How long do you keep things in a room the same, especially the fabrics?
Well, mostly the same. I think we all do some tweaking here and there all the time, but for the most part, do you keep your space the same for many years? I do know that fabrics can date a room. Many times, you can walk in someone’s home and make a mental note of exactly when they did that particular room, based on the fabrics. Can’t you?
I think for me I would say at least 7-10 years, I will keep my fabrics and most of the bones of the room the same. Maybe changing out some accessories here and there, but I try to be content and satisfied for several years before I go changing out the major things in a room. 
(from Charles Faudree)
I’ve learned that for the most part, keeping sofas a neutral fabric and color is the best for me. That’s a tried and true thing that I’ve stuck with over the last 20 years or so. Chairs can be something in a print, but even those can be iffy when you want to change out a look in your room.
I love the above pic from Charles Faudree. He’s the king of toile and traditional design, with beautiful toiles and checks mixed so perfectly. I fell in love with toile almost 10 years ago and still have that fabric in my house in the dining room and guest room. But, as much as I still love toile, it’s not what floats my boat right this minute.
Isn’t it funny how we can change our minds about what we love when trends and fabrics change?
Like this for instance. I’m going to swallow my pride and show you my old house, back in 1986. I was so proud to have a house of my very own to do what I wanted with it. And this is what I did. Some of you were just babies back then. Me? I was a single girl out to decorate her first place. 
Isn’t it lovely? No, not the hair. And don’t laugh. You know you had hair like this too. 
I could definitely rock the big hair.
This beautiful shade of seafoam green was so in back then. In fact, do you see a comeback in the making? It’s not so different than some of those blue/green shades we are all loving now.
Of course, then we were pairing it with mauve (yep, I did mauve carpet, what was I thinking?) and I even threw in gray for some contemporary flair. My mother was sewing for me back then too and made the curtains and that window seat cushion. I thought it was SO pretty.
Then, sometime around the early 90′s, this dark and moody hunter green was everywhere. Hunter green and burgandy. I bet you had some of this too, right? It was dark and cave like, but then I moved on to my red stage. 
I can’t put my hands on my old house pics, but I had a red very similar to this one in my dining room and I painted the whole living room with it and had new window treatments made for it too with a yellow/gold background (again, my mom sewed for me).
Don’t you feel like you are constantly growing when it comes to decorating? I sure do!
When we moved in this house, I didn’t change out many of my fabrics at all and it’s been almost 5 years that we have lived here. Many of those fabrics go way back from there. The only room I started over with was our master bedroom and bath.
So, I’m chomping at the bit to do a little freshening in my kitchen. I have loved, loved my red bunny fabric for a very long time now. My mom did such a great job on that window treatment and I said to myself that I would keep it until something else started to grab me. This window treatment is almost 9 years old now. It is still very charming and I certainly don’t dislike it, but some other fabrics have grabbed my attention. 
And this fabric that I found earlier this year at Old Time Pottery has been calling my name. You may remember I used it for pillows on my porch, but I have plenty left to do a window treatment with. I won’t even have to change the green paint in there, but these fabrics will freshen it up. Even though these colors are brighter than what I have elsewhere, I’m going for it.
Those 2 sample fabrics with it are from Tonic Living, a new site my friend, Kate, shared recently. I clicked over there and LOVED all the fabrics and the best part, they are so reasonably priced. They even offered a 10% discount on orders, with the coupon code, TONICLIVING, which I intend to use.
I’m pretty sure this pretty golden yellow lattice fabric will go on my chair seats. And I’m hoping that stripe is still available as I don’t see it on the website now. I’m not sure yet what type of window treatment I’ll do, but I think it will be simple. You will definitely stay in the loop when I do figure it out! 
I admit, I’m a fabric junkie. My mother used to drag us in the fabric stores when we were growing up, so maybe that has something to do with it. But, when I see a fresh new fabric out there that catches my eye, it begs me to bring it home with me. I’m about a 7-10 year girl with my fabrics.
So, tell me!
How long do you keep your fabrics? Many years like I do or do you tend to change them more often or less often!
And what is it that gets the itch going for change? Is it fabric or a particular color?
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The giveaway winner for the Downlite pillow is #144, Patty Hibble. Congrats Patty, email me with your mailing address and I’ll get you connected.
