Do you swipe through a million images of beautiful homes, daydreaming about living in one of them, but when it comes to re-doing your own space, you have no idea where to start?  Well, I am here to help you out.

At its bare essence, creating a beautiful liveable space comes down two simple steps.  First, you have to create a cohesive and intentional shell. And, then you have to carefully pick the items that go in this “shell”.

I know, you’re thinking easier said than done.  But, actually if you keep breaking it down into simpler and simpler steps, I promise you it is something you can achieve.

So, when I mention creating a cohesive and intentional shell, I am referring to the type of flooring you would use, the colors you would pick for your walls and ceiling, the style of window treatments you would go for like curtains or shades.  Just think of all of the none moveable things that go into your room, these are what constitute your “shell”.  You should chose these items as part of cohesive whole. The easiest way to do this, is to create a color and material palette and to stick to it. Everything must be in unison with each other. If you are new to designing a space, I would recommend choosing a simple palette of neutral colors and natural materials like linen, wool, wood and leather (who am I kidding, I love neutrals and I would recommend them whether you are a novice or not!!).

If you want a little help getting your creative juices flowing, then I would recommend heading over to Pinterest for some inspiration.  And, if you are a fan of minimalist spaces make sure to check out my Pinterest account (@yashabutler) and all of my room specific boards.  You can begin by pinning images of rooms that you like.  Once you have twenty or so picked out, look at what they have in common.  Are there certain colors or materials that you are attracted to? Analyze what you like most about these spaces and from there create your own palette, that will guide you through the decision making process.

And, if you just want a quick start to creating a beautiful living room with 5 intentional items, check out my blog posts White Laid-Back Living Room Inspiration or Dream Living Room in Neutrals for some plug and play action.

Now, let’s move on to the second step, which is carefully picking the items that go into your “shell”.  This is kind of where the magic happens.  You don’t need a lot of pieces to create your dream space, you just need the right ones.  I would actually say that too many pieces are overwhelming.  So, in my book less is definitely more.

To simplify this step, let’s break it down in to two again.  First, think of what needs to happen in each space.  For instance, in the living room you might want a place to lounge (a sofa or armchair), a spot to rest your coffee (a side table) and something warm underneath your feet (a rug).  Or, in a dining room you might want a surface to eat off of (a table), places to sit (chairs) and something to store your tableware and linens in (a credenza).  Once you think through the functions that take place in a room, you can more intentionally decide what items you need. Again, less is more, so only include the pieces that you actually need, don’t fill a room with chairs just because you have ten lying around.

The second step is to decide on the artwork. If you have been intentional about creating a cohesive “shell” and purposeful in choosing your furniture, then you have created a space that will allow for your artwork to shine.  Now, you can create a room around a piece of art or you can create a room and find the perfect piece for it.  I described the process for the latter, but whether you take one approach or the other, being intentional in your choices and thinking of all aspects of the space cohesively will give you a home that makes you happy.

If you don’t yet have the artwork of your dreams, then you need to find it.  By the way, artwork could be anything.  It could be a functional item or a non-functional one, it could be a painting, a tapestry, a ceramic bowl, a glass vase, an old bicycle, a decayed piece of wood, a photograph, a print, a chair…you name it.  The point is, it needs to be something that you love – something that you love looking at, something that you love talking about and something you can’t wait to make a part of your everyday life.

If you love the outdoors, you could go for a nice long hike and see if anything inspires you.  If you love old things, you could go to a flea market or antique store. If you love paintings or sculpture you could visit a gallery.  You could also use the internet and discover artists spread out over the globe making gorgeous work.  A simple start would be to check out my blog post Five Artists You Need To Follow.  Or, you could check out my Art for the Home and Sculpture boards on Pinterest for even more inspiration.

So, now that you know the basics for creating the home of your dreams, it’s time to get working.  If you use any of these tips I would love to see what you create. Please leave me a comment on Instagram (@yashabutler) and share what you’ve done!