Designing, Deciding & Definitely Not Decorating

By Dagmar – stylist, over-thinker, and accidental minimalist

(Also known as the woman behind Linen & Wood interior styling, fueled by coffee and wild ideas.)

There’s a special kind of dizzy that only happens when you’re designing a new home.

Not the I had one glass too many dizzy — no, I mean the where-do-we-put-this-wall / should-this-door-open-left-or-right / why-are-there-so-many-kinds-of-fittings dizzy.

Deciding on layouts, moving doors on a blueprint, and trying to visualize a finished space before a single sofa arrives… it’s chaos.

And yes, this month it’s also about definitely not decorating — no Christmas tree, no twinkling lights, no wreaths, nothing.

My head?

Spinning.

My notebook?

Full of arrows, scribbles, and at least three drawings that look like spaghetti but are apparently “floor plans.” Good thing I’ve learned to trust natural home decorating ideas — chaos, I can handle.

My patience?

Somewhere under a pile of samples.

Rearranging an entire apartment from scratch is exhausting, wildly fun, and honestly… slightly dangerous. One moment I’m confidently moving a doorway, and the next I’m standing in a kitchen showroom whispering dramatically:

“Should the sink be here… or here?” (While the salesperson pretends this is all perfectly normal.)

Meanwhile, here in the bungalow… well… let’s just say Christmas has not arrived.

No tree.

No twinkling lights.

No wreath.

No cute wooden ornaments.

Nothing.

Why? Because everything — and I mean everything — is packed.

I’m basically living inside a minimalist winter cave, surrounded by boxes that suspiciously resemble modern art installations. If Santa walked in, he’d think the place was abandoned.

And honestly?

It’s kind of hilarious.

Here I am — Stylist Dagmar, lover of all things cozy and festive — spending December designing, deciding, and definitely not decorating. But this chaos? It’s temporary magic.

Because all the energy I would normally pour into Christmas decorating is now flowing straight into the new space:

Where will the walls go?

Which corners deserve light?

How do we make the layout feel like home even before there’s a sofa inside?

It’s a puzzle I adore — even when my brain feels like a snow globe someone won’t stop shaking.

And yes, I know many of you come here looking for interior inspiration for your home, so just know: you’re not alone in this creative chaos.

So this year, no Christmas tree — but a whole new chapter is quietly shining in the background. And honestly, that feels like the most beautiful decoration of all.

And yes, in my previous blog I talked about how to bring glow into the dark corners of your home — candles, branches, ribbons, little wonders everywhere. That was all warm and cozy interior ideas meant to inspire you, especially if you love a soft natural color palette.

But here in the bungalow? Not a single ornament or candle. Everything is neatly packed for the big move, and my interior looks more like a blank canvas than a winter wonderland.

So yes, it’s quiet and bare… but hey, no one can trip over my decorations, and I can pretend I’m a minimalist guru every day.

With love, humor & one very messy sketchbook,

Dagmar

From The Art of Living Beautifully — Linen & Wood

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