I sometimes wish I had a magic wand and could figure out where home design was going next, but it seems that in the last few years, with blogs becoming so popular and so many styles and room designs out there, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to define a particular style.
Do you know your style?
I think I know mine, but even though I’m pretty true to what I love and live with, it’s influenced by so many factors and the truth is, we have never been so inundated with pictures and images of room designs, telling us what we should love. It used to be we only had magazines to determine styles and trends, then along came HGTV and they brought things down to the normal folks and we all got more comfortable with DIYing and trying new things ourselves.
So, now it’s just a free for all on style and what works for everyone. The internet is full of images of beautiful homes and rooms and I think sometimes this muddies up the waters and makes it even harder to find your style and stick with it.
Does that make sense to y’all?
None of us can afford to redecorate our homes over and over again, so usually it comes down to freshening rooms and updating with paint and fabric and I’m no exception to that.
What are all the styles we see now? There are a lot of decorating quizzes out there that are supposed to help you define your style, but truthfully, most of us are a mix of a few styles. It’s much more fun that way!Â
Traditional
Used to be so easy to spot, with classic American/English dark wood furniture and fabrics which are traditional too. Now Traditional has broken out of the box, which is a good thing. I still consider my style Traditional, but love to mix in more modern fabrics and accessories too. Under the Traditional umbrella could be French or English inspired décor, with all of those mixes.
Modern/Contemporary
Definitely not my top style, but a sleek and more minimal look.
Cottage or Farmhouse style
There are so many mixes of this look and style now, with white rooms and minimal color, to very neutral fabrics and textures. White slipcovered sofas seem to be leading this trend still, while mixing in colors in rugs and pillows. Coastal cottage seems to fall under this one too and coastal has been hot for a long while now. Shabby Chic could also fall under this one.
Eclectic
A mix of several styles, bringing in elements of vintage and modern.
I’m not going to attempt to name all the styles out there, but there are plenty to choose from, that is for sure.
I thought I’d gather a little inspiration around the internet and talk about styles and how things change over the years. This image above, from House Beautiful, is a beautiful room, with traditional furniture and elements. A mostly white room, with neutral textured rug and just a little bit of color makes this room a standout to me. Of course, having those beautiful architectural windows doesn’t hurt either, does it? I do love white on white walls and have been happy that I went with a light neutral white on my walls with white trim. With dark floors it all works for me.
This photo, also from House Beautiful, is one of my favorite pics ever. There’s just something so serene and comfortable about this hallway, with the dark door in the background and light walls and trim. The lantern is so classic and traditional too, just a lovely room with antique furniture. I’ll never tire of antiques and that real wood patina on older pieces of furniture.
Another beautiful staircase from House Beautiful, with beautiful molding and trimwork, this is certainly a Traditional look, always a winner.
This classic shot from Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles also is casually elegant with Traditional bones. You can’t go wrong with a patterned antique rug and you can see that little color was used here too.
There is still a huge surge in reclaimed wood and all white rooms (via BHG). Cottage style and farmhouse style rooms are still very popular and many people loved the casual lived-in feel that these rooms provide. The all white trend is still going strong in blogland too, with pops of color here and there and lots of painted furniture.
This bedroom from Country Living with lots of white and dark wood is definitely a classic and Traditional look too, along with Cottage style. Country style has now evolved into a more modern farmhouse style, but the look also has a lot of vintage and chippy furniture.
Blue and white color schemes always seems to be popular, as they are just so easy on the eyes, like this room from House Beautiful.
This hallway has a definite Farmhouse feel with white woodwork and walls, dark flooring and casual antique runner. The eclectic mix of the gallery wall brings in much personality to this room and gives it a collected over time feel. I love the feeling of these type rooms.
A pretty bedroom from House Beautiful shows a pretty soft green/blue on the walls, dark furniture, soft patterns on the fabrics, creating a very calm and serene bedroom. This is definitely on the Traditional side of decorating.
An all white kitchen in House Beautiful is not boring at all. Those harp-back chairs are certainly Traditional in style, although the whole feel to this kitchen isn’t stuffy but very crisp.
The Industrial revolution is still going strong in home décor too with so many industrial elements and reclaimed wood being used all over the place. I love it too, just wondering how long this trend will last? I don’t think it will continue being as popular as it is now, that’s just my gut feeling.
