I agree! I told a friend that I was waiting for my new place to tell me what to do. She didn't get that.

I agree. It's also more fun to do it slowly.

I find that spending the time keeps me financially sane. I don't go overboard and I can wait until I find just the right pieces - especially if I find something to rehome versus buying new.

When I left my last apartment, I sold, donated, and trashed almost everything I owned. After a couple of weeks at my new place I was frustrated and depressed that things were just not shaping up the way I wanted them. Only recently have I realized that Rome was not built in a day and neither is a stylish, functioning (fully furnished) space! Now, I'm working on relaxing and enjoying the ride, and most importantly, being proud of what I've accomplished thus far!

i'm totally the same way, kim. i prefer the slow approach to decorating. picking up decorating items on vacation and adventures is one of my favorite pastimes!

I've often thought that, while I love indiviual pieces in my home, overall it never looks very lived in or comfortable. Then I recently thought about it and realized that I've never lived in the same place for more than 2 years as an adult (and I'm in my mid-30s), so no wonder they never look lived in! I think my favorite homes really are the ones that have been decorated slowly in a more organic nature. It's definitely more fun too- I never want to get to a point where I'm finished with the decorating process.

I do this because of the 24 hour minimum rule I have for purchases over $100. I could go crazy buying stuff to decorate but I stop myself and obsess, sometimes for weeks, about whether to make a purchase. Usually the fever then passes and I'm left right back where I started.

I recently took it slow with a bedroom redo and refused to put anything in there until it was absolutely the right piece and as a result, I have a bedroom that is perfect for me.

Unless you're in a design competition, there's no reason to rush. Just let it happen naturally.

I'm feeling the frustration, but trying to be patient. I moved into my new apartment three months ago and it's a slow process. I just want to really be sure that I love every piece. I didn't have a sofa until last weekend, but I ended up with one I really love so it is all worth it. I anticipate that it will take about a year to pick out and pay for everything I need.

We moved into our house a little over a year ago and don't have much decorated yet, but the few pieces we do have are meaningful. We are planning on staying in that house for a long time, so what's the rush?
Only a house that was decorated organically and slowly will truly reflect who you are and have that wonderful personalized "lived in" look.

yup, me too. i like it slow. i notice that those who quickly put their places together, buy what is ever available at the time. my neighbor who functions like this has a home filled with Kmart stuff.
as for me, i am far from done with decorating my home. i like using my time slowly to think about what excites me for the long haul, if i can i afford an item, the overall look, seeing more of what's out there, and developing my own ideas. the Kmart template indicates a person who is without thought or, at least, original thought.

If you go fast, your place will just be a copy of the store. But if u go slowly and buy, DIY, and so forth, then your place becomes so much more personal and unique

It took me 2.5 years to paint my walls from white to LIGHT grey. hahahah

www.wafflingdesign.blogspot.com

And then you can bargain hunt at flea markets and garage sales

I am a verrrryyy slow decorator when it comes to my own space. It takes me years and I'm still not finished. I plot and plan and dream and collect inspiration and it's so fun. I would rather live without an item, then live temporarily with a version that I do not like.

Yes that means I am sleeping on a mattress on the floor while I save for the bed that I want, but that makes me more motivated and less possibility that I will just "settle". As a result I have a very sparsely furnished and decorated house but there are few things that I would look at and wish I had something else.

It's easy for me to imagine in an empty space than when something uninspiring is there. It helps that I'm pretty settled in my design aesthetic so I expect to keep the things that take so long to acquire for a very very long time, if not forever.

This striked a chord with me since we moved 3 weeks ago and out place is nowhere near done! But I have a ton of books and I always hate the store bougt shelves, so we'll be building a huge custom shelving unit and that is going to be a ton of work. I know it will be worth it and I wont feel guilty for trashing yet another set of flimsy, bent, plywood shelves. And since our place is so small it is going to take a lot of fine tuning to figure out how to store everything properly, I am organizing and reorganizing closets and cupboards. We have the most imoortant pieces - a dining table, couch, and bed so everything else I am happy to be more patient with and find tnrifted pieces that I can love and afford. I think it also helps to use a space for a while to figure out what you actually need and where to put it.

