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I’m a designer. It’s what I do for a living. It’s what I went to school for, what I studied, and what I practice on a daily basis. So it’s only natural that this inherent need to design follows me everywhere I go, especially in my own home. Granted, I design hospitals – not residential areas – but still. I have the need to design and re-design our home practically all the time. I am constantly evaluating our space, coming up with new ideas that I want to try, or certain styles I would love to implement. It’s like part of my brain is on a constant color wheel, spinning out of control.

But is this really fiscally responsible? My husband would say no. Ever since we met, I have been ready to paint, drape, hang, fluff, repaint, spread, align, and adjust everything around us. At first he probably thought this was cute. Then, after being together for a few years, “cute” became “here we go again.” Marsh learned very quickly that this was part of me, and that there was little to nothing he could do to change that. He is always very supportive of my wanting to change things or redo parts of the house, but in return, I have had to learn how to be creative in an attempt to prevent it from turning into a wallet-violating experience.

One way I do this is by “shopping the house.” I’m sure you’ve heard of this term before. Basically, when I want to change a room around, I will first see what I have around our home in other rooms that might look good in the room I want to change. Maybe it’s a lamp, or a photograph, or even just a couple of candles. Maybe it’s a piece of furniture or a rug from another room. Whatever it is, I try to change things up by simply moving them around. You would be shocked at how many different spaces you can create by swapping items out throughout your home.

Not only does this tactic allow me to still be creative and express my desire to generate something new, it also prevents me from wanting or needing to spend money on things that aren’t a necessity right now. Given the fact that we’re newlyweds trying to save money and build a little nest egg, this is a great compromise for me. I can still express my creativity, while also allowing us to save money. Until we win the lottery, of course.

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