How To's

4 Ways to Overcome Design Paralysis

Have you ever been in the middle of a decorating project and suddenly felt “stuck”? Like you didn’t know what move to make next? Don’t worry, you aren’t alone. Everyone goes through it, but the trick is to learn how to get out of it. Check out our top 4 ways to overcome decorating paralysis to get you back out decorating!

Stop Your Big Projects and Start Small

It can be overwhelming to start a big decorating project because of all the decisions that need to be made. If this is why you have decorating paralysis, take a step back and start a smaller project. Move your focus to a small organizing project, tabletop styling or even just updating a few pillows. These are low pressure projects with just the right amount of physical work to get your creative juices flowing again.

Unplug and Find Real Life Inspiration

We love Pinterest. We love Instagram. We love finding a ton of design inspiration online but sometimes it exposes us to too many images and creates decorating paralysis. This is when you need to unplug and get away from your electronics and find inspiration elsewhere. Window shop at some of your favorite home stores, walk through model homes or attend a local showcase/parade of homes, take inspiration from restaurants or hotel lobbies or visit some of your friends’ home that you love. Finding inspiration in person will help narrow down what items you actually want to surround yourself with.

Pinpoint Your Trouble Spot

You could be thinking that this might make your paralysis worse, but we promise it doesn’t! When you get stuck during the decorating process, it could be because a specific item in the room isn’t working. It could a piece of furniture, decor or color that isn’t flowing with the new direction of the room. Investigate and find out what isn’t working and get rid of it. Keeping it and trying to make it work is going to be harder than starting fresh, plus it will give you a new perspective on the room.

Get An Outside Opinion

It is so easy to want to do everything yourself but even the best of the best need some help once in a while. Friends are a great resource to use to get a second opinion or, even better, seek advice from a professional SwatchPop designer. Whatever resource you decide to use, the main goal is to dig deeper into the project, talk it out and find different solutions with the help of someone with fresh eyes on the space.

We hope one or all of these ideas helps overcome your decorating paralysis so you can continue decorating and creating a home you love!

This post may contain affiliate links, meaning at no additional cost to you, we will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. All opinions and recommendations are our own.



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