I'm very descerning about what I'll purchase for my home. I rarely pick up an impulse item unless I can clearly imagine where it will be used. I tend to obsess about getting the perfect lamp, sheets, curtains, etc. It's mostly because if something doesn't look right, I can't afford to run out and replace it.

Sometimes what I have in mind is so specific, it prevents me from making any decorating choices at all. I'm learning that sometimes its ok to just go with my gut and mix something new in... even if it's not exactly what I was picturing.

It's a lot slower going than I would prefer because funds are limited, but everything does come together nicely when there's a slow, thoughful approach.

I purchased my condo almost 3 years ago and still decorating. I wait until I find what I love instead of finding something 'for now'.
I'm also learning to sew so I've made most of my window covering which is super easy to do. Don't even know how to sew. I've also made my own toss pillows and so forth. Wait until you find that perfect piece or a piece that you can convert into that perfect piece.

I'm old (62) but I've always been a little obsessive about my home. Our house burned down about 25 years ago and it was then I realized there is so much stuff in the U.S. filling a home would never be a problem. I make lists of things I'm looking for when I go yardsaleing, with possible measurements, and the stuff just shows up no matter what you are looking for. Venetian chandeliers, McGuire dining chairs, Arabia dinner ware, they all show up eventually. You may have to settle while you wait but it all shows up.

Those that can 'do it all at once' will still have it NOT look like the "3 rooms of furniture for only $999!". The rest of us, it pays to go slow & enjoy the furnishing ride.

When we moved in 3 years ago, we barely had any furniture. After a couple of months we got our bed and then another couple our dining table.We are still plenty of things we need, but nothing is dire.
We did end up getting ikea bookcase because it was driving me crazy that all the books were in boxes. That was supposed to be temporary and somehow I have grown to actually really like and appreciate our cheep bookcases ( it honestly works in our space). In that case rushing was totally worth it.

I agree with this. And I also recognize if we moved into a 2nd home in a few years--it would be more furnished since we'd already collected things from our 1st home. My husband and I move slowly with our remodels + furnishings but when we do it--we don't have any regrets. Very few returns. So I'm ok with that!

KKKKaren has it just right: I am waiting for my place to tell me what to do. Going through my daily routines will let me know exactly where a shelf would be necessary, what window is perfect for reading, and just exactly what makes me smile the most. Anything we do not 'fall in love with' is never brought into our home. It has to speak to us and make me grin every time is see it.

The idea of having a room "done" in two weeks is kind of sad to me. Sometimes it's about the thrill of the chase, the pick, the dig. But in reality, most people's rooms are never really "done" (or at least maybe I don't think they should be) -- they're constantly evolving, growing and changing with you. Sometimes I will put in items as placeholders because we need the seating or whatever, and then go back to chasing after that perfect dream item. When it finally turns up, the placeholder goes to Craigslist or Goodwill and I'm one step closer to my dream room.

I hate living in an unfinished space. I'll put something up temporarily so I stop having anxiety about a place not looking done. I'll change things or repurpose items elsewhere when the right item comes along. Nothing like your feng shui being thrown off. There are things that I picture in my head that I want and I'll wait until I find them, and there are things that I see instantly and know where they go.

I think it's unfair to judge people who decorate quickly. All spaces become more personal over time in a new place, but nothing is more exhausting than going to someone's house that isn't done years after. A skilled decorator knows how to repurpose furniture elsewhere and is flexible. Wall art though, that's takes time to find the right piece for a room if the space is decorated and the walls are blank. Sometimes the right piece you picture in your head never appears, and unless you can make it, settling is the only option or you have to reimagine the space.