{ 65 comments… read them below or add one }
Since I do use neutrals with my furniture, so I change out my curtains, pillows with the seasons Spring/Summer and then Fall/Winter
I had a Ralph Lauren inspired master bedroom, at the farm. Hunter green with burgundy…hunt scene prints…the whole nine yards. The great room dining room was Williamsburg Blue and mauve…yes it was…and wallpaper all over the place!;-)
I tend to change things up every 6 or 7 years. That’s why I am in the midst of making some changes this year. It has been 7 years since we built our house. I cannot believe it’s been 7 years. I still like our paisley sofa, but I am wanting changes in chairs. Been lookin’, no decisions yet. I’ve changed the paint colors in the living room, dining room, powder room and the master suite. Still hanging onto Laura Ashley Gold 3 in the kitchen area…everytime I think about painting, I get cold feet, because I can’t make up my mind. I usually have no problem with choosing colors, but that area of the house is a whole ‘nuther story!
Can’t wait to see your new look!
I redecorate major things every year like furniture little things 2-6 months. Paint doesn’t change much because I hate painting walls. I’m also 17 (1993) so no ugly christmas colors like hunter green. The most dated thing in my room is a ’30′s chair reupolstered in the’80′s uith leopard print and the uglyest roses you have ever seen.
Also my mom had that hair and outfit in the 80′s too.
I get attached to my fabrics too, but I have been thinking of my kitchen and it needs an update. Den too. I took down the living room dining room curtains and just have the white plantation shutters for now. Looks clean and crisp. I need a Cutting Corners fix, great fabrics at terrific prices.
I probalby change things around every couple of years. In fact I am just in the process of updating a “red room” which has been this way for about ten years. Time to go lighter and brighter.
By the way, I bet we are close to the same age, Seafoam green and mauve were so in when we had our first house, and your hair, well let’s just say I’ve been there done that or something pretty close. Texas big hair girl myself!
I loved my big hair back then too! And the mauve carpet and I also had a lot of peach and seafoam green in my house! I am so ready for a change in our house now. It’s been almost 10 years and it’s time. I have a Decorator/Stager coming to my house tomorrow to help me with a new color scheme and some furniture placement. We will probably be moving in a couple of years so whatever we do we will do it with re-sale in mind. Probably more neutral. Great post today!!
Your hair is not that bad – I’ve seen a lot worse from that era!! Me redecorate? Only as needed….thankfully I have a son who loves to paint and change colors. Now getting him here is another story!
Oh Rhoda…I had to laugh as I had some of the SAME patterns and colors that you shared!!!Like you, I cannot afford to change sofas often so I try to change things up with pillows and accessories. Last time I bought a sofa, about six yrs ago now, I went for a print as I am just not much of a neutral person and I have enjoyed it. But you are right that if you go neutral you have more decorating choices. Loved your Big Hair…it looked great on you!
Too often, I’m afraid!
Love the hair, and yes I had big hair too back then. I thought I looked pretty spiffy actually!
Sue
xo
We bought our first house in 1986 and it was all about the blue and mauve, seafoam and peach….oh my! By the mid 1990′s when we moved, the whole thing had been redecorated in gold, cranberry red, hunter green and navy. This house was done in much of the same palette, with more yellow/gold and lots ‘o wallpaper and lots ‘o fabric! Just this year, I’ve knocked everything back and gone mostly neutral with paint (no more wallpaper) and lots of solids and stripes for fabrics. I really didn’t want to go with the whole blue/brown theme that is so trendy, but I did end up with some of that color in my den (along with bronze…which I love!) So, I’d say about every 8-10 years, I flip the whole decor over a period of two years in transition. Right now there is still a lot of gold paint that needs to be covered up, but I’m getting there. And one thing I always wanted to do and now am glad I never did is the red dining room. I had a lot of red in this house, but only put it on the wall in the laundry room. LOVE the new fabrics you’ve chosen!
Thanks for sharing! I went through about the same color history at my house. Remember mauve and country blue? I also used seafoam green and hunter green a lot! I seemed to miss the red walls.
I like your ideas for new kitchen fabric. I too love fabric and it really does update a room.
It’s funny how I can love a room and then one day look at it and realize it needs an update.
