Creating a Home That Serves You (Free Room Planning Guide)
You do not exist to serve your home. Your home exists to serve you. Creating a home that supports you and your family is easy with these tips and a free room planning guide.
Scrolling through your Instagram feed, you see image after image of perfectly adorned homes that embrace the latest trends and seem entirely true to life. But with every swipe, you feel a little more uncertain about how your home and your life measure us to these women who clearly “have it all together.”
But can I let you in on a little secret?
Those pictures aren’t real, my friend. They do not exist in reality as we know it but only in an intangible social media realm. These images never intersect the doorways of real life.
Sure, they are images taken in real homes, but accessories and furniture have been moved to get the right camera angle. Baseboards have been meticulously cleaned. Then, the images have been magically edited to present a pristine illusion of perfection.
RELATED: 23 Budget-Friendly Living Room Decor Tips
What you don’t see is that just out of that camera frame is real life and all the beautiful mess that encompasses it.
That’s not to say that the beautiful social media images you see are “bad,” per se. But don’t forget that these photos serve as inspiration – to get a sense of beautiful elements that we can integrate into our homes. They are like the plate of desserts the waiter shows you at your favorite restaurant – they are beautiful, yes, but they are also quite inedible.
But we forget that fact and conclude that because our homes don’t reflect this level of 24-hour radiant perfection, we mistakenly feel we have missed the boat completely on how our homes should look and function.
These photos can be an impossible standard to live up to in actual life. And the lifestyle they promote is a mirage that always appears further in the distance with every step we take toward it.
We mentally reject our God-given reality for images that exist nowhere else in REAL life but on our iPhones.
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When You Are Serving Your Home
Sometimes I unconsciously feel if I have the right decor, the perfect house, the perfect yard, the right jean size, and say all the right things, THEN I will have it all together – just like all those other people on social media that have it all together too.
But do you know what that thought is actually saying? There is a pervasive undercurrent in that thought that says, “If I get it together”, people will like me and I will then feel worthy of their love and belonging.
But here are the problems with that statement:
- No one has it all together.
- The right home, decor, furniture, or ‘whatever’ will never make you feel “good enough”.
When Your Home Serves You And Your Family
I used to believe my self-value hinged on having an immaculate, Instagram-worthy home with the latest home décor trends.
I came to realize that this belief came from a basic misunderstanding about the essential qualities that made me worthy.
There is a big difference between being on a journey of proving your worth to others versus being able to care for yourself and your home as a function of understanding the worth you already maintain as your true identity.
Our homes can be a safe haven where we can care for our needs and pursue our dreams because God has already made us worthy of love through Him.
K.C. Davis in Keeping House While Drowning says if you want to fill your home with rainbow-colored bookcases, linen coaches, and that too-expensive designer farmhouse table because you’ll finally be “good enough,” you are always going to feel inadequate.
On the surface, you can’t find that book you’ve been dying to read, your dog irreparably scratches the linen couch and that fancy table can’t stand up to the daily wiping down that your lifestyle demands.
But on a deeper level, decorating your home with this goal is going to be a constant source of frustration and an exercise in futility. You are serving your home when you feel your decor and furnishings are something you have to “live up to”.
If you have a relationship with Christ, you are already inherently worthy because of who He says you are, and you don’t have to find value in material things to feel “good enough”.
In God’s eyes, my friend you are far more than “good enough”. You are an already-beloved daughter of Him, and when He looks at you, he sees the same flawless perfection that He sees in Christ. (For more on this topic, check out Try Softer by Aundi Kolber.)
You don’t have to serve your homes by seeking perfection to make you feel “good enough.” You already exceed “good enough” because you are made perfect in Christ.
Your home’s role is to serve you by helping you to fulfill your God-given purpose.
This understanding finally frees you up to see the true role of your home. You don’t exist to serve your home. Your home exists to serve you so you can better fulfill your God-given purposes within your family, work, and friendships.
Your Worth Is Based On Who You Are, Not On What You Do
I used to look around at the cluttered decor and mess in my living room and said to myself “you run a Home décor blog and you can’t even keep your house picked up. Therefore, you are really bad at blogging and taking care of your house”.
But the status of our home décor, furnishings or even our cleanliness is not an indictment on our soul. Our worth is based on who we are, not on what we do.
