The Instagram home illusion: why you shouldn’t follow trends to create a home you love

Shoestring Jane talks about Instagram home illusions and explains that following trends to create a home you love is not always the answer.

If you read my column regularly or watch my YouTube channel, you will be aware that I am a frugal sort. I pride myself on being free of debt, I live well on a tight budget and try to be as sustainable as possible.

However, I’m not immune to external influences, clever marketing and fashion fads, even if I like to believe that I am! Let me give you the cautionary tale of when I got sucked into an Instagram trend, and how I finally conquered my Instahome addiction.

When we moved into our house two years ago, I wanted to make the most of our new space. I envisioned creating a beautiful and welcoming place to live and work. But, if I am honest, I also had a little fantasy of making a home that people would walk into and say “Wow, this is lovely!”

However, since our house is a 1980s semi in Essex and not a penthouse flat overlooking the Thames or a fairytale cottage in the Cotswolds, I knew I had to make the best of what I had if I was to achieve my dream home and find that elusive wow factor.

I also had a tiny budget. Moving home is expensive, and I didn’t have a big wad of cash to splurge.

Searching for Instagram inspiration

I decided to head over to Instagram for inspiration. I searched a few obvious hashtags such as #DIYdecor and #DIYhacks, and finally ended up on some beautiful accounts using the #dopaminedecor and #colourfulinteriors tags. 

I realised that I could do a lot with a lick of paint to create our special space. Pinks, soft greens and baby blues began to make an appearance and the house began coming together on a shoestring budget.

I scoured auctions and charity shops for bargains and upcycled some of our old furniture. Admittedly, during this period I would also pick up my phone for one reason, and two hours later realise I had wasted a lot of time scrolling through the fabulous homes on Instagram.

The problem…

This probably all seems harmless, BUT …. having fallen down the Instagram rabbithole, I started to feel that a coat of bright paint and a bright throw over an old chair wasn’t enough. The women running the dopamine decor accounts didn’t stop at painting a wall.

They had expensive looking pink velvet sofas, walls crammed with pop art (gallery wall anyone?), plush curtains and cushions in every hue and shelves heaving with brightly coloured bric-a-brac.

They thought nothing of spending £400 on a new rug, or £1000 on a pink fridge (some items were clearly gifted), and seemed to repaint, repaper or change their entire colour scheme every few months. Well, you got to do something to get the views, right?

These homes were impossibly picture perfect. Their creators were an image of prettiness too, dressing in pastels and coordinating their clothing with their kitchen gadgets. Everything was beautiful and pristine at all times. 

I couldn’t keep up, and I felt increasingly frustrated and dissatisfied. My home was never going to look like this. When I found myself seriously considering replacing our fully working but dull white microwave with a baby pink one I decided to pull myself back from the brink. I didn’t have the time, the money or, increasingly, the inclination to try to achieve the unachievable.

This is the problem with following glossy home accounts on social media or even, if you are old school, perusing stacks of home and garden magazines. They are likely to make your average homeowner feel inadequate and discontent, to spend money they don’t have, to create unnecessary waste and to prioritise ‘stuff’ over more important life considerations.

More from Shoestring Jane on Mouthy Money

In recovery

Now that I am in recovery from my Instahome addiction, I am back to budgeting. Sure, there will still be pinks and pastels popping up, and I enjoy quirkiness in my home decor. I am never going to embrace beige or become a minimalist.

But I have accepted my financial limitations and I am keeping it real.  I have deleted most of the Instagram accounts that left me feeling ‘not good enough’ and have embraced those that create their own style using mostly second-hand bargains (check out Kath’s account @knitchings as a fabulous example of thrifty gorgeousness).

The problem with following trends is that the trendsetters inevitably move onto the next big idea. If you have chosen your decor based on a trend rather than your actual tastes and preferences, your home will soon feel old-fashioned. 

I still want to make Shoestring Cottage a warm and comfortable retreat that I enjoy living and working in. However, I have come to the realisation that I don’t need someone else to influence that. Instead of trying to achieve an Instagram influencer’s idea of perfection, I will find my own. 

Photo credits: Pexels