(via House Beautiful)
Iron, wood, vintage, modern fabrics, white walls, colored walls, it seems everything goes these days.
So, how do you go about finding your own personal style in this conglomeration of trends nowadays? I don’t have all the answers at all and am right there with you I wish I had a magic formula to tell you all how to find your style and stick with it, but it’s sometimes an elusive thing. It takes years of honing your eye and trying to see the things that will truly stand the test of time.
For me, I still try to stick to my Traditional roots. With many of the pics shown above, the classic look of Traditional furniture frames will never go out of style. Changing out paint colors and fabrics is the easiest and most cost effective way to freshen up a room in a hurry. Very rarely do any of us get to completely start over in a room. Don’t we always have a sofa, chairs, side tables to deal with when we want to do a room design? So, by breaking down pics that we see and love, we can bring in some elements that are updated and fresh without completely starting over.
Have you figured out what your style is and do you stick with it?Â
My likes have changed over the years, but I’m really striving to find a classic and timeless look that I don’t feel the need to change with all the trends every few years. It’s hard NOT to fall for a few trends, but there are some I know will not stand the test of time like some of the classic photos above will do. We all have to figure out what WE love and want to live with and finding inspiration pictures always seems to work for me.
What are some things you are tired of seeing in decorating? Go ahead and tell me and I’ll share a few of mine. Even though I have a little bit of chevron in my house, it seems to have been way overdone and I think it will be on the way out soon, along with all those antlers and animal heads that have been so popular the last couple of years.
I also have to wonder how long the reclaimed wood and the everything vintage trend will last?
Is it a classic or not? Time will tell!
I enjoyed your post. I too have grown weary of seeing chevron everywhere I look. And the animal heads are also on my list of things I wouldn’t necessarily decorate with, although I think they are a great alternative to the “real” thing. Also it seems like when people do pick color for a room they seem to pick such muted tones, you see a lot of gray. I love gray and even have a gray kitchen. But I think it would be nice of we start looking at more bolder tones and not be afraid to use them as wall colors.
As far as style, I think it’s nice to mix a variety of styles and just create a space all your own!
I don’t have any trendy touches, no slipcovers, no burlap, no animal heads or chevron but my house still looks current and timeless. It was decorated 16 years ago when we moved in and the only things I have changed are pillows and lamps. White sofas and limestone floors, big white moldings and dark wood pieces make a traditional style look good always. I love making my home pretty and because the basics stay the same I have to use different table vignettes and plants and flowers to change up my look.
Good, thought provoking post. I love to look at all of the blogs but I stay true to me!
Gayle, you make such a great point, if the basics are good then all you need to do is change accessories and you are up to date! It is amazing to look through old magazines (which I keep and look at for years) and so many of the rooms just need tweaking and it is suddenly a room for today! I find that my style might change some but it is always me! If I do anything trendy I make sure it is something that can be put away and I don’t have to feel guilty about spending to much money on it. But there are MANY of the trends that I will never use in my home and hopefully will go away soon. LOL
I have to agree with Karen on the need for more color. All the magazines I look at seem to be all white or gray with very little color to make them more interesting. I guess I’m not with the leading edge of design there! I like color on my walls and on the floors, like big oriental rugs with lots of colors that can be pulled out and used as accents throughout the year. I like decorating with stuff I love. One piece that travels a lot in my house is a very versatile sofa table that has lived everywhere but behind a sofa. I like art on the walls, but evidently not mirrors so much. I like traditional styles with modern interpretations. I like looking at other peoples’ decor because it gives me ideas for my own home. I love fresh flowers on the tables and in the bathrooms. I like a pretty laundry room. I wish my pantry was stylishly organized but that’s a work in progress.
I am Traditional. I have pieces from my family, which I will always use. In my N.J. house it was done Traditional in earth tones, brown, rust, beige. I have moved to Kentucky (not happy) and I am still Traditional, with family pieces, but went Blue and White, because I collect Blue Onion. I like the bright feel of my house. I do not need to put lights on during the day. I will always be Traditional, do not follow trends, I know what I like.
I think you have done a fantastic job re-doing and decorating your house.