With that in mind, I now say to myself, “Yes, my living room is a mess. I want to pick it up because a picked-up house with simplified decor better serves me mentally and physically to do what I need to get down today.”
Do you see the difference there?
The status of my house didn’t define me. My status has already been defined, so my home’s purpose is to align with helping me to walk out my goals in life.
In other words, you do not exist to serve your home. Your home exists to serve you.
Our homes should serve us by facilitating our needs in form and function so we can walk out our God-given purpose.
Here’s where this makes a difference. This change in perspective allows us to pour from a full cup onto our family members, friends, and whoever crosses our daily path.
Operating out of scarcity breeds fear. Operating out of provision and plenty breeds peace. And you already have abundance in Him!
The Role of Our Homes
But what is the role of our homes in our lives? Are we not supposed to seek home decor inspiration? Are we supposed to sacrifice all beauty for function? Absolutely not!
Home is your physical and mental haven that protects and rejuvenates your energy towards your purposes and goals.
When I think of how my phone functions in my life I like to imagine it as a charger base for my phone. The charger is a place for my phone to recharge so it can be ready to be used to its full capacity the next day.
FREE ROOM PLANNING GUIDE – Does your home serve you or do you serve it? Get access to this free room decor planning guide to help you create a beautiful and functional home that serves you well. Fill out the form at the end of this post or click here: Creating a Home To Serve You Room Planning Guide
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The same can be said for our homes in that they should be a cozy retreat that restores our energy so we can meet our God-given potential in our everyday lives. And for our homes to be that safe haven, we have to make sure our home’s décor and furnishings serve us instead of the other way around.
When our homes are serving us, they are restorative and inspiring, but when we are serving our homes, they are draining and discouraging.
So in what ways have I found my décor to be draining in the past?
- Comparing my décor to homes on Instagram.
- Spending more than I should have to stay with current trends
- Incorporating furnishings that are beautiful but not functional. Ex: A white couch
- Incorporating furnishings that are functional but not beautiful
The above are all ways I have realized I was serving my home. I was prioritizing my perception of what my home should be over what I actually needed my home to be.
7 Tips for Creating a Home That Serves You And Your Family
Each one of us has our own specific people to love on and goals to accomplish. And our homes should facilitate our roles instead of hinder them.
Here are some tips to create a home that serves you instead of you serving your it:
1. Only decorate with decor you absolutely LOVE.
Decorate your home with items that truly spark joy in your life. My husband’s late grandmother would say that the decor that you absolutely love will be the items you always love. Don’t feel like you have to follow every trend, but if you happen to truly love a new trend, then go for it!
Remember your home is a place to embrace your tastes and God-given uniqueness so decorate it for you and no one else. God didn’t make you to be ‘basic’ so don’t let your home look ‘basic’.
Your home should help you to facilitate and care for all you’ve been blessed with. You decide what’s best for your home
When you walk through your home, you want it to make YOU smile – not that Instagrammer, not your mother-in-law – YOU decide what looks best for you YOUR home!
2. If the decor you love is out of your budget, there are easy ways to get the same look for less
I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve found a low-cost way to get a high-end look that is more durable than the real thing.
My first source for good ideas is online home decor and furniture sites like Pottery Barn, Ballard Designs, Frontgate and Restoration Hardware. These brands already have professional designers who have planned out cohesive decor for any room in your home. Look at those sites and once you find a look you truly love, let that image be your inspiration.
Don’t feel like you need to emulate these looks but what are some decor or furniture pieces you see that fit your style? What sparks joy?
To find lower-cost alternatives for furniture, you can find a used or even IKEA furniture piece with the same basic shape and paint it a solid color or faux stain to get the look you want. And don’t forget to use a good topcoat to protect that new finish!
RELATED: DIY Furniture Refinishing for Beginners | Easy Faux Furniture Finishes with Paint | The Best Clear Coat for a Durable Furniture Finish
Be sure to look at my posts on curtain hacks as well as my furniture makeovers. When you save money on staples, like furniture, curtains, and rugs, you have a lot more freedom with accessories – which are the best opportunity for your home decor personality to really shine!
