Design your house like a toddler and never look back

I’m the overthinker Mother’s Daughter Design founder Olivia Snow cautions us about today. Give me a decision to make—chestnut or chocolate linen shams? keep the ceiling white or match it to the walls?—and I want time to mull it over three or twelve times. Sound like you, too? I vote for Olivia to be our collective guru. “I’m very open-minded,” she shared when she gave Domino a tour of her Park City project earlier this year. “If a client has an outside-the-box idea, I’m more inclined to take on the challenge of finding a spot for it.” Ahead, her cheat sheet to tapping into your design intuition like a pro. —Lindsey DeSimone, senior editor, content strategy

Also in today’s Home Front:

• Cute trash? Yes, please

• Olivia’s DIY bathroom upgrade

• How to win at cabinet Tetris

Lately, I’ve gravitated further towards ultra-personal design—the more specific to the individual, the better. My work has always been in telling my clients’ stories rather than leaving my own handprint on their home, but I’ve discovered a new take on it that I couldn’t put my finger on until this past year.

I was listening to Amy Poehler’s podcast interview with Lena Dunham, and they were discussing Lena’s love of clothing and personal style. She described it as if she’s “a bratty toddler with her dad’s credit card.” It’s a very funny visual, but it also made me think of my own three-year-old daughter. I love the decisions she makes for herself: She throws on whatever speaks to her, adds anywhere from one to more than I can count of her favorite accessories, mismatches some shoes, and only looks in the mirror to admire her work. There’s no part of her that stops to run it past a friend, evaluate the fit or consider if it’s on trend.

Recently, design is leaning towards maximalism and I’m so grateful for it. I’m finding that the best spaces feel like they were made by someone who isn’t denying themselves their impulses. They’re going for it, worrying less about practicality, and leaving room for childlike wonder. Whether we’ve noticed it or not, all the greatest designers do this. Think: Kelly Wearstler, Dorothy Draper, and the ladies at Pierce & Ward.

Don’t Get in Your Own Way
I can’t tell you how many times a client has fallen in love with a fabric or material for their home, and then quickly told themself that they can’t have it for whatever reason. Never let practicality, trends, or others’ opinions get in the way of something that calls to you. Your home isn’t for everyone.

Let Your Freak Flag Fly
Yes, really! When I’m getting to know clients, I often feel like the first round of discovery barely scratches the surface of creativity. The greatest design decisions come later on, when the good stuff slips out. The favorite color they thought wouldn’t make sense on a large scale, the collection of snow globes, the wallpaper that covered their grandmother’s kitchen. The things you really love bring out the best ideas to tell your story and create a one-of-a-kind space. Design in the Moment
Stop asking yourself if you will love something forever and ask instead how it makes you feel right now. I’ll absolutely acknowledge that it feels good to be risk averse when designing your home. It feels responsible to think of the long game—wondering about yourself in 20 years, wondering how soon you’ll move, asking if it’s worth it. But most of the time, you’ll regret the safe choice and wish you went for it. Or, even worse, you’ll end up overthinking to the point of analysis paralysis. Do the thing. Your future self will be thrilled with all of the risks you took along the way.