Haha! I was sporting the big hair in my wedding photos! LOL! So, I definitely will not laugh at you, only with you! I probably change out much like you every 7 to 10 years on major furniture pieces. However, I like using fabrics on pillows and window treatments that get changed more frequently.
I have about 8 yards of fabric that I bought this summer. I love, love, it.
However, it is brighter than what I am used to and I frankly am a bit scared to recover the chair. I keep telling myself it is only a chair and a chair can be a bit loud…..right????? :-/ I definitely am tired of the boring pattern that is on it now!
I had to laugh Rhoda,not at your hair because mine looked just like yours but the colors. I thought I was having 80′s flash back to my house. I did those same dark colors and loved them so~ Funny how we can change with the times and think we are always going in a better direction. I do wonder if I will look back in 5 years and dread my gray cabinets and gray/blue walls. I think decorating is like living..you learn as you go. It’s been fun learning along side of you my friend. I bet the best is yet to come
Susie~
I tend to keep things for some time. I do not jump on the current trend bandwagon. I am much more traditional and use alot of antique pieces. I do love fabric tho! I think my rooms tend to evolve, if that makes sense. Instead of a big change, small changes along the way. We use somewhat the same colors throughout the house – I like things to flow that way and pieces to be interchangeable in rooms. So I guess my answer is that I’m not one who changes things out that often.
tina
Oh, yeah, girl, I remember all these stages! I was so in to country blue and rust, with the occasional pairing of country blue and mauve. And then I moved on hunter green, and then to jewel tones in a huge way. Yep.
I tend to be like you with my fabrics. I don’t tend to itch to change something every year, but after 7 years or so, I find myself wanting to freshen things up a bit. If there’s something I really, really love, though, I may be content to keep it for longer.
I’ve had a red dining room for a long, long time. I first painted my dining room red back in 1991, when I was considered pretty crazy for doing it. The red has morphed over the years and is now almost a brown color. Now I’m itching to do something different, but the problem is that I still can’t decide what to do! The dining room is the one room where I want a darker color and a bit of drama. I’m considering chocolate brown or a deep peacock blue. Maybe one of these days I’ll make up my mind!
I haven’t stayed in a place long enough to keep my fabrics! 3-4 yrs ago we lived in TN and I liked how I had things, but moved. In PR, we had no curtains/fabrics. We didn’t plan on staying long. Now, we have the curtains that were left from the previous home owners (it works well). I’ve bought rugs, though for the rooms (have hardwood floors) and now pillows. We’ll see how long I’ll keep them for
When I got married in 1991, my living room colours were blue and dusty rose. My kitchen was blue with “goose” accessories that were so popular then. I moved on to the dark green and burgundy when we built our first house in 1996. For our second house I chose a lot of dark colours like greens and beiges. Now I am finding that my tastes are changing again. Now I am liking the lighter, beachy feel. I’d like to make some changes but I have a lot of dark wood furniture and fabrics. My couch is dark green, still in great shape, but doesn’t fit the lighter feeling I’d like to have in my house. The frugal part of me doesn’t want to get rid of perfectly good couch because I am tired of it
I definitely move furniture around seasonally. After living in the house seven years I finally did an update on fabrics this weekend. It feels so good to start autumn with a new look.
SUCH A GREAT POST!!!
I’m a fabric junkie too. Wish I could change it out DAILY!!!
XO,
Layla
Well I did notice “the Farrah Fawcett hair” and yes, your are right we all had that hair do but you pull it off better.
Now as far as decorating, I usually change things up every time we move, which seems to be fairly often lately. It needs to fit the new home.
Girl you are hilarious! Of course I had hair like that! I am a Jersey girl after all. I just love all of the fabrics you showed and I’m with you about keeping things neutral for longevity’s sake. For the most part, I keep things the same.
xoxo,
Kim
I think you are right on target. My house is 22 years old and the den sofas are on their 3rd fabric. The fabrics are not neutral and the first and third are very similar but they needed to be replaced because they got dingy looking over time. I have found that if I pay a little more to get something that I really LOVE, it lasts a long time rather than just buying something that I don’t love but it works. My den window treatments have only been replaced one time in the 22 years. Taking a clue from the heritage homes and hotels that I have visited both in this country and abroad, it seems to me that true classic design is timeless so I tend to stick to classic rather than trendy.