I bought a dining room table that I loved. But had no chairs. After almost a year of not finding anything to match I was kicking myself for buying something impractical… I always do this. Buy something that needs work, more shopping, more something. But then, magically the best chairs I could have asked for materialized on craigslist…proving that if you’re patient, what you have in mind will work and you will love it. And that the craigslist gods will supply you with everything you could possibly need.

I decorate slowly. Glacially slow. It took me nearly 5 years to finish putting my apartment together. Because of how slow I was, I actaully ended up with many beautiful pieces that were just given to me! How lucky is that!! It all come together nicely.

Hmmm. I have never moved into a place without some lead time between seeing (or designing) the floor plan and moving in. During that time, I work out my decor, mentally placing the furniture I have, figuring out the furniture I will need, considering which windows need to be covered for privacy from the start and which ones can wait. My art collection is mentally positioned before the walls are mine!

Not since my first non-student apartment have I "worked slowly".

When we moved into our current customized home, we knew we wanted new mattresses and bed frames, for instance. I found a bedroom set at a favorite thrift store and stored it until we moved. My partner fell in love with a set at Crate and Barrel, but then chose something at another local furniture store that was similar. We also bought mattress sets (my old one went to the guest room, his even older one was trashed.) We had these delivered to the new house somewhat illegally before we were technically authorized to move in. (On arrangement with the builder.)

I draw floor plans before we move in and can tell the movers exactly where to position everything. (Boxes sometimes hamper this, but generally speaking, the big things go to their final positions.) I rarely move furniture around, trying to come up with the best layout I can on paper and living with it thereafter.

We didn't have everything Day 1. But the areas where we knew we'd spend time were as ready to go as possible. The first month in the house, some IKEA furniture, pre-planned for the space, was delivered and we hired some neighbor boys to help assemble it. We were fully furnished with things we owned, things we bought for the house ahead of time, and discoveries from flea markets and thrift shops within the first six months -- maybe less.

Some furnishings were replaced as better things were found. A breakfast nook was created with a glass top table and some Room and Board "Jake" chairs that I discovered and fell in love with here on AT. Later the round table proved to take up too much room when we had guests, so it was sold and an IKEA Bjorkudden replaced it, since it's rectangular form snugs up to the wall better.

I want to spend as little time as possible with an unfinished space. I would never wait for the "perfect" piece, since perfection does not exist in my world. If I fall passionately in love with something, I'm fine with replacing whatever is already in use when that happens. Small changes and upgrades happen all the time, but meanwhile, almost from the beginning my home is warm, inviting and comfortable. (And, except for the mattresses which were a splurge using some of the proceeds from selling our previous house, very little of this came straight from a retail furniture store -- most of what we have is second hand or IKEA. Very personal and not a all soulless.

We've lived here 12 years and JUST picked a color to replace the sherbert orange that came with the hallway. The bedroom, kitchen and sitting room still have apartment beige walls because I can only make the one decision at a time. We'll get there and I appreciate each small victory even more because they are hard won!

Well, I think that decorating that this involves balance (as do most things in life) for our apartment (which we moved into about 9mos ago) there was a bit of a rush to get things settled enough, i.e. we're both grad students and I work primarily from home so the house needed to be nice enough and comfortable enough that we could both work here without any issues. That was the big push in the first three months.

The rest, however, I have a mental list of everything I need/ want/ want to change/ get rid of and now I can sorta luxuriate in the process of finding the perfect piece.

Also as two grad students, we're broke, so it would have been financially impossible for us to do everything at once.

You're so right! Il actually gonna forward your post to my friends asking me why some of my walls are still empty even though we moved in November last year!

Wish I could decorate slowly, but I'm impatient. Plus I always have this nagging feeling that I'll have to move away at any moment so i want the house to be "done" as early and as long as possible.

