The Need to “Reveal”…Home Design in The Age of Influencers: A Personal Note.
I can only speak for myself. As a millennial designer trying to break into the world of influencing, there is an unseen pressure to share ongoing changes and transformations taking place inside our home in order to stay relevant.
Growing up in the Bay Area, I have always wanted a place to call my own; to design it, spend time in it, and share it. It is something that seemed unattainable for many years, so when this desire finally became a reality not too long ago, I immediately began gathering a list of furniture, accessories, and other home goods that I wanted for the house. I created mood boards, set about getting quotes, and created a spreadsheet for budgeting purposes. But even as I was doing all these things, something within me nudged me; I might not actually want to decide on and buy everything before having a chance to actually live in the space.
And I listened…for the most part. I decided on and purchased all the “big ticket” items that I knew we needed in order to live in the house and left all the small-medium sized objects for later. If I’m being honest, there is a part of me that wishes I had waited before purchasing some of the things I did, but I remind myself that there was sound reasoning behind the decisions I made.
After we closed on our house, larger projects like swapping out carpet for wood, and getting custom shades throughout the home, set us back financially and we are now in a period of saving up for future purchases. While it’s not realistic for me to constantly be buying new pieces for our place - no matter the size, I find myself wanting to. I am constantly battling feelings that our home is somehow incomplete, or that I need to consistently show up with updates in order to stay relevant. I look around at other influencers in my niche and see them renovating kitchens, bathrooms, buying new pieces, or DIY-ing things, and while none of this is to blame them, it is to simply share that, in one way or another I feel the pressure to keep pace.
This is a battle in my mind and if you follow me on Instagram, I will often share, if only as a reminder to myself, that designing one’s home takes time. It’s a process. It takes patience. It is not realistic for it to be completed overnight, over the period of a few weeks, or even a few months. In many cases, it takes years. That’s okay. Our homes are a reflection of ourselves, the things we are passionate about shared with those we love; completely unique to us as individuals.
I am learning to lean into my feelings, and sharing them with you is a part of me working through them for myself. Thanks for following along as I explore design within our home and everything that comes with it.