I enjoyed your post on decorating trends and styles. I am a traditional gal too but want to comment on a trend that I am baffled by–chalkboard paint. I’m not talking about on furniture, I mean the black paint that allows a person to write on it with chalk. As a school teacher, I can tell you the last thing I want is chalk dust. It is messy, hard to clean, and makes most people sneeze. We are no longer using those awful chalk boards in many/most schools now, so I am amused and puzzled by those who want this in their house. To each his own, as the saying goes…..
Come on Gay, the chalk does NOT have to make a mess, just use a damp paper towel to wipe it off!! Or use a chalk pen, easy!
I’m with Gay…gives me the heebie jeebies. And yes, it makes a mess. As a minimalist, I have no space in my life for chalkboard paint.
I’m also baffled by this obsession. You can wipe it off with water sure, but you still have a chalky, dusty mess on a board that never actually looks clean again after its first scribbles. I think it’s popular with people who believe it’s an antiquated form of communication. Similar to those who purchase telephone receivers with curly cords to attach to their cell phones. WHY?
I couldn’t agree more. I like chevron, but I know it won’t be around forever. I’m so tired of the mounted antlers! And, although I like a little ‘chippy’, I think that has been overdone also. I don’t want everything I own looking like my grandfather’s old house. It seems like everyone is on the farmhouse decor kick.
I’m on the West Coast in a small home I decorated in Coastal Cottage – Shabby Chic. I have a few pieces of white furniture w/ some family antiques sprinkled throughout. I stick to blue ‘n white w/ a little bit of raspberry tossed in on my pillows and kitchen chairs. I collect Blue Danube so that’s my inspiration. But I also like traditional style and your projects! I love what you’ve completed in your house and look forward to seeing what’s going to be done on the landscaping.
May I please address the pillow issue? Nothing makes me crazier than to visit someone and I have to fight the pillows for a spot on the sofa (or anywhere else for that matter). What are you supposed to do with the pillow once you move it to sit down? My belief is pillows should be for a purpose – not to fill up a space. Enough already. As one poster noted, I decorate my spaces for the long haul- changing up lamps, or a throw pillow or a picture every so often. Not that I cannot afford to do more, but learning to be happy with what I have has been a hard lesson (particularly when retirement is looming on the horizon). If you have the cash – knock yourself out; I’ll visit and enjoy your handiwork. 🙂
Gay Crissman, I too cannot imagine having a wall of Chalkboard in my home. I guess when you first paint it would look okay but after a few weeks of people writing and erasing…..well I just can’t imagine the mess. I also have never been a chevron fan, not a mason jar fanatic either. I tend to stick with warm colors with my leather furniture and sometimes change it out to brighter colors. I just change pillows and accessories since everything else I have kept very neutral. This way I can change super cheap when the mood strikes me.
I had chalkboard paint in my home office in my last house. Not a whole wall, just a poster-sized area that I framed out in molding. It was fun with the different-colored chalk and a lot nicer to look at than a white board as an at-a-glance way of keeping track of my work assignments. I don’t remember it being particularly messy, not using a damp cloth to clean it off. I do like the idea of having a framed section of it, though, instead of a whole wall– I’d imagine that might be good for a kids’ playroom, too.
I painted two large walls of chalkboard paint (adjacent to one another) in my high school sons room, accent walls a deep baby blue. One of four children, all their friends who visited loved to put their signature or saying or Bible verse on his walls. It was great fun to see what they would do or draw- decorated with school pride or for Christmas! I would leave it for a while then clean it off and let them start fresh. (with a damp old hand towel) We recently moved and I know he misses the built-in entertainment for all. I just bought a fresh can of chalkboard paint……..
After kissing a lot of frogs, I found a designer who understands exactly what I mean and seems to know what I’m looking for when I can’t verbalized it. I’d say my style is Southern Tradional with a French Country twist. And usually, if everybody is doing it, I don’t want it in my house. That said, I never want to be that old lady in the dated house. I will never forget walking into a former neighbor’s house and thinking that you would never imagine that an 80+ year old couple lived there because it was stunning, classic and current.
Kim, I think you helped me finally name my style. I have always thought my style is eclectic, but sitting here looking around my house… I AM Southern Traditional. I love my old family pieces (though not really antiques). I collect old cameras as an homage to my dad who was a photographer back in the day. I collect transferware because it reminds me of one of my grandmothers. I use quilts handed down through generation in everyday life. All that being said, my style’s roots come from my southern heritage. As an emptynester, many “doodads” and framed photos come from the years I raised my family. All of the accessories on my side tables bear a memory of some kind…a sweet framed saying from a friend, a plate picked up on a getaway….etc. My home reflects the things that I love and value. Thanks for “pegging” my style for me!
