GALATEA

Home renovations are often romanticised as swift and flawless transformations. We envision seamless makeovers, where each room falls perfectly into place. But the reality? It’s rarely that simple. Real homes take time to shape, especially when life gets in the way.

This blog series dives into the challenges and triumphs of embracing an unfinished home. We’ll explore the mindset shift from perfectionism to progress, discuss the pitfalls of rushing renovations, and unpack the beauty of curating a space over time. My own journey has been anything but linear, and I’m here to share the lessons learned along the way.

Part 4: Curating vs. Decorating

In a world where instant gratification is the norm, it’s easy to feel pressured to furnish your home quickly. But there’s a big difference between decorating a room overnight and curating a space over time. The latter may take longer, but the result is a home that truly reflects your personality and tells your story. In this post, we’ll explore the beauty of collecting meaningful pieces rather than rushing to “finish” a space.

The Art of Curation

One of the greatest joys of taking your time with your home is the ability to curate your space rather than just decorate it overnight. What’s the difference? Decorating (in the rushed sense) might mean hitting the big-box stores and buying a matching living room set so the room is “finished” in a weekend. Curating, on the other hand, means gradually collecting pieces you deeply love and weaving them into your home’s story. It’s the opposite of instant gratification, and it’s so worth it.

Wisdom from Grandma

My grandma always advised me to “buy quality pieces one at a time” – to save up for the well-made sofa instead of buying a whole apartment’s worth of cheap furniture, or to hunt for the perfect vintage coffee table rather than ordering a placeholder online. Of course, in my early days of design, I ignored her, opting for the quick fix of flat-pack furniture and trendy decor hauls. Fast forward: almost all those impulse purchases are gone, donated, or sold off because they never quite felt “me” (and fell apart to be honest). Meanwhile, the heirloom crockery I inherited and the thrifted pendants I adored are still with me, now joined by other special find over the years. Grandma was right: furnishing a home is not a race. It’s more like a treasure hunt.

Why Curating Matters

There’s tremendous value in collecting meaningful pieces over time instead of buying a bunch of generic items just to fill your space. For one, your home will end up looking unique – a true reflection of your personality and experiences. That Moroccan rug from your holiday, the dining table you refinished with your husband, the lamp you splurged on after a big promotion – each piece carries a story and sentiment. No shop showroom can replicate that.

Designers often call this approach “slow decorating” or “layering” a home. It’s how you achieve that coveted “collected over decades” vibe (even if you haven’t owned the house for decades). In fact, many of us admire hoes that look like they evolved organically. As one article noted, it takes a certain skill to fake that in an instant; for most people, letting it happen organically over time yields far better results (House & Garden, n.d.).

Avoiding Buyer’s Remorse

Another perk: when you slow down and wait for the right piece, you tend to avoid buyer’s remorse. I can’t count how many “meh” items I bought just to fill an empty corner, only to replace them later. A design psychologist shared a similar experience: she bought a few “less than adequate” pieces trying to furnish a spot, but they never felt right and she ended up discarding them (Trulery, n.d.). Eventually, she accepted that it’s okay to have an empty spot for a while and hold out for what you really want. She says, “if you persevere and don’t give in to the need to fill a space, the piece you find will likely be more meaningful and a more authentic expression of you.” (Trulery, n.d.)

Building a Home with Intention

Practically speaking, collecting over time can also be gentler on your purse. Instead of dropping a fortune to furnish everything at once (and possibly settling for lower-quality items to stick to budget), you allocate money piece by piece. Maybe this month you invest in a great mattress, and next season you find that perfect console table at a vintage fair. Slowly but surely, you’re building a collection of things you love. And because you love them, you’re less likely to replace them in a year or two, which is actually economical in the long run (quality over quantity).

My grandma’s gradual approach also has a side benefit: time to develop your vision. When you live in a space with a minimalist setup or interim solutions, you learn how the room functions and what it truly needs. As one interior expert put it, “The more I thought about and searched for an item I wanted, the more I realised what I really wanted” (Trulery, n.d.). Taking it slow can clarify your vision. You end up choosing items with more confidence because you’ve imagined and re-imagined that space in your mind a dozen times.

Conclusion

Next time you feel that urge to Amazon Prime a whole room’s worth of decor, remember: good things are worth waiting for. A home is happiest when it’s furnished with patients and intention, not just a two-day shipping spree. In the end, you’ll be surrounded by things that make you smile every time you see them, and that is so much more fulfilling than walking into a “done” room that doesn’t truly speak to you. Stay tuned for the final installation of this series, where we discuss how homes evolve over time.

JG x

About the Author

Sources

Brass and Brick. (2025). How To Embrace Your Evolving Style To Authentically Inspire Your Home Decor in 2025. Available at: https://www.brassandbrick.com [Accessed 3 April 2025].

House & Garden. (n.d.). Why you should accept that your house will probably never be finished. Available at: https://www.houseandgarden.co.uk [Accessed 3 April 2025].

Jenna Burger. (n.d.). Embracing the Beautifully Imperfect Home. Available at: https://www.jennaburger.com [Accessed 3 April 2025].

The Good Trade. (n.d.). Why Living With An Unfinished Home Is Essential To Finding Your Design Vision. Available at: https://www.thegoodtrade.com [Accessed 3 April 2025].

Trulery. (n.d.). The Unfinished Home (And My Time Away). Available at: https://www.trulery.com [Accessed 3 April 2025].

Markley Construction. (n.d.). Should I Go for Full Home Renovation or Room-by-room?. Available at: https://www.markleyconstruction.ca [Accessed 3 April 2025].