3. Use the right products and processes so your home can function at its best.
When Jeremy and I bought our first home, it was quite the fixer-upper and we decided to save money by painting the orange honey oak cabinets ourselves. So, we got in the car, drove to Lowe’s and bought a few gallons of the cheapest paint we could find because we wanted to save money, right?!? WRONG!
Because the cheapest paint was actually a very low-quality paint, it was like painting with skim milk! We spent a lot more because we bought 6 cans of cheap paint instead of what we would have spent on one or two cans of high-quality paint that covered well.
Therefore the cheapest paint isn’t always the cheapest paint, and the same goes with many other DIY projects.
Also, it’s worth it to do it right the first time. I’m all about ‘quick and easy’ but will never give you a process that doesn’t stand the test of time. For example, when it comes to refinishing furniture, sanding has gotten a bad rap. But sometimes prep work is your best friend and can keep you from completely having to redo a piece.
You might have heard the saying, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Five minutes of scuff sanding can save you 2-3 times the work if you have to redo the project because the first coat of paint didn’t adhere.
RELATED: The Ultimate Guide to Painting Cabinets | The Best Paint for Cabinets | How to Sand Furniture in Less Than 5 Minutes | Best Furniture Before and After Reveals
4. Your space has an effect on your mood.
Your surroundings play a role in your mental health. Your home shouldn’t just help to meet your physical needs but also your mental needs.
This is why beauty has value. Yes, functionality is important, but your space affects your mental health, and that affects how you show up in the world.
Compare working in a dark, cluttered office with dark wood paneling vs painting the exact same office in a lighter color and adding simpler decor that is aesthetically pleasing. Which of these two rooms would you enjoy working in and even get more accomplished?
RELATED: Free Printable Scripture Wall Art | Overcoming Worry & Anxiety | Light and Airy Master Bathroom Transformation
5. Your home should remind you of your “why?”
One of the most important roles of your home is to remind you of your life purpose.
We are not here by accident. Each one of us has a specific calling in life and part that only we can play.
Our homes should restore and also energize us so we can go out into the world ready to achieve our goals in line with God’s will for our lives
Add reminders of your “why” throughout your home. For example,e I love having several of my favorite Bible verses on the wall to remind me to stay focused on Him. For the same reason, I love having pictures of my family around my home. These are reminders that help to anchor me to my purpose throughout the day.
RELATED: What is God’s Calling for Your Life? | Why You Struggle To Rest | How to Set God-Honoring Goals | Cute Christian Home Decor Ideas
6. Your home’s problems have innovative solutions.
Renovated Faith offers non-traditional solutions to your home’s problems.
Whether its spray painting door knobs, painting on a faux stain or making windmill wall art out of old ceiling fan blades, the most conventional solution is not always the best.
I know of a reader who spent thousands on her dream dining table at a high-end furniture store. But when she got home and wiped the table with water and a natural cleaner, the designer stain finish wiped off! An unconventional way around that problem is to buy an old used solid wood table, paint on a faux finish to match the exact look you want and then add the best clear coat I tested. That gives her the same look with a much more durable and wipeable finish, and she saved at least $1000.
Remember that your home’s role is to serve you. Arriving at solutions that TRULY serve your goals and daily routine might require a little out-of-the-box thinking. Fortunately, Renovated Faith is here to offer you solutions. Everything is figure-outable!
7. Form and function are friends.
Beauty and functionality should work together in a home that serves you.
And because beauty has inherent functionality and function can be a thing of beauty, you need both!
For example, you might love the look of a white linen couch for its ability to elevate the light-and-airy feel of your living room. But it’s not functional when your German Shepherd tracks mud on it two days after you buy it! In this case, the lack of functionality took away from the couch’s beauty.
However, you can achieve the same look by painting hard-finish (wipeable) furniture pieces in your living room white. Then, buy a neutral couch with washable covers. In this instance, you have maintained the light and airy feel and increased functionality. Therefore, beauty and functionality have to work together for your home to serve you well.
Speaking of dogs, I have two large rescue dogs which means we have two large dog crates in the corner of our bedroom. These crates are highly functional as they provide a den-like haven for our sweet dogs to sleep at night. Some people might say that having to big dog crates in your bedroom isn’t a desirable look.
