house rules.

I’m a born lover of all boundaries, so I often make rules for myself, which guarantee I will either (a) look smart, (b) be happy, or (c) not trip and fall in public.

So, today, I thought I might take a break from the typical virtual decorating perspective and, instead, share with you a few rules I’ll be keeping in my home (from a design point of view, of course!):

1. Each room must have at least one decorative book. This will make me appear smarter than I really am. Bonus points if the pages are earmarked (make a mental note to read said books first). Start with this one.
2. Thou shall not purchase any accessories until the furniture is in place, in an effort to avoid a collection of white pinecones with no home.
3. [Encourage Husband to] Clean often.
4. Burn candles. Enough that your home is bright and serene, but not too many that you smell like the floral shop downtown.
5. Only white linens are allowed on the bed (love these).  This way, when the dogs inevitably track mud onto our sheets, we can bleach and not cry.
6. The formula for furnishing each room? Something white, something vintage, something rustic and something glamorous (read: gold and shiny).
7. No roller skates on stairs.
8. Play jazz often. It will make each room much, much more beautiful.
9. If the temperature is between the degrees of 60 and 75, every window must be opened and a dance will be danced.
10. Wireless anything is your friend.

What sort of rules do you keep in your home? Are you a strict decorator, or do you have fun with it and throw the playbook out the window?

p.s. The above photo is from Ryan Andrew Gaffney. Makes me want to amend my list and create rule #11: Cosby Sweaters must be used as wall decor at all times.