Kelly Spenhoff

I love when things don’t match.

Not in a chaotic way. I just like what I like and I don’t care if it matches.

When I made my wedding registry 23 years ago, I chose Fiestaware in all different colors. Not even a color theme, just whatever colors I liked. I’ve never regretted it for one second.

There are so many fun and beautiful things in the world. How could I possibly confine myself to only one of something?

One color of dishes.

One style in my closet.

Every glass in the cupboard identical to the next.

Furniture that “goes together.”

No thanks.

I go with my gut and choose whatever I like. Whether or not it coordinates. And especially not if it’s what everyone else would do.

Mismatched doesn’t have to be messy. It can be layered and collected and personal.

My house doesn’t look like a catalog and my outfits don’t look like a capsule wardrobe. They look like someone lives here. Someone who loves color and has opinions. Someone who picks things because they make her happy, not because they solve a design problem.

Matching is easy. Safe, even.

Cultivating personal style is harder.

Matching is about rules.

Taste is about knowing yourself.

It feels safe to match, to fit in. When you match, you belong.

Trusting yourself to realize your own vision is risky. It invites judgement. You expose who you are.

Every time I go with what makes my heart sing, even if it doesn’t match, I am creating the life I want. With every design choice I make, I get a little braver to show up as myself.