One day, perhaps, I’ll find a way to make their crates a little more concealed. Maybe I can add a skirt and a wood top to make it double as a laundry-folding table. But until then, I’ll settle for knowing they have a beautiful purpose in providing a safe space for our furry family members to sleep. That gives me joy and adds beauty to my life!
Besides, it’s not like there is a bedroom decorating czar is going to come for a surprise inspection and slap you on the wrist for having dog crates in your bedroom. Who cares?!? You do not exist to serve your home. Your home exists to serve you!
Decor that breaks the bank is going to add stress to your life. That’s why I have found easy diy home décor hacks to get the same look for less.
Remember, don’t prioritize your perception of what you think your home should be. Prioritize what you actually need your home to be.
Your home should spark joy so you can be energized for what lies ahead. It should restore and inspire your soul so that you can better serve the Lord instead of having a false perception of what your home should be. When are homes are positioned to serve our lives, we can be restored and inspired to better serve God and our loved ones.
FREE ROOM PLANNING GUIDE FOR CREATING A HOME THAT SERVES YOU And YOur Family
More Posts Related Creating a Home That Serves You
How to Decorate Your Home With Scripture
Best Tips to Hang Gallery Wall Art Easily
The Beginner’s Guide to Painting Cabinets
Step-By-Step Guide to Decorating Any Console Table
Easy DIY Furniture Refinishing
No-Build DIY Entertainment Center
Free Scripture Wall Art Printables
How to Spray Paint Door Knobs So They Last
I love to hear your thoughts and questions! Scroll down to leave a comment and I WILL reply! ❤️
Blessings,
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How To Create a Home That Serves You And Your Family
Karin Peters is a DIY expert and the creator of Renovated Faith. She is a furniture painter, a home design consultant, and a tenacious problem solver determined to help you transform your house into a home. With 17 years of experience with DIY home improvement, she researches and analyses professional processes to adapt them to be easy and cost-effective for DIYers. She then tests every project and product before it appears on the site in a detailed, step-by-step format. After attending Texas A&M University, she received her Master of Divinity with Biblical Languages at Southwestern Baptist Theology Seminary. Her passions unite in Renovated Faith, which shows readers how to create a home that serves them so they can pursue their God-given purposes. About Renovated Faith | Editorial Policy | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn
Hi.
I love how your creativity and love of your home is intertwined with your faith and love for God.
My biggest irk in my home is a dark grey not quite black slate effect tiled floor 10 feet square. I regret having it laid about 12 years ago. No amount of cleaning makes it look good – it just looks dirty! It’s a massive job to replace and a big expense at the moment. Have you any ideas to help me love it rather than hate it. I would so appreciate you input. Thank you and many Blessings.
We REALLY like our vinyl plank flooring. In our old house, we got the cheaper kind at home depot and installed it ourselves and it was dog-proof, spill proof and looked like real wood. In this house, we had it installed after a flood and have been really happy with it.
I enjoyed your insight this week. At 64 I still have to remind myself that if I didn’t have these messes, that would mean not having family and dogs at the house all the time! So, I enjoy my blessings, live life and continue making messes.
Absolutely LaVerne. I love your outlook on life’s messes!
That is exactly right LaVerne. There is beauty in the mess!
I love reading your blog and looking at your creations. I especially love your faith in our Heavenly Father an our Savior Jesus Christ! Your willingness to share your feelings for them is inspiring! You are a blessing to those who follow you!
Thank You
Paulette
Thank you so much for taking the time to comment Paulette. I so appreciate your encouraging words. Let me know if I can ever help you in any way!
Your kind words are so appreciated Paulette! Thank you so much for taking the time to comment on a post I was a little nervous about publishing.
Hello Karin!
Happy New Year! I always enjoy reading your posts! They often inspire me, but more than that they always remind me of truth! So, thank you for that and for always incorporating the faith you have to inspire me not only to have a beautiful home but to remind me of what is really the most important thing!
I was wondering if you would ever look at a project piece that I have procrastinated on because I’m not sure what the outcome will be or if it will be worth the effort. I’m not sure if you can do something like that with all of your followers who probably want your advice but thought I would ask as it is one of my goals to get this project either done, or trash it and forget it! Please let me know if you would be able to give me a bit of advice and how we would go about connecting so I can send you pictures and a short description of my why for doing it! Thank you!
Blessings to you and your family in 2024!