Your Life, Your Personality, and Your Home's Decor

Your home is a reflection of your personality and your values—or, at least, it should be. When we don't feel in control of our spaces, it's easy to get stressed out. But when we over-design our spaces and make them feel more like museums than homes, things aren't much better. The key is to balance our personal tastes and preferences with the proven interior design techniques that create beautiful and useful spaces. Let's talk about injecting your room with personality—the right way!

Avoiding "Instagram Syndrome"

If you're starting from nothing or trying to reign in a disorganized, poorly designed room, then every step you take will help make your room more beautiful and functional. But what if you already give a great deal of thought to interior design? Well, you may need some help, too. When we obsess over trends and aesthetics, we sometimes lose sight of how our rooms are actually supposed to look and feel. We get "Instagram syndrome"—we create beautiful but empty spaces that photograph well but do not feel lived-in or comfortable.

Of course, we're not telling you to undo all of your hard design work. Nobody wants to revert to an over-personalized space that looks like a high schooler's bedroom—overrun with posters and collectibles. But a great space should feel lived in. You should try to inject your personality into your space in tasteful ways.

Transforming Personal Photographs into Art

One great way to let your personality and values shine in your space is to display personal photographs in places of honor. But simple framed photos don't always feel like the high-quality art that we'd want to hang on our walls. That's why you should consider custom canvas prints.

Instead of “Instagram syndrome,” get an Instagram canvas of a favorite post. Custom canvas printing can transform your personal photographs and Instagram posts into pieces that feel like "real" art. They'll look classy and beautiful, but they'll also have a whole lot more personality than the kitschy generic prints that you'd see in art shops—after all, they'll be your own personal photographs.

Displaying Your Favorite Objects as Art

Transforming personal photographs into wall-worthy art is one great way to express yourself and your values in your space, but it's not your option.

You care about a lot of things. Maybe you have musical instruments that you treasure, or maybe you're a collector of toys or antiques. If you're not already displaying these sorts of things on your walls and shelves, now is the time to start.

Don't feel like things need to be "real art" in order to serve as conversation pieces or wall hangings. Your favorite things need not have been intended for display in order to serve that purpose in your space. So hang up those guitars, and even those vintage guitar pedals. Hang board game boards or display board game pieces (or even just board game boxes) on floating shelves. Repurpose vintage tools and antiques. If you can hang it or display it, it can be art.

Mastering the Balancing Act

Where is the perfect balance between high design principles and personal flair? It's impossible for us to say, because one size does not fit all. Your task is to find the balance.

Should you display every action figure you've ever acquired? Maybe not—your space might look overcrowded. But should you hide every last one of them away and put a bland and "tasteful" statue on your shelf instead? No. The answer is to find the balance, space out your favorite items, and create a space that feels well-organized and beautiful while also feeling undeniably yours.