Ha! I love the picture of you…thank you for swallowing your pride. And as much as we laugh today you were HOT STUFF in the 80′s! And those valances were in style back then. My Mom had one and she stuffed newspaper inside to make them poofy.
I buy neutral furniture so I can change out accessories, curtains and pillow slipcovers constantly. I think I have aout 20 different fabric slipcovers and when I get bored or the seasons change…voila! New fabrics. (Not that I’m a good decorator)
Thanks for the smile this morning!
Thank you for sharing your story, it is basically my
story also. It has been 10-12 yrs since I redeco’d my
house. The wallpaper on the entry is getting dated
which I chose a more neutral palet but it still looks
dated. It is white, blue strips (kinda like what you
see in dr’s office, really small), the carpet is getting
dated/worn also. I had white walls and
just changed them to a light grey with white base
boards and white crown molding. I like the white
cottage feel, so I have kept it towards all the lighter
colors for yrs but I have brought some color in recently
when we just remodeled our kitchen in April (after 30
yrs of the original cabinets). So I took a few ideas from
Candice Olsen on HGTV and love the new look. I do
change as the season’s and holidays change. Like I will
be putting out a orange burnt throw on the beigh couch,
orange burnt candles on candle sticks, etc. I like decorating
each month for the season so I keep it neutral, like May
comes the spring look, 4th of July decor in July, watermelon
decor in Aug, and I’m putting out this next week sunflower
and fall decor, Oct -Halloween etc.
I’m with you, Rhoda; I’m about 7-10 years on my tastes in home decor also. Sometimes it is just the fabric, but sometimes it is actual furniture pieces {like chairs}. I do love that Charles Faudree picture you have up top though. I really love all his designs. I think I had that seafoam fabric on your window seat, {but it was 1990-91 because I was in our second house then}! I love your red valance fabric and I actually have at least 3 yards of that fabric that I’ve been holding onto, and had been hoping I could do something with it. Unfortunately, I don’t have red in my house.
I LOVE that photo of you Rhoda!
For me, I tend to lean towards the design philosophy that you invest in your mainstay items (sofas, chairs, etc.) and go fairly neutral with them and then you can switch out pillows and accessories. I tend to change more of those fabrics than anything else. Window treatments, for me, are so time consuming to sew and can be costly, therefore I try and find something that I know I will love for a LONG time! I’m getting ready to change up some family room pillows and already have the fabric for that!
Vanessa
http://southerninmyheart.blogspot.com
I think it was the whole Miami Vice thing that caused those colors!
I was a teenager back in the 80′s so I remember the BIG HAIR too! I especially remember the guys with big hair..you know all those rock bands with the wild and fuzzy hair-dos! lol
I’m re-doing the rooms one at a time, so by the time I get the whole house finished it’ll be time to re-do the first one! :-0
I tend to keep my more neutral fabrics in place for 5 or 6 years, but change out the accessories pretty regularly. We’ve only been in this house for less than 4 years, so everything here is new for now!
Have a great week!
HUGS
Missy
I change decor whenever we move…, which has been about every three years! That photo of you is hilarious…, sorry I had to laugh!
I’m on about the same timeline as you. Unfortunately, I tend to live with things longer because I just don’t have the money to change it out more often. For instance, my living room is is sort of cottage meets French country, but somewhere along the line I realized that I can no longer stand the red, blue and mustard yellow pallet. But alas, changing it to what I really want—beachy navy and tan/greige/off-white—is an expensive proposition that would require a new couch, new area rugs and recovering a chair and ottoman. I guess the excuse for that will be when this couch wears out. Hopefully it’s not built too well, lol.
love it! i love that you are not intimidated or anything about putting up those pictures! you really rocked that big hair, girl!
This post is timely for me! I have been looking at my dining room pillows and finding them very dated looking… floral with plaid trim? ugh. I did them in 1997 so it’s time for a change!!
Rhoda, this was such a FUN walk through Decor-Memory Lane! I have to say that you’d be gorgeous with ANY hair even if you had none! You ROCKED that look! We married in ’92 and had saddle leather couches and burgundy and green accents. My powder room was seafoam green. But my master bath was classic black and white. Black marble counter, white cabinets and the classic floor with the octogan white marble tile with the black marble squares. I SO miss that bathroom, still! We moved here in’96 and still had the saddle leather couch, we painted below our chair rail RL’s KILIM RED, but changed it within a year to a pretty sage green. Now we no longer have chair rail, we have board and batten and it’s white, above is called Impressionist blue by RL and the couches are dark chocolate. This was such a FUN FUN post and I loved reading everyones answers! THANKS!!!
