How to Purchase With Purpose to Create a Home You Love

how to purchase with purpose to create a home you love | root + dwell

I spoke a bit on instagram stories about a week ago about creating a home you’re proud of and that is and for YOU. This requires knowing your wants, needs, preferences and values. But if we figure this out, it is a way to make sure we are purchasing with purpose and only bringing items into our home that bring us joy and aligns with our values. Why is this important? By having a home that works for us and is filled with pieces that are personal to us, we will truly find joy in our home. We won’t be constantly editing and growing tired of our decor. We won’t feel the need to follow trends and styles that aren’t authentic to who we are.

Below I’m sharing tips along with a free PDF printable for you to fill out to get to know yourself and your home style better, and to then keep somewhere that you can access before making purchases.

Know your values when it comes to what you bring into the home.

What is truly important to you at your core? This can be several things. Sustainability? Supporting artisans? Buying second hand? Owning one of a kind pieces?

“When we focus on our values, decision making becomes easy.”- This is Home, The Art of Simple Living

Be honest about your lifestyle and what it requires

Do you have young kids? Pets? This would require fabrics and materials that can stand up to constant wear and tear. If we have delicate items that we are worried about, we won’t be able to truly enjoy home. Do you entertain a lot? This may require lots of comfortable seating, a large dining table or a nice outdoor area.

know the materials that you love

Do you like raw woods, linens, cotton, ceramics, jute, wool, etc? Knowing this will be a tremendous help when making purchases.

know the feeling and mood you want your home to have

Peaceful, soulful, personal, welcoming, calming, joyful— these are a few ways to describe a feeling of home.

know how you want your home to function

Do you want your home to be a place to retreat and renew? Or a place to create and excite?

know your style

Do you lean towards modern? Traditional? Farmhouse? Country? A mix of styles? This could take some researching if you’re not sure of your style. If you have Pinterest boards of home inspo, looking at these may give you a clue as to what style you learn toward.

hone in on what colors you’re drawn to and if they align with the mood you want in your home

Do you prefer a light and bright home with pops of color? A neutral palette? Earth tones?

Have confidence in yourself, your style and intuition

If you do this and truly stick to what you love and value, trends won’t sway you. Your home will be unique to you which will bring you the most joy. We can appreciate what others do with their home and we can appreciate other styles without having to change our own.

purchase with purpose

When you figure these above things out, you can purchase with purpose. Fill out the list below and keep it somewhere you have easy access to, and try to make thoughtful purchases. This way you won’t be tempted to get rid of items 3 months down the road or live with something that doesn’t bring you joy. Timelessness, quality and items we can pass down should be the goal.