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When it comes to home renovations, there’s an undeniable urge to reach the finish line as quickly as possible. After all, who doesn’t want to live in a beautiful, polished space that looks straight out of a magazine? But what if I told you that striving for perfection might actually make you less happy with your home?

My own journey through home improvement has been filled with excitement, mistakes, and a lot of learning. I started out wanting everything done at once, but over time (and with a gentle nudge from my wise grandma), I learned a valuable lesson: a home isn’t a race to a finish line, but an ever-evolving journey. Progress – the slow, thoughtful kind – truly beats perfection when it comes to creating a space that feels like a luxurious, personalised sanctuary.

In this blog series, we’ll explore why it’s okay (and even beautiful) to live in an unfinished home. We’ll discuss the emotional and psychological benefits of evolving spaces, the pitfalls of renovations, the debate between full-house makeovers vs. one-room-at-a-time, and why curating your home over time brings the most satisfaction. Along the way, I’ll share what designers, psychologists, and real homeowners (including me) have to say. Spoiler: My grandma was right all along. Let’s dig in!

Part 1: The Beauty of an Unfinished Home

When decorating a home, it’s easy to get caught up in the “I must make this perfect now” mindset. We scroll through Pinterest and see picture-perfect rooms, and suddenly our perfectly okay living room feels like a failure. I’ve been there – staring at my mismatched furniture and scuffed floors, feeling that itch to fix everything immediately. But here’s the truth: There is no such thing as a perfect home.

Even professional designers acknowledge this. As interior designer Jenna Burger admits, “There is no such thing as the perfect home, the perfect furniture, or the perfectly decorated walls” (Jenna Burger, n.d.). A home is so much more than immaculate decor; it’s a living space filled with our daily messes, memories, and quirks.

Embracing the Now

Embracing an “unfinished” home means embracing the now – the reality of how your home is today, even if it’s not HGTV-ready. Psychologists would say this is about letting go of perfectionism and finding contentment in the present. One design psychologist notes that we shouldn’t pin our happiness on everything being in place. Happiness isn’t created by a fully decorated room; rather than”happiness is reflected in the decor” – it comes from us, and our space simply mirrors it (Trulery, n.d.). In other words, a beautiful life makes a beautiful home, not necessarily the other way around.

Living in the Moment

Once I learned to be okay with my home as it was, I started inviting friends over again, unfinished kitchen and all. (Guess what? No one cared that I hadn’t installed the backsplash yet – we were too busy enjoying good food and laughs in a living, breathing home.)

In fact, having a not-quite-finished home can be oddly liberating (think Nancy Meyers vibes). Instead of feeling anxious that every pillow is perfectly fluffed, you can prop your feet up on the coffee table without fear of “ruining” the look. One writer said that ultra-pristine “museum homes” where a misplaced glass of water could destroy the vibe only made her nervous and uncomfortable (The Good Trade, n.d.). A home that shows a bit of mess and imperfection signals to everyone who enters: it’s okay to relax and be real here. The throw blankets might be rumpled and there may be a half-finished puzzles on the dining table, but that’s a home that’s lived in and loved.

Why Progress is Better Than Perfection

Shifting from a perfection mindset to a progress mindset was a game-changed for me emotionally. I stopped seeing my house as a checklist of projects to complete, and started seeing it as a story unfolding over time. Interestingly, this idea that “the journey is the destination” applies to home design too. Our personal style is always evolving, so our homes are a kind of moving target – and that’s okay.

As one editor wrote, “If our style is a moving target, then perhaps living in an ‘unfinished’ space isn’t a temporary state. Or, maybe the work-in-progress is where the style lives” (The Good Trade, n.d.). I love that perspective: what if the process of making a home is actually the whole point?

Finding Joy in the Mess

When you remove the expectation that your home must be “done” by some deadline, you start to appreciate what is right now. You notice the charm of the progress, the layers of personal touches accumulating over time.

So, yes, my walls might still have paint swatches on them and that second bathroom is still 90% complete, but I feel oddly proud of living in a home that’s a bit of a beautiful mess. It means my home is alive, changing with me. As designer Rita Konig wisely said, “if a house keeps changing with you, you keep it alive” (House & Garden, n.d.). And an alive home – one that grows and adapts – ends up feeling so much more authentic than a “perfect” one frozen in time.

Conclusion

Embracing the beauty of an unfinished home has taught me that progress truly outweighs perfection. My home may not be showroom-ready, but it’s full of life, evolving alongside me. The imperfections and in-progress projects are just a part of its charm. Stay tuned for the next blog post in this series, where I’ll discuss the common pitfalls of rushing renovations and how learning patients changed my entire approach.

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].