8 Design Secrets For Making A Personalized Space

There comes an interesting point in adulthood where you begin to realize that you're ready to "settle," or at least, begin building a life that feels a little more like your own. Whether you do that through nailing down your personal style, learning to cook some signature dishes, or arranging your (even rented) apartment to feel like "home," it's a huge step toward becoming your fully Grown Ass Self, and it can be hard to get it right.

While there's tons to say about everything listed above, I'm going to talk about apartments (or homes!) today, and why it's so crucial that your living space is a reflection of who you are and what you love. Nobody's apartment looks the way it does on those Pinterest photos, and the pursuit of a Pinterest-looking apartment (or, ehm, life) will do absolutely nothing but destroy who you are bit by bit. That sounds dramatic, but it's not: chasing an image forces you to discard your truth. In place of things that you love or desire, you get things you think other people would love and desire.

So today we're going to be spilling some interior design secrets, so you're creating a space that you not only want to look at, but also spend your time in. Between what to buy, what to toss, how to nail the look and why you have to let go of the idea of a "beautiful home" you have in your mind, here's the low down on what it takes to build a space that is undeniably yours.

When Things Aren't Adding Up... Start Subtracting

This is essentially the golden rule of interior design: too much always looks like too much. When you have no real focal point (or worse, a million little knick knacks that serve little purpose and clutter your space) it creates instant anxiety and there's no real cohesive "look."

How Your Home Looks And How It Feels Is The Same

You create the "feel" of your home based on the "look," and more often than not, the least inviting homes are the ones that are the least personal.

Don't Worry About What Matches — Focus On What "Goes"

Your space should be a collection of things you love or at least like to have in your vicinity.

Spend Your Money On One Or Two "Investment Pieces," And Then Let Those Be The Focus Of Each Room

You'd spend as much money all the cheap accessories you'd need to spruce your place up, so skip the headache (and usually, extra money spent) in favor of focusing on a few really super nice pieces that you are absolutely in love with. Shop around, and don't settle.

Expensive Doesn't Have To Mean Costly

As with clothes, there are very few occasions in which you should buy anything full-price. "Investment pieces" don't actually have to be that expensive, if you shop around, wait for extra clearance sales, etc.

Focus On What You Love, Rather Than How You'd Like Your Space To Look

Usually people worry that doing so will just lead them to having a smorgasbord of stuff around, but because people's interests and tastes are usually concentrated in one area or another, it will come together almost effortlessly — far better than when you consciously choose what you think will look good.

Lighting Is Literally Everything

That's how those minimalist apartments on Pinterest look so good despite there being nothing but like, a bed and a plant in the room: incredible lighting. If you don't have it naturally, create it with strategic use of mirrors, really great lamps, and warm lightbulbs.

Don't Sweat Imperfection – It's A Sign Of Something Good

Since no person's taste or style is ever really 100 percent cohesive, an imperfect home is a reflection of your honest curation of it. It doesn't mean you're failing or that you're inferior as a person, it just means you're taking real life over a pretty picture.

Images: Giphy (4); Pexels