Unlike those of you who don't have enough furniture, I'm STILL trying to weed my furniture from my 3 bedroom house with formals, giant den and sunroom (and room for a pony) At this point, I'm looking at every piece of furniture I already have and making sure it makes sense in a 2 bedroom apartment. Thanks to storage on-site, I can rotate art and chatchkes, but the boxes of books are another thing. I've designated one bedroom as a library and my current decorating energy is being spent deciding which books to keep.
I love my Nook, but I want physical books surrounding me when I'm 80 and I'm not all that sure even libraries will still be the same musty treasurehouse they used to be.

Agreed on the slowness. When we moved my mother-in-law (trying to be helpful) started to open EVERY box and put away EVERYTHING and I FLIPPED-THE-FUCK-OUT! I love the process of nesting and taking the time to place things where I want them and where I think they will be happy living. Back-off G-MA!!!

I'll unpack the obvious stuff and put them where they go, but it takes me YEARS just to put stuff on the wall. I was proud it only took 3 months to put up curtains. Seriously. I can't tell if it takes me that long to see what the family needs, what the space dictates or if I'm just that non-committal.

who can AFFORD to decorate all at once?

Slow. Because then you take the time to pick the pieces that you love.
Mind you you may have to live with some substitute 'need' pieces for furniture that you actually use in the meantime.

I like this idea. We've moved quite a bit, and I find myself impatient with making each room feel "done." I tend to get the practical stuff (kitchen, bathrooms, furniture we already own) out and working, which takes a bit of time. Then, eventually, each room kinda tells me what works individually and as a whole. I absolutely love that moment when, after two years of thinking about it, something comes together to make a room really "done." Sometimes, it happens all in one DIY weekend, like our laundry room. It all came together in a span of 72 hours. Most of the time, though, I know there are gaps and I'm not sure what's missing until I see it. Then, it's perfect.

I agree completely.

My brother-in-law is a carpenter, when I moved into my new place I was telling him how I wanted to "DO" all this stuff right away. He just laughed and said "Wait for one year before you do anything". At the time I thought he was being a jerk, but know I totally get it. You really don't know how you would use a place until you live in it, and I think decorating is the same thing. It takes time to realize its true charm. Not sure if you need to wait a year... but I am glad I waited and took my time!

I think if it takes you years to decorate a place then maybe you wish to own too many things and/or are simply indecisive. I'm not going to wait years, that I may not even have, to enjoy a place.

Twelve years in our house, and we just got the pictures hung on our big wall. Slow is good, but my speed is way too slow!

I HAVE TO have a sense of rightness and order to be able to sit back and relax in my space. I'm one of those people that can't prop their feet up and enjoy a good book if there's laundry in the hamper, dishes in the sink, pictures crooked on the wall, etc. etc. Since moving into my first house last year I've been a decorating whirlwind! I have used coupons to buy paint, found bargains on Craigslist, and shopped my parents' basement to get things to where they are today. I would never live with orange walls for years just because I couldn't pick a new color! Pick anything, DO IT, and if you end up changing your mind a few years, whatever. It's all a process, and a fun one, too!

Agreed! I moved into my apartment on May 31 with my boyfriend. My friend moved in on June 2. She finished decorating THAT DAY!!!! Meanwhile, I still have boxes, and boxes of decor without a home, because I like to wait until the certain wall, shelf etc talks to me and tells me what to put there.

My boyfriend thinks I'm nuts but appreciates what a good looking apartment we have. My friend, well she has an apartment with paintings that are hung too high and furniture that doesn't fit her space, but that's our secret.

My #1 simple pleasure in life: 'fluffing' my nest.

Take your time, live in your space, and it will come.

My friends who saw my house a couple months after I moved in were like, "How did you do this so fast?" But the thing is - I'd been dreaming/thinking/planning for a couple of years, so when the time came to actually shop, that part went in a flash!

I feel like you can overthink some things - you know, your gut instinct on flooring is probably what you should go with 9 times out of 10, etc. But a few other things I've waited on, particularly wall art; when the right item comes along, I'll know.

