Before you click “Buy Now,” before you haul something heavy through the front door, and definitely before you spend a weekend assembling flat-pack furniture—you need to ask yourself one question:

What is this actually doing for me?

Not what it’s supposed to do, or what the ad says it will do, or what your friend’s house looks like. What is it really doing—for your space, your life, your mood, your story?

Most of us buy things for our homes out of impulse, boredom, insecurity, or because we saw something on Instagram that gave us five seconds of envy. We confuse “new” with “better,” and we end up living in rooms full of stuff that doesn’t really fit—not in size, not in purpose, and definitely not in meaning.

At Object Lesson, I work with people who are tired of that cycle. They don’t want a house full of catalog-perfect decor. They want a home that feels like them—built thoughtfully, slowly, and with things that have actual gravity. That’s where the TGIF philosophy comes in: Thrifted, Gifted, Invented, or Found.

But TGIF only works when you get honest with yourself about why you’re bringing something in. That’s why this one question is so important. When you stop to ask what a new piece is really doing for your home, three things happen:

1. You realize most stuff doesn’t pass the test.
   If it doesn’t solve a real problem, spark joy (yes, Marie), or carry emotional or aesthetic weight—it’s probably not worth the money or the space.
2. You see what you already have in a new light.
   Sometimes you don’t need a new chair—you just need to move the old one to a different room. Sometimes your grandma’s weird vase is actually the thing that gives your shelf personality. “New” isn’t always the answer. “Right” is.
3. You start designing instead of decorating.
   Design has intention. It’s not about filling a void—it’s about creating harmony. You stop reacting and start shaping. That’s the real shift.

So the next time you’re tempted to hit the home decor aisle like a raccoon in a dumpster, pause and ask the question: What is this doing for me? If you don’t have a good answer, put it down. Walk away. Go home and take another look around. You might already have exactly what you need—you just haven’t seen it that way yet.

And if you’re stuck or overwhelmed, that’s what I’m here for. My free 30-minute consultations are no-pressure, no-obligation spaces to get some clarity. Sometimes all you need is a second set of eyes. Preferably ones that don’t work on commission.