House Decisions:Choices you only have to make once

Visit a nice restaurant and you’ll find house wine and house dressing on the menu. Stay at a nice hotel or resort, and all the fluffy white towels and linens will match. Receive a gift from Tiffany’s and you’ll feel a tingle of anticipation from the iconic wrapping paper of robin’s egg blue.

These are all examples of what I call house decisions: well thought-out, satisfying choices you only have to make once that work for you exponentially over time.

Hospitality experts know that house decisions are not only extremely efficient, they help build brands. As we bring this best practice into our own homes, think of using house decisions to build your signature style.

• House decisions both simplify and elevate your daily experience.
• They prevent stuff creep: that imperceptible accumulation of things that sneaks in with the mail, in backpacks, after trips and birthday parties, and even Target runs.
• They cut down on visual noise and create a sense of calm, even in an act as simple as opening a kitchen cabinet.
• They surround us with sights, scents and tastes we love.
• They rein in impulse buying because we’ve already committed to a choice.
• They make replacing chipped or worn items an easy no-brainer.

House decisions are a commitment and can require upfront research and thought, but they’re not limiting. They’re liberating. You just need to love and be proud of them enough to embrace them and stick with it. Then, let them go to work for you as foundational elements of your home and style.

Here are a few of my favorite house decisions that bring peace to my home — and will do the same for yours.

All white sheets, bed linens, bath towels and bath mats
Every resort in the world can’t be wrong. White sheets are luxurious and welcoming, placid and soothing. Beautiful, neatly stacked white towels give the feeling of abundance. White surrounds you in a classic, spa-like experience. White says clean, because you can clearly see that your linens are fresh. And best of all, you never have to sort colors and darks before washing. Just throw them in with lavender-scented detergent and softener and you’ll climb into the freshest, most inviting bed every night.

A simple gift-wrap wardrobe that works for every occasion
Rather than match your gift wrap to the occasion — sledding penguins and candy cane stripes at Christmas, pink baby lambs for a baby shower, hunter green plaid for Father’s Day — customize your gift wrap to you. Let your gift wrap represent your thoughtfulness, not the occasion. This house decision is so liberating. Now you don’t need to save and store all those wrinkled, glitter-shedding random gift bags. And the half-used roll of paper from last Christmas does not get 11 months of free rent in your home, only to be unearthed next season to a lukewarm reception. Crushed bows and random ribbon? They’re gone, too. Instead, select one to two solid, neutral colors that speak to you and will look pretty in your home under your Christmas tree. It’s surprising how many options will look beautiful for every occasion. For my gift-wrap wardrobe at Merrytop, I chose a light sage-blue and a craft-paper brown, with sheer or grosgrain ribbon in either white or the same sage-blue. And of course, white tissue paper. It’s charming at Christmastime with a sprig of fresh boxwood or rosemary tucked under the ribbon, lovely for weddings and new babies, and perfect for birthday parties for all ages.

One paint color or scheme throughout the entire home
Few decisions are as agonizing as choosing a paint color. So why go through it multiple times for every room in the house? And think of all those various half-empty paint cans you have to store for touch-ups. More importantly, a unified color scheme flowing through your entire space will create a peaceful backdrop for what’s really important to your decorating style. Reduce the field of possibilities by starting with the two lightest colors on the paint chip strip. Also, Benjamin Moore’s off-white collection is full of proven winners that give you just a rumor of color. At Merrytop, the walls are Benjamin Moore French Canvas, a fresh off-white that hints of lamb’s ear leaves in the evening light and looks velvety against the satin white trim.