Hi,
As the end of the year creeps in, one thing pops up in nearly every home I visit, that unmistakable “rush to be done” before Christmas. Whether it’s hosting, moving in post-renovation, or simply decluttering for the festive season, the question clients ask me again and again is, “How do I know when my home is finished?”
After helping thousands of people create their dream homes, here’s what I’ve learned: the very best spaces aren’t really finished at all. They’re always growing, evolving, and collecting the beautiful marks of life.
The Myth of “Finished”
Let’s shatter the illusion straight away: a home isn’t a museum, locked in time the moment you hang the last curtain or style a shelf. If it were, it would feel static, flat, a space where energy stops flowing and your unique story can’t unfold. Colour, texture, art, and objects all have a job to do, and that job is never quite finished.
As Kate Watson-Smyth wisely said, calling a house “done” means you stop experimenting and layering in yourself and your memories. In my years of colour consultations, I’ve watched the most magical homes develop slowly, one bit at a time, their personalities deepening with every new layer.
Why the Christmas Rush Happens
It’s November, and I hear it daily: “We just want it done before Christmas!” The calendar makes us crave a fresh start, a backdrop ready for festivities and family. There’s hosting pressure too: you want your home to feel ‘together’ before guests arrive.
But here’s my challenge, don’t let the push for perfection steal your joy. If the finish line is all that matters, you’ll miss the pleasure of the process: the satisfaction as each piece, each colour, each memory finds its place.
What “Finished” Really Looks Like
Let’s reframe “finished.” For me, a brilliant home is one that’s solid underfoot (good bones, a knock-out colour palette), but always open to change. It tells your story not just in the big, obvious ways, but in the details: the holiday painting hung on a whim, the child’s doodle on the fridge, the rug you waited months for, things that make a space loved, not flawless. A home where the living room is painted in your just-right shade, but the pendant light is still being hunted and the gallery wall is ever-evolving, that’s a home with soul.
Take another look at Amira’s home tour, it’s a beautiful example of how your home can become a vibrant, layered sanctuary, filled with treasures from your travels and memories from every chapter of your life.
A Friendly Takeaway
Here’s what I want to send you into Sunday with: let go of “complete perfection” and instead, celebrate what’s already done. Prioritise the basics so you can relax into the season, yes, get the paint dry and the heating working, but give yourself the gift of letting the rest evolve next year. Layer slowly. The most beautiful homes, in my book, are built one memory, one tweak, one new mood at a time.
Show me your “still in progress” favourite corners, tag me, and let’s celebrate homes with a heartbeat. As we move into this season, don’t worry so much about “is it done?” Find joy in the journey, comfort in what’s been completed, and pure anticipation for what comes next.
Because at the end of the day, it’s the eclectic, layered, continually evolving homes that are, to me, the most beautiful and the most alive.
Tash x
Ready to start planning your next project? I’ve just launched the first course in my colour academy. Check it out here.
All photos are from my vision board via Pinterest. Want to create your own vision board? Check out my guide here.