I have noticed that I keep the same ‘main’ and add to them. I love neutrals in main pieces of furniture and then switch up the pillows, window treatments and other odd items (side tables, lamps, etc). I have been known to change out pillows and throw blankets with the seasons.
Oh forgot. The HAIR. Oh my mercy! Yes, we all had ‘big’ hair, but I had to giggle at the print and print (window seat and your dress) clash.
I’d never snicker at hair being the daughter of a hairdresser. No M’am, not me. 
Hi Rhoda
My first house was 80s country with baby blue and mauve everywhere! My mom had those balloon shades in the house too and who didn’t have big hair then?? I used to stick my head out the window of the car with a can of hairspray because the dryer wasn’t strong enough hahahaha It’s funny how our tastes change.
Anyway, to keep current I paint the walls and change out pillows usually. The fabric part stays the same unless I buy new upholstered furniture, but since I can’t part with my antiques I just move them around. How often does the look of my house change? Every time I move which has been about every 5 years
xoxo,
rue
I think I usually make it 10 years. I have a lovely soft green on my walls in the living room but the busy traditional floral with burgundy trim is starting to feel too busy and dated. I am ready for a change. I am going to take them down while we do renovations in other parts of the house and hope to not put them up again!
What do you think about plantation shutters? Would you leave them plain or add a window treatment as well? The simplicity has always been appealing and I wonder if I will like them longer than 10 years!
Hey, Jennifer, I really LOVE plantation shutters & I do think they look great plain with no treatments with them. Especially if all your molding is nice and wide, it’s a great look. I’d say go for that!
I just talked about this on my blog a few weeks ago. Drapes were meant to be changed every seven years (especially if it’s a pattern.) You can get away with a fabric for ten to twelve it’s a solid. But, patterns are hard to keep for that long. I have curtains that have two years left and it’s funny because I can totally tell it’s time to change them out. I have patterns on chairs that really are on their last year. But, I think I am going to try to wait it out for a move and then send everything off to be reupholstered.
Oh Rhoda! You were (and still are very beautiful)! As I get older, I pay less attention to trends and decorate the way I want. If I like a look, I keep it a loooong time. I still love color and just can’t get into the whole “white/gray/black trend!
Rhoda great post……I get very attached to my “things” I only buy things I really LOVE so I tend to keep things awhile. I always have two looks for the kitchen, I guess because my Mother did, we always had summer curtains and winter ones…..maybe that’s why I don’t get sick of them quickly.
Love the new fabric that will look really nice.
LOL had me some hair like that…..we could have been sisters.
You know my daughter is in GA…..pls say a prayer we don’t get hammered by Earl…..she is coming home for the week-end !!
All the best,
Kathy
Rhoda, love the hair! I never had the mauve, but I did have the navy blue and red. I had a red living/family room for about 12 years and a red office/guest bedroom for about 11 years. The living room went Ben. Moore color 198 about 10 years ago, and the office went to SW Antique White a couple of weeks ago. I do love it. I have a blue & white toile loveseat in the sitting area of the kitchen. It looks fabulous, but ever since I began blogging, I have grown to love white slipcovers and white dishware, which I have collected VERY easily through GW and yard sales. I have noticed that my mother started prefering lighter colors as she aged….now I am doing the same thing! But with young grandchildren, I have to be careful. Would love to redo all the sofas in neutral now (after 10 years), but they are still in perfect condition!! Linda
Hi Rhoda,
I will admit I could only dream of hair that big back in the 80′s. Mine is not thick enough to stay up really high, but I tried!! Yours was FAB!!
I’ve had the basics (love seats, table and chairs etc.) for almost 20 years! I just change the slipcovers, the cushions, the drapes. I make them myself so I can do it when the mood strikes. But since I keep things fairly neutral I don’t feel the need to change things that often. Just mix up the accessories and accent cushions and etc. We painted the interior of the house about 5 years ago, I would like to see something else, but it’s a nice soft green and goes well with the stone floors, and there are so many walls and very high ceilings, so I think I’ll be living with the color for awhile longer!
