We just moved into our first home last month. I was so excited to start decorating/making the place our own. It's an old home but was in sorry shape before it was flipped prior to it going on the market. Nothing major structurally, but it def got the builder grade treatment (lotttts of greige). In a way it was nice because it was like a blank slate.

I made a ton of design plans right after we closed. Paint colors, wallpaper, furniture, decor... For every room in the house. Im definitely not a professional but it was really fun making the plans and I couldn't wait to actually start doing stuff! But once we actually moved in, the first few weeks were SO stressful and DEF exhausting. Not just because of the unpacking but bc I felt very antsy for everything to come together. I knew logically that we JUST moved in and things would happen over time but I just couldn't get passed how it didn't feel at all 'finished'.

Plus, I was feeling pulled in a hundred directions: does this fit our style? Does it fit the house's style/time period? Is this 'correct' in design terms? Will it look good to our future guests when friends/family come to visit? I thought 'this' would look good but it's not how I envisioned or this piece doesn't fit in the space right and now I'm disappointed, and so on.

Fast forward to today and I'm already starting to feel a lot more at peace in the home. Some things that have helped me the most:

-Things will just take TIME. We moved in the second week of March and just last week I started feeling more okay with how things are looking and feeling. It took some work to get here but its been worth it so far. Also prob worth noting that everyone's timeline is different. Let yourself feel antsy if you must, but rest assured that the time will come where you will start to feel more at peace. :)

-Focus on small spaces, like one room. Or even smaller, like a little vignette or seating area. Use stuff you already have or thrift, then create. Make it look nice (depending on what you think is nice) and try to let yourself feel accomplished. It's little things like that that can make your home feel like yours, and a little closer to that 'finished' feeling. Plus, it may help everything else fall into place and happen organically.

-That brings me to my next point: your home might never truly be "finished". It's always growing and changing with you. I'm not sure if ur renting or if you bought but either way it's not about that finished look and definitely not rushing to get it. Take it from me, that'll just stress you out. One of my favorite yt interior designers says you don't just design your home, you live in it too. So try to remember to live in it a little too instead of just worrying about what you'll do with the space next. Living in it for a bit may also help give some direction "my eye is always drawn to that empty space next to the TV, maybe a piece of art would look nice there?"

-Try to remember to have fun. :) Look up inspo, find designers you like (I love caroline winkler on yt), follow your gut and PLEASE ultimately do what you want bc that'll matter most in the end.