Wow Susan, I think we may have been separated at birth! 🙂 I’m “Southern Traditional” as well and I love my style. As a matter of fact, “Southern by the grace of God” is my favorite saying! My Dad is a retired photographer as well, however I don’t collect vintage cameras since I will inherit his collection of them some day. They will mean the world to me. I have lots of family and sentimental pieces and they are a huge part of my decor. I have an old ladder from my Papaw’s barn that holds my favorite quilts so I can see them every day. I also have the kitchen table that he built for my Granny when they first got married – it’s now my kitchen table and I couldn’t love it more. A giant blue window from a local factory that was built in the late 1800’s is one of my most favorite possesions. I collect and decorate with things that remind me of my Southern roots and family ties, my travels, or of new memories made with my husband and son. I do have a couple of “trendy” things in my home, such as the chevron rug in my living room. It looks really nice and wasn’t expensive, so I can switch it out when I get tired of it. The locker-style cabinet that we use for a TV stand was in my son’s room and is really just a case of using what you have instead of buying something new. I do kind of like it mixed in with all of my traditional stuff. As long as my home reflects the things that are meaningful and important to me and is aesthetically pleasing to ME is all I really care about, but it is nice to have an official name for my style!
I am so happy to see the comments for more bold colors, less fads, more function, and not being afraid to be you and be different! Hooray! I’m tired of white rooms, white kitchens, trendy pieces etc… I hope to continue to refine my style as we move into our new house. I’m hoping the move will help us to edit (delete some furniture and decor that we don’t like before we move and delete some that doesn’t fit in after we move). I have always wondered how people can spend so much on decor, but then I went to a couple stores in Franklin, TN and noticed the prices are MUCH lower than up by me in IL and WI! Yippee!!!
Hi Rhoda: This is a thoughtful post that is much needed now. Another blogger talked about a similar subject and I would like to throw my two pence in. I feel that the internet/bloggers have totally changed the face of design and how we define it. My real complaint is that all the design is starting to look so similar, I can’t tell one from the other. It seems to start with the graphic designs – chevron, etc. that are just everywhere. I love the look, but, I’m concerned that a certain individuality is lacking in the aesthetic of many. As you said, it does seem to have ‘muddied’ the waters.
HI, Sarah, I so agree with that too. I do see lots of similar decorating going on and it makes me want to be even more of an individualist. Got to find the balance!
Rhoda, I am a traditionalist but I try to fill my home with things I love so I do have some french country things as well as a few country things. I try not to go with the current fad as I know it will pass and something new will come along. I am not a fan of the white walls that seem to be everywhere today. They seem so cold. Right now my living room is Benjamin Moore’s Nantucket Gray and I love it. My other walls are a light taupe and my bedroom is Benjamin Moore’s Wedgewood Blue. I do like the new idea of painting interior doors black and I am thinking of doing that to my back door. Always enjoy seeing what is going on at your house!! Love your new porch!!
I am very tired of all the white and painted wood. Real wood is so beautiful, why cover it in paint. My house is on the opposite end. Every room is painted in a color. The same colors are used through out the house; gold, pear green, cobalt, coral, honey browns. We do have some white accents, especially the new built ins in my craft room and living room, crown molding. Everything else is oak. The furniture is a mix of antiques and new, not sure about style. That is probably a mix as well. I collect cobalt depression glass, yellow ware, and books. Our house is a new cottage on the water, tiny sand beach at high tide.
I really appreciate this post, Rhoda! I came on the blog scene 3-4 years ago and found it very helpful, particularly in convincing me that I could do a great deal on my own for less. I, too, noticed that the many (not all) of home decor sites seemed to being doing the same thing and I had to sit back and ask myself if it was something that I could live with long-term. There are some things such as board and batten/wainscoting and white kitchen cabinets & subway tile that are a definite yes and some like painting every single piece of wood furniture that’s a definite no.