Great post, Rhoda!
xo
Heidi
I <3 Charles Faudree!!! My Mother and I used to go to a home tour every year in Tulsa that always had some of his decorated homes. Many times his own home was on the tour as well and believe me, it was beyond wonderful!!!
I <3 fabric as well! I've been in a rut lately and have been feeling the need to get rid of my red and gold bedroom and move to something lighter…
Oh, Rhoda! That 1986 photo is fabulous in more ways than one!!! We’re moved so much int he past (many of them being rental properties) that I nver had to much choice in my decortatiing or stayed long enough to get tied of what I did have. But when we moved into our dream home, I thought long and hard about my decor choices. I tried to stay away from anything too trendy, but I did go with a good bit of light blue! I don’t see my changing anything too soon, but we’ll see.
Love the hair! And I am definately laughing with you—I was totally into the whole Farah Fawcett look. Your post took me down memory lane…I’ve changed my colors pretty much every 8-10 years and sometimes wish I could do it more often.
It’s so invigorating to change a room occassionally. You go girl!
We tend to move about every 7-10 years so I just start fresh then . I do like to keep my main pieces neutral so I can change pillows and accessories often. I guess we are from the same era because I also had peach and seafoam green in my first home. The next house I went with deep red and hunter green. Years ago I had mostly white, shabby chic look. Now our home is a mix of traditional, country french, shabby chic and antiques. I think I like this eclectic style the best. Hugs, Sherry
I can’t let my furniture sit in the same place for more than 6 months, always changing it up. My kitchen was remodeled two years ago, but I typically change wall color and drapes every 4 years. I love to sew so I always make my own. My front/dinning room has had the same color, Merlot, for the last 9 years. I LOVE LOVE LOVE it. I love the way it makes me feel, change rugs drapes, pillow, etc., and have never tried of the color.
With your inspiration I am now “spray painting” and anticipating all the new creative ideas you provide and will incorporate into my life.
Rhoda, fun post. Blast from the past. By the way even with the big hair you were so beautiful, such a pretty lady!! I think you Southern gals really did Big Hair well. I guess I am in the change slightly camp. I will do wallpaper and sofa changes about every 7-10 years. As far as colors go. I have to say I have stayed with the same colors for years. I am a yellow, black, white, green, blue, watermelon pink gal. Always have been. I had a heck of a time when mauve was in. Way to blue based for me. I am pretty classic but like you like to freshen up my look with an addition of pillows and accessories. Can’t wait to see what you do in your kitchen how fun!!! I think we are always on a learning curve and we are such lucky ladies to be able to play house!!! Have fun my friend, hugs Kathysue
Hi Rhonda, love that you posted the old pictures. That is fun and I too had a Hunter Green wall back in the day. I loved it and thought it was beautiful and I guess it was then. I tend to redecorate when I fall in love with a new color and then I want that color everywhere in my home. Right now it’s the pretty blue, gray colors that are so popular and are giving me the bug to redecorate and redo.
Rhoda, yes, I did the mauve carpeting, and oh yes, the hunter green & burgandy too, but I hope you still,have that multi-strand of pearls you are wearing. They are great and I would practically die for them:) I enjoy and look forward to you blog. Keep up the good work.
Oh, my!! I remember having BIG hair, too… and I also had the “poof” window treatments: mine came from JC Penneys since I can’t sew. I thought those were just the coolest decorating statement that was happening, lol!
I never had the navy/burgundy/hunter green palette: I was a single girl on a budget, so I had to stick with my soft colors. I did mix the teal with mauve (never had the country blue either) & get this – my walls were that builder shade of taupe with a slight hint of some shade of lavender (?)… that was the strangest color!
Now that I’m older, I have definitely learned to select more neutral colors for larger items like sofas (no more floral patterns!) & I tend to keep them for 7-10 years. I just finished new custom bedding in the master bedroom… I’m so happy with how it turned out! The only thing that I didn’t have sewn for me was the matelesse coverlet that is a gorgeous shade called corn silk.
It looks to me like Diane from Cheers stopped by for a sit on your window seat.. even the dress and shoes.. ahhahahh ,, that should be the next Linky party.. everybody’s big hair days.. !!
