It was soft and beautiful and smelled faintly of cotton…
So by now it’s no secret that I’m a shameless fabric junkie.
(we’re all allowed to have our guilty pleasures right?)
And while you probably assume that most of my time in the design studio consists of playing with fabulous fabrics and having loads of frolicking time…
… I want you to know that my role is actually far more diverse and can be complicated.
Which is probably a good thing considering too much frolicking can get a girl into trouble.
Anyway…
Randomly, it got me thinking of Seabiscuit (yes, the movie).
Do you see where I’m going here?
And if you don’t see the lesson right away, then I want you to take a deeper look.
Not just at the picture above…
But at your own home.
More specifically your design projects you desperately want to implement but are finding yourself stuck even when you plan to get unstuck.
Because even with a proven plan laid out in front of you . . .
One you’ve invested time, money, and energy into . . .
Even with THAT…
How often do you still find yourself taking an innocent 5-minute detour to check out the latest design trends, decor or tile someone is using on Pinterest that hits your inbox…
… only to find yourself getting sucked into a whole new design plan. 
Down the rabbit hole you go.
More emails to read.
More paint colors to consider.
More lighting to decide on.
UGH.
The online design ecosystem isn’t stacked in your favor…
… it’s skewed towards distraction and dispersed effort.
And the ONLY way to fight back is to take a page out of the Seabiscuit playbook.
Want to know his secret to success?
Horse Blinders.
Yep.
Those strange looking goggles that racehorses wear were designed by their trainers to keep their focus locked on the goal in front of them, rather than being distracted by all the shiny objects in the periphery.
Things like…
• What the other horses are doing (your friends opinions)
• The movements and cheering of the crowd (your family)
• The coaxing and coaching of other jockeys (your neighbors)
Pretty much anything save for the track and the finish line.
And as designers, homeowners…taking an innocent peek at all these things is super tempting.
We want to know what our neighbors are up to… what other pretty furniture, flooring or paint color may give us an extra edge… and even what our crowd of supporters has to say about our homes…
But here’s the thing.
There’s a time and a place for ALL of that.
Just not when you have your eyes set on a specific goal, and you’re mid-sprint towards its attainment.
If you want to get to your finish line the fastest… you have to TRUST yourself and your designer. Commit to a straight line, head down approach to the winner’s circle.
And then after you make it… you can take the time to scope out the neighbors, celebrate with your supporters, and decide on what new “trend” you want to implement to take your project to the next level.
But for now.
You, my friend are MID-SPRINT.
And part of the reason you sign up for hiring an interior designer is for the implicit permission to NOT have to look at every fabric and shiny light fixture that hits your inbox wondering if its going to look perfect in your home.
To put on the “blinders” and enjoy the freedom in plugging yourself into a proven Design Plan instead of having your gaze dart feverishly around the decor arena.
So today, I challenge you to make a commitment to yourself, what you love and need for you and your family to live beautifully.
Put on the blinders.
Keep your eye on the prize.
And I’ll see you in the winner’s circle,
Xo,
P.S. Next time you find yourself getting sucked in by a new decor trend or fancy grout that will look dirty after multiple uses, take a second to mentally repeat the word “blinders”.