This approach didn't work for us. One problem was that my husband and I had different pictures in our heads of what the final results might look like, so "finds" were lost on each other's sensibility: "THAT's what we've been looking for?". Also made the mistake of buying single pieces to sorta-match existing stuff that we didn't actually like that much. We would have been better off buying at least a few anchor pieces for each room and working from there. We've learned to sit down together and work through what we each envision/want/need before making major purchases. Some would say we're still "letting it happen" but by my lax standards it's kinda coming together at year 8 in the house and I honestly wish it had been done long ago because I enjoy the space much more now.

We are those people who have a fully functioning home in three weeks. But it's because we've both been collecting stuff for years, and inherited well-loved furnishings from family. Making a new place feel like home is just a matter of arranging things, not shopping.

We like to update our rooms, but we do it slowly. I can't imagine putting together a swatch board and buying everything in a couple of shopping trips. (It took me 10 years to get a coffee table.)

I prefer the slow method but also I don't understand people who have really big homes with empty rooms for years.

It took seven years for me to finish decorating my place, and it never really ends (unless I want to feel like I'm in a stasis chamber). There is very little in my home that I moved in with - mostly sentimental pieces.

It took me 2 years to pick out a sofa.

I move every two years, so if I'm too slow, I'll have moved before ever finishing my space! I'm looking forward to buyimg my own place and staying there for longer, and I think I'll appreciate the opportunity to slow down a bit and really make everything work.

Well everyone's having fun patting themselves on the back in the comments, but maybe ppl who furnish quickly just know themselves a lot better than you all know yourselves. :p

I take my time, too, though as a young-ish adult who only recently started living on her own, I think ppl in my position should not hesitate to try things (rather than wait around forever for something that will "speak" to them or whatever). You can't always know what will work on a sheerly theoretical basis, you kind of need it to actually be in your space to figure out your likes and dislikes (and needs). This works best (for your wallet) if your local craigslist is accommodating, and if you have the inclination for that sort of hunting.

As for ppl who are in the position to buy their own place, how many actually start from nothing? o.O Or even if they're renters and just moved somewhere new, did they not sell all their old stuff so they'd be able to buy furniture for their new home, if that's the issue?

I'm not a slow decorator because I am is a decisive decorator. I know what I like and I stick to it. This makes things a lot easier when I'm decorating. Here's a tip when choosing colors: when you go to the paint store, don't think about your house or its rooms. Just pick all of the paint swatches that you like, no matter how bright or dark or neon or strange. When you look at them later, you'll notice which colors stick out to you. We all have colors we just like. You'll never go wrong if you stick with what you like.

My problem is not indecisiveness. It's brokeness and not willing to settle. The cool part is, sometimes while waiting to afford a piece, a cheaper option that I like better comes along.

If I were to be given 30k for the purpose of shopping for things for the house I guarantee it would be done in 2 wks. I know exactly what I want and where I want it, mostly where to get it from.

Painting we do right away, along with putting up a few favorites. We're artists in our 40s/50s, so we've accumulated plenty of stuff we like to look at - more a question which/where rather than what.

@ Carrih - You're not old.

When I rented, I would have the entire place fully decorated within 3 to 6 months. People would say it looked like I lived in the place for years and years. However, when I bought my first house, I was confused as to why it was taking me so long to decorate. I mean... it was the same square footage!

I eventually realized I was being so analytical and careful because I knew I'd have to live with any decision for a long time. When I was renting, I knew in 2 or 3 years I'd get a blank slate to try something else; no big deal! Now that I'm an owner, I want it to be just right for the long haul. I have to think ahead- how will this look in 10 years? Will this still fit if I decide to change the wall color next year? What if we turn this room into an office later?

Also, because I know I'm not going anywhere anytime soon, I'm willing to wait and spend a little more money on something I really like instead of grabbing whatever is in season at IKEA. I've been here 2 years and am only about 20% done decorating. The place is still "white box"!

#firstworldproblems and grateful to have them

I am a slow decorator. Well, more like a perpetual decorator. As a vintage dealer, I always have new pieces coming in and out and our home is a reflection of this. All the furnishings are in constant rotation. And that's the beauty of it -- we can live with something for a little while and then move it on and replace it with something else we love just as much, or perhaps even more.

