Want to learn a secret that writers know that will make you a better decorator?

A good story shows rather than tells.

How does that apply to decorating? Well, if you’re like me and you live in a builder-basic house that started off with beige walls, oak cabinets and uninspired rooms, it means that you have plenty of space to tell a great story. Your story. Here’s how:

Use specific detail to create interest.

You won’t find a lot of Olan Mills-style portraits framed in our house unless it is the one of my brother at age three screaming while I cheese for the camera. I’m sure you (and my mom) want to know why I’d be more likely to frame the hot-mess portrait over the Christmas-card-ready shot. The answer is simple: It’s more interesting. It has a story.

I like to decorate with things that have history so that when I’m walking someone through the house, there are stories to tell. Stories make friends linger. Stories create connection. A home rich in detail is rich in stories.

Now, let me be clear; this doesn’t mean it has to be a house rich in clutter. It’s easy to get to that overwhelming, stuff-in-every-corner place (believe-you-me.) Like a writer, you have to think about what adds to the story and what takes away focus. Edit, edit, edit!

Make the place fit the action.

A beautiful, upholstered settee pushed up to the dining room table might make me swoon but it wouldn’t fit this house. These characters are rough on furniture. We decorate with a color palette of seaside hues, creamy neutrals and ketchup. It’s important to choose decor that compliments the daily lives of the people living in your house and a linen settee would be a nice big canvas for a Heinz original.

For this phase of life, I’m decorating with a lot of outdoor furniture and rugs that I can drag outside and hose down. You laugh but it’s true.

Decorate with items worth describing.

Sure, you could spend $100 each on the same, oh, let’s say, mircofiber dining chairs that every third house on the street has or you could spend a day in the sunshine, shopping yard sales with good friends to collect a set of mismatched seating for under $100 total. To me, this is a no-brainer. You’ll save money and probably meet some interesting folks along the way. Plus, maybe you’ll find:

A bentwood chair with the stamp of a local pharmacy under the seat (I did!)
A captain’s chair with a funky, mid-century pattern.
A church pew with the initials of two teenagers carved lightly into the wood, probably with a first car-key.

You don’t have to spend a lot of money to buy these details. You do have to be patient though.

Experiment with mood.

What do you want people to feel when they enter your home? What do you want to feel? I am your typical hot-mess of a creative; a Gemini through-and-through. I need, NEED, our house to be a soothing place because my thoughts run constantly. When the house is a crazy mess, my already-cluttered mind is easily overwhelmed.

I decorate our house in land-locked Kentucky like a beach house because I am my best self at the beach. I am calm. I am creative. I am content. I leave little “breadcrumbs” to take me back to that place. What places bring out your best self? Think about adding similar details to your space to draw those qualities out when you’re home.

Indulge the senses.

When I was a kid, we were convinced the house was haunted by the old woman who lived there before us. In the middle of the night, we’d wake up  and the entire house would smell like hot chocolate chip cookies. Now, as an adult, I realize it’s likely that my mom was getting up and indulging in kid-free dessert (I know I would) but to this day, I feel that same sense of wonder and curiosity and longing for home when I smell fresh-baked cookies. A home rich in details that tickle the senses like that is an unforgettable home in my opinion.

Layering texture is a great way to add interest. Think about throw pillows that beckon you to reach out and run your hand across the fabric or an area rug that’s soft under bare feet. And don’t forget visual texture! I like to use white-washed wood or windows as wall art because it adds a sense of history and interest that a new house hasn’t yet earned. These details are like invitations to experience and create memories of your home and it’s simple (and affordable) to add them to your space.

What space (or spaces) in your home could use a little storytelling? If you need some advice, check out my Ask & Answer page where you can submit your decorating dilemmas!