by Brooke Forry

Why set goals? For me, once I had kids, suddenly time warped and moved in different ways — often an amorphous and blurry blob of exhaustion — and it felt more and more difficult to accomplish much of anything outside of keeping those little people alive.

One thing that suffered was our home: after years without many changes, I found myself fed up with its appearance, feeling like it didn't reflect my style or love of color. I set a 2021 goal to tackle some house projects once and for all, and it finally felt “finished” in December. Just under the (invisible) wire (that no one but me cared about!)

I started by seeking inspiration. I had bookmarked an image of designer Kitty McCall’s stunning home, and I kept coming back to it as the kind of joyful, colorful, artsy, pulled-together-but-cozy-and-approachable home I wanted. I decided to run with it as my main inspiration, and purchased one of her prints as the central element to work around.

I then took a stab at creating an inspiration board with some of the furniture and art I already had, as well as pieces I hoped to purchase.

Full transparency: that inspiration board took a LONG time to finalize! I tested out what three different rugs would look like in the space (and ended up ordering all three to try in person) before settling on the one shown, and I endlessly tinkered with what art combinations would look best. I came back to my file several times before actually making any purchases, and even so a few pieces of art shown here are still different from what ultimately went on the wall. The items that I did purchase were spread out over the course of several months, based on what our budget allowed.

After much inspiration-seeking, furniture ordering (and returning… a story for another day!), contractor hiring (to remove the dated drop ceiling and install recessed lights), accessory buying, rug testing (and returning… thank goodness for return policies), and art curating — things finally took shape.

Now I truly enjoy our home, especially the gallery wall — the very last piece of the puzzle to come together — that makes me smile every time I walk by.

I’m not sure I would have really pulled it all together without setting a specific goal to do so. And let me tell you: it felt VERY satisfying to check off that goal in my 2021 Balance Bound Planner.

Are you a goal-setter when it comes to house projects, or more of a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants decorator?

All items are sourced below, with the exception of a few pieces of art by my daughter, a vintage typography print, and the marble end tables that are treasured pieces my grandmother left to me.

1. Target 3-head Metal Globe Floor Lamp

2. Ampersand Design Studio print (no longer produced but similar on their site)

3. Yellena print (no longer available but huge selection in her shop)

4. Jennifer Allevato Seated 12 print

5. Gingerly Press It Takes a Village print  

6. Kitty McCall Utopia print

7. Minted art print (no longer available)

8. Jennifer Allevato Potomac River Views 2 print

9. Lisa Congdon This is Not a Drill Biden Campaign print (limited edition but plenty of great stuff in her shop!)

10. Deanna Staffo White Swans print

11. Target Modern Tufted Throw Pillow

12. Holli Zollinger Paris Map Throw Pillow 

13. Kitty McCall Encinitas Cushion

14. Target Solid Velvet Throw Pillow

15. Joybird Braxton Sofa - Royale Cobalt

16. Safavieh Evoke Collection rug

17. Round Tufted Storage Ottoman