By Jaimi Erickson
Guest Blogger
Have you done the count? The total number of homes you have lived in during military life? Even our first dog lived in 10 different homes. Ten! And that was just the dog.
My husband and I have lived in 12 homes since getting married. We PCS for a year here. We move for three years there. I unpack the same decor from house to house. It has become a fun challenge to fit furniture pieces in some creative places.
Financially, it just makes sense to make your current furniture and decor work in any home. There are ways to make setting up a home after each military move a bit easier.
Here are a few quick tips to make your furniture and decor work in any home.
- Start by incorporating a specific color or theme throughout your decor.
- Use simple DIY projects to make your furniture and decor cohesive.
- Buy multi-functional furniture pieces.
Pick One or Two Colors That Will Run Through Your Whole House
When we first got married, our thrift store furniture needed a facelift. The mis-matched look can work for an eclectic style. But we wanted to make things look a bit more put together. Coordinating slipcovers to the rescue!
Slipcovering our couch and side chair helped unify the look.
These days, I pick a color or two and work most of my decor around that. Antique gold is a favorite right now.
I have a few gold-toned pieces that I place in the living room, dining room and entry that are the same color scheme. I can move these pieces to different rooms in any house. Because they are a similar color, they coordinate.
Gold chargers under the centerpiece. Gold hand pulls on the desk drawers. Gold wire baskets to store mementos. Pick a color and weave it through each room.
Simple DIY Projects Can Make Your Decor Cohesive
Creating a photo wall to highlight family photos makes a big impact. I had a variety of mismatched frames, but I wanted a cleaner look.
Spray paint is the most affordable fix for home decor!
I spray painted the frames I chose for our family photos. The wall became a cohesive decor statement. I love how it turned out.
Pulling that same cohesive color idea upstairs, I painted the frames in the master bedroom, too. All of the frames now coordinate with the ones in the living room. If I have to move them in the next house, it will work. And, it only cost me $10 in spray paint to get the unified look.
Quick-fix ideas that can work in any room:
- Ceiling medallions are easy to paint. They work well in any color scheme.
- Kids’ art can become decor. I had my son paint the first letter of our last name. It still hangs in our entry in every home.
- I have painted a file cabinet, end tables, and the picture frames I mentioned above. Paint is always a great fix.
Multifunctional Furniture Pieces Are Key
You know that storage shelf that has been a buffet in the dining room, a toy storage shelf in the kids’ room, and an entry table in another home? Yep! I have one of those, too.
Cube storage shelves are so versatile. Change out the bins that slide in or pick a color that works in any room.
An extra dresser can be a storage piece in the kitchen or dining room. Metal storage shelves can work for shoes, kids’ toys, or books. That old toy box can store paperwork or shoes. Or it can work as a bench in the entry. These pieces can work anywhere they fit.
The Benefits of Cohesive Decor
When my home has my personal style, it feels like a haven. It is easy to take my personal style with me to each home with coordinated decor and furniture pieces. These family pieces can work in any room. Cohesive furniture and décor always work together. Decorating becomes one less thing to worry about during a PCS move.
Do you use the same furniture pieces in the same places in each home or do you switch things up? What has worked for you to make furniture and decor work in each home? Comment below!
About Jaimi Erickson
Jaimi is a mom of 4, military wife, and writer. She blogs about motherhood, kids activities and homemaking tips at The Stay-at-Home Mom Survival Guide. Connect with her on Instagram, Facebook or Pinterest.
More Decor for Your Military Home:
Solutions for Your Military Family
Life Insurance, Wealth Management, Home Mortgages, Survivor Services, and more. Learn more about AAFMAA.