I love your old pics and I’m sure in that phase, you were very current! To answer your question, I usually get the itch to redecorate every couple of years but try to wait until things have worn a bit as to not be too wasteful. I think seven years is a good mark.
I agree, that I usually grow tired of fabrics and paint colors first. Keeping the big things neutral (couches, rugs, paint) can allow us to redecorate inexpensively more often! I’m really feeling the blues and grays right now. I’m also love the small brightly painted pieces of furniture in oranges, pinks, turquoise and yellow. They’re usually easier to repaint than an entire room!
Good Luck.
Oh Rhoda! You were rockin’ that big hair look! I am a Texas girl, honey….and we LOVE our BIG HAIR!!!!! Thank you for sharing! You looked MAHVELOUS!!!!! I like to change basics every 6 or 7 years if I can afford it….and I have that hankering again. I have done the jewel tones thing on the walls and some accessories and am going to give pretty neutrals a whirl THIS go ’round!
LOL! It didn’t take much to make your hair that big. You have a LOT of hair. Thanks for the flashback! Just yesterday I saw a set of china in a thrift store like your 1st set. I remember you using the color in that china to decorate your home.
I absolutely LOVED reading all your comments on this post and can see this subject is one that gets many of you talking about trends and how they come and go. It’s so hard not to get caught up in the latest and greatest, but no one can afford to change things out all the time. It’s nice to share inspiration in blogging with everyone out there, so thanks for chiming in with “your” color story.
i’m going on 10 years with red toile and it’s getting kind of old! i have coordinating wallpaper (yep really) that is also 10 years old… so, i’m thinking for me it’s color.
I knew I was out of date, but I didn’t realize HOW FAR out of date I was! I still have a peach master suite and dark green in most of the “public” rooms. I’m very tired of it all, would love to redecorate the whole house, but our family is in transition right now so it doesn’t make much sense. I’ll wait until everyone is moved out and/or settled, then, in the quiet, go wild with redecorating.That is, if my frugal side can go to sleep for awhile.
I loved reading all these comments, but it made me feel so dull….although my style has evolved a bit, it’s been more a matter of fine tuning to get to the point where I can say: “I know what I like/ I know what I don’t like.”
(Of course, along the way I’ve also discovered another category: “I know what I think looks good in SOMEBODY ELSE’S house, but realize that it’s not something that I could live with it long term.” Read: all white/cream/minimalist. But things like that seem to only be learned through trial and error. At least for me.)
So I’m still loving the same colors today that I did 5, 10, 15 years ago. Earth tones are like music to my soul, so although there might be a little hint of trends/colors in accessories or pillows, in 20 years I’m guessing that I’ll still be loving the same things….or some close cousin of them
Oh Rhoda!!! Love, love the hair!!! Mine was like that too only darker in the day! I had a love seat like that in my kitchen at my house with the blues and duck motif. I loved it too!
I have learned to change things around with color and usually keep furniture for quite a long time except the family room furniture that we use everyday…we need new couches about every 5 years. I was just talking to the hubby about that this week…it’s time!!
Connie
Very interesting topic! I’m only just decorating my first house, so I don’t have much to offer to the conversation, but I’m trying to do so with an eye toward the future. We’ll see how that goes in 10 years, I suppose
That said, I’m not naturally attracted to much pattern, so the bold geometrics and things that are so popular at the moment aren’t tempting for me.
Girl I did the mauve and BLUE!! Oh, yes I did and I had a BIG mauve area rug! It was hot I tell ya’! Isn’t it so funny how our tastes and styles change through the years!!
If you get ready to get rid of those curtains in your kitchen and you want to sell them, let me know! I love them!!
Oh, and I loved your big hair! I tend to be a big hair girl! lol
Lou Cinda
Rhoda,
Wow, did that photo bring back memories! I had the same hair (I was picked once at a San Diego women’s convention to “model” some hair freeze product in front of attendees)! lol
I also had almost the same dress, only mine was hot pink and black with hot pink pumps. I loved the full skirt and felt like a princess when I wore it. Sometimes I regret that my teenage daughter never really “gets” the great feminine feeling that a long swishy skirt gives – she likes her minis.
In 1986, we bought a slate BLUE contemporary sofa for our first California house. As the years went by, looking at it became almost unbearable for me. I got rid of it about 7 years ago, but now sometimes I look at those popular blue/brown combos and consider what could have been…