I'm also a proponent of buying primarily vintage for this reason. With the exception of sofas/mattresses/stuff like that, my husband and I have vowed to only furnish our home with vintage. It gives everything an extended life even after we are done with it.

Totally agree. I've been working on my house for four years now. It occurred to me a few times that if I'd had the money/vision right off the bat and done the whole house at the same time I would have made very different choices than I'm making now. I think the choices that I am making are better informed on how we actually use and live in the space. They also reflect my growing knowledge of interior design and an ongoing maturing process. It also sometimes takes me several tries to find the exact piece I'm looking for. I can't imagine finding just the right things all at one time.

There is a difference between unpacking and getting settled in a new space and "fast decorating." When I move, I am unpacked and set up with walls painted, art hung etc, in a couple of days; I don't live well out of boxes and in chaos so for me getting things in their places and making the place livable are essential to getting on with life. And I need to have the basics in place--a bed and comfortable places to sit and put things, so I have always had some variation on a couch, table, bookcases, etc., usually that were what I had at the last place and what I moved on with But decorating is never done. As I live in a space, I may see things that fit it better or differently than what I have and will add, and subtract as I continue to make it my own. And while I may look for the "perfect thing" for a particular place, I know that there is no "perfect thing"; perfection changes with life circumstances, place, age, etc. What was perfect for me when I was in my 20s or 30s is not necessarily perfect for me now in my 50s and I make adjustments accordingly.

We're definitely slow decorators in my house. When we first moved in I tried to do it all (especially paint) and it didn't take me long to realize that everything was not me but something else I'd seen before or someone else's taste.

While I like going slow, I've also realized sometimes you've just got to do something or else nothing will ever change. Houses are constantaly evolving so they aren't always the most money efficient but that is why I love DIY and finding older pieces for cheaper.

http://29ruehouse.blogspot.com

I am slow for sure. Moved into a condo in November with almost nothing, so it's partially an issue of not having the money to finish, but I also like the hunt of going through resale shops and flea markets looking for unique pieces. Not one room in my place is finished. There's quite a few empty walls (as an artist myself, I'm nearly unreasonably picky about what I'm willing to hang on the wall), and some lacking lighting a furniture, but I am confident that we'll get there and the process is kind of fun. Watching a style a palette unfold over time is kind of fascinating and exciting.

@ancaouette and @lynell - We too moved last fall to a new place in a new area.

We focused on specific rooms- living, master and dining to get us ready for guests and the holidays.
Art went on the walls in stages as we unpacked and considered walls.
Learning how the light changes by season helped us decorate.

By decorating in phases we saved money. Coupons helped with framing and furniture. We replaced the used furniture we had with brand new quality stuff and waited the month plus for it to arrive. (old stuff went to charity, at least the stuff which was still usable.) We did have some older furniture testers with us right before purchasing. bodies shrink and become weaker as they age. So I wanted to be sure our quality couch, chairs and so forth would be comfy for guests now, and us later.

After moving in, we had some major repairs from the inspections and a surprise new hvac system. We still have more on the todo list, but the budget can't handle that many hits all at once plus furniture and decor. We expected the hits and surprises- we use the house a bit differently than the previous owners.

We have yet to work on the patio or yard. We like waiting a year to see what plants appear, where water collects, and where the sun hits the ground, if at all.

I do wonder about the "oh you've moved and settled and are done" folks. They must have fantastic paying jobs with plenty of time off after moving to get settled that quickly.

I'm a git-er-done kind of gal when it comes to setting up a house (can't stand living in chaos or out of boxes). My apartment (home) has evolved over the years as I replaced things (for example, my bookshelf, wall art, curtains) with things of better quality, so, I'm kinda in the middle. Take your time, when you can, but maintain order in your home as you go along. That's how I'm able to decorate and be comfortable.