It’s safe to say home design is a passion I never knew I had until Mulberry came along. In the past nine months I’ve immersed myself in all things interior design and while I don’t know all the “rules,” it’s so fun studying up.

Also no secret Emily Henderson is my gurllll (just waiting for the magical moment where I casually run into her on the street. In Lancaster. Very probable.) and I think this is best proven in the fact that I watch every one of her Instagram stories to the very end. No skipping. I pledge allegiance to her fan base, but ACTUALLY feel like we’re friends so… don’t try breaking my bubble.

Recently, while learning the well-intentioned art of accent pillowing (it’s a verb) from Emily herself, I found myself a bit overwhelmed by all the rules my head kinda started to ache just a little I think. See for yourself:

• Remember to balance your color palette by allowing the brighter color pillows to flank the couch / anchor the pop visually !
• Bring in various sizes and textures for interest !
• Oh make sure you buy a lumbar pillow !
• Yes pepper in those neutrals !
• Mix patterns, but don’t get carried away: vary the scale of the patterns so it’s not too busy !

Meanwhile I’m taking mental notes with approx. 32 different accent pillow tabs open on my browser and I’m like squinting to envision two pillows together. All while thinking shoot every pillow is $20 – $40+ so HOW do I choose? Am I making the best investment? Will they clash? Am I following all the rules? And most importantly… will Emily approve?! (LOL can you picture my sad stress levels in this moment.)

And then it hit me these are ACCENT PILLOWS and I’m obsessing whaaaat the heck have I lost my actual mind!!! (Yes.)

Sources: Rug | Banana Leaf Accent Pillow | Striped Accent Pillow | White Base Pot | Couch, Metal Pot, Elephant: Vintage | Side Table (Target – Out of Stock) | Lamp (Target – Out of Stock)

It’s funny because as I’ve started learning more about home design . you can also learn if you pop over to these guys.  I’ve seen so many parallels pop up with that of the early days in my photography journey.

I remember feeling burdened by all the photography rules to follow, things to keep in mind, and faux pas I didn’t want to break artistically. The more you learn the more you learn you have to learn, right? While so many of the “rules” were GOOD and really are beneficial to follow, sometimes they just boxed me in and made me feel stuck before I even began, ya know?

Sharing this as a reminder that some days, it’s important to simply focus on what art really is! It can be whatever you want it to be, ya just gotta be confident and consistent (this is key). Home design + all this silly accent pillow drama reminds me a lot of photography in that way… don’t suffocate your own artistic eye from rules and definitely don’t be afraid to break the mold. Some of my best work artistically has been founded in those moments where I just exhaled for a second and let myself have fun, try new things, and create.

Moral of the story I’m relearning/learning right now: Yes, value the golden rules of your craft, take them into consideration, apply them as it feels right… BUT also remember it’s just art/personal preference and you don’t have to *always* follow them!!! There’s so much freedom in that.

Related Posts: Making Mulberry Home / Guest Bathroom Renovation / 2016 Behind The Scenes