I received the greatest compliment from a friend who came to visit yesterday. She has been at our home many times before, but she said to me as she was leaving, "Your home is just happiness!" Flattery will get you everywhere with me, and her sentiments were so sweet to hear, but what really made me smile was when she said, "You really named your home correctly!"

We call our home the "Bank Homestead of Happiness", and I've discussed the why behind that in other posts on this blog if you are interested in scrolling back through some of the archives. But there is a sentiment here that I wanted to address... I have a very loud color wall paint in my office. Sherwin Williams calls it "Dynamo SW6841" if you are interested. Before picking this color I asked Mike what he thought would be best between two colors I was considering. One was much less bold, but I think I would have made it work. His answer, "Whichever one makes you happy!"

And there wasn't even a seconds hesitation, I knew. Dynamo it is. When it comes to decorating, it's okay to take chances and try things. It doesn't matter if Instagram approves. It doesn't matter if you ever saw the 'look' before, or found the right picture from Pinterest that you want to duplicate. It doesn't matter if it fits neatly into the curated life you have been telling yourself you need to live. It comes down to what makes you happy. Decorating your personal space is only for you.

I think a lot of people confuse this when they are planning renovations or modernizing their home decor. They want to consider what will have the greatest "resale value" and pick based on what other people will like. If you are planning to sell your home, you can go with the most neutral pallet, and the new people moving in are going to change it anyway, so why bother.

Mike has a philosophy on home upkeep. He's seen so many friends over the years only make improvements to their home when they were ready to sell. He knew he wanted to enjoy the fresh feel and the beauty his home has every day he is there, and not just the week before it goes on the market.

Every year or so, if it needs it or not, we have a painter come out and do all the touch up spots. Our home always looks like it's been freshly painted because of this. So another priority Mike and I discussed when choosing our paint palette for the house was 4 colors max. We have to store the colors we choose for touch ups, and having a different paint color in every room turns into a nightmare to manage. I'm pretty sure if I told people we only have 4 colors of paint in the house they wouldn't believe me, simply because each room has a strong energy.

I love color. But I don't love it everywhere. I love it in spaces that need it. My office is a place where I create. I want to be able to sit down and gain a certain vibe from the atmosphere. I want to work in a place that just captures creativity and a tiny piece of my heart when I step foot in there. When I have less energy in a day, I want to be able to find it from sitting down at my desk and just taking it all in around me. Color is very psychological. You can do whatever research you want to do to help decide the best shade to go with, but following the advice of my dear husband, my motto is a resounding, "Do what makes you happy!" Trust me, you will know.