-step approach, designing your space can sometimes lead to unexpected challenges or decision paralysis. When you find yourself stuck, it might be time to bring in a professional.
Some of our favourite projects have been with clients who’ve reached out after they had started a design project on their own and found themselves stuck. While it’s definitely nice to start a project with a clean slate, there’s a deep satisfaction in helping a client get unstuck and to see them achieve their vision for their home.
It’s normal to feel a bit indecisive about certain choices, but if you find yourself going in circles, unable to commit, or feeling frustrated, these are signs you might need some external input. Recognizing when you’re stuck is the first step toward getting the help you need.
Seeking professional advice doesn’t mean you’ve failed in your design journey; rather, think of it as a smart way to leverage expert knowledge to overcome hurdles and refine your vision. With a little professional insight, you can move past your sticking points and closer to the home you dream of.
With these 5 steps on how to navigate design decisions, you are now in a great position to navigate all of those design choices coming your way. Each choice you make along the way will add a unique layer of comfort and character to your space. That’s what will make your home, yours. At the end of your design journey, you should feel a deep sense of accomplishment and joy. Because as I always say, designing and decorating your home is fun!
That means don’t forget to enjoy your space to the fullest. Throw that dinner party, have movie nights on that carefully chosen sofa, and make unforgettable memories in the home you’ve thoughtfully curated. After all, the best spaces are the ones that bring us together and make us feel truly at home.