My style? Traditional Coastal mix and a small dash of modern. I have inherited some beautiful antiques that I would never paint – aged oak and cherry and mahogany are stunning. And I have collected shells all of my life.
LOL, I broke out of my “wall color phobia” by going from builder beige to Mindful Grey (Sherwin Williams) for the common areas (so far)and find it a perfect back drop for those beautiful woods and shells, and reminiscent of the Atlantic Coast I grew up on and still live near. I don’t want to spend the rest of my life having to completely redo rooms. I want to just change up with accent colors at my whim!
That’s me! I think that’s what matters for all of us…staying true to ourselves. You have been an inspiration to me to “stay myself” all the while encouraging me to step out of my box when I see something that I really do enjoy! Thank you!
Thanks for that Rhoda. I too roam the net, not for new ideas, but to see what people are doing currently. My colours are not other’s choice, but then I live here, they don’t! My Guest bedroom is grey and lime green (red accents). My own bedroom is grey and cream (yellow accents). My bathroom is grey with either fucshia or lime green towels. And the sitting room, which has been pale turquoise for 11 years, is going to be darker this time around too, because I find that I like that warmth that darker shades give me. Not doing animal heads or chevrons, but do paint furniture from time to time because you can give an old dog a new life that way!
I’m the traditionalist, using a lot of family stuff which has value only in my memories. All sorts of different styles and wood tones, but the side table given to my parents when they married and the dish cabinet which was given to my grandparents when they married are part and parcel of who I am. The one concession to style I made when I built 4 years ago was to go to a 9′ ceiling, which I love. And my colors, centered around greens, are also just me, and I don’t need them to be trendy, because they just make me happy!
But my pet peeve, as a biblioholic, is bookshelves styled with books just purchased for their color or decorative value. My bookshelves have books I have read and refer to and loan out – it’s related to my vocation as a pastor. I can’t imagine not having lots of books in my home, nor can I imagine having books I haven’t read. I do admit to getting most of my magazines and mysteries electronically these days, but even my professional stuff is often electronic.
I am definitely Traditional, but I am completerly over GRAY! I like neutrals, walls, fabrics- adding a little color with accessories, but does the neutral always have to be gray?? I agree with the comment that says that all the bloggers seem to do the same thing and all of the homes and projects have started to look the same. I guess there really isn’t too much new under the sun.
I’m curious about gray too. Rhoda what is your opinion about gray walls? When you mentioned white on white walls what did you mean? I was thinking of painting my family room a medium gray with green undertones, but I’m wondering if the gray wall thing is just a trend. I have dark wood floors with Benjamin Moore “Mayonnaise” trim which is a creamy white. What color would you suggest for walls that would be timeless. I’m getting tired of painting these tall walls.
HI,Vicki, that can be so hard to decide. I do like gray and put some gray in my dining room and kitchen, with the countertops and tile grout. And I’ve seen homes that have done lighter gray walls with white trim and it does look really good with a lot of colors. It really is a neutral backdrop too just like beige can be, just a different neutral. I painted my main walls in my house a creamy white with pure white trim and I really love that too. I used Moderate White by Sherwin Williams with Pure White trim. I’ve really enjoyed that neutral backdrop for all my dark furniture especially since I opted for dark wood floors. I think gray probably is a bit trendy, but will should be around for a few more years. It’s hard to tell!
I was using slate gray with pops of yellow here and there in the mid 1980’s so, I guess it will always come back in style.
Each decade I seem to want a change in color but I think I will stick with slate blue from now on. I tend to like “French Country” and look for items at consignment stores and thrift stores and add them to family pieces, cherished mementos and family pictures. To make everything match, I have things re covered, painted and look for that French “leg” to get a cohesive look. I used Dunn-Edwards Inside Passage, Cottage White, and Sandcastle among other colors but usually stay very neutral so I don’t compete too much with other colors in the room. Love the look of the rooms in this article. Neutral has a calming effect for me. Thank you for this posting!
My style is pretty traditional with a little french country thrown in. I’ve loved red accents for the last 15 years and don’t see that changing any time soon. It seems to me that many blogs show the same things now…lots of white, lots of gray, animal heads, chalkboard walls, etc. The funny thing is that I don’t have any friends in real life who decorate with those things. It’s kind of a bloggy thing, it seems.
There’s room for all of us to do what we love. I’m 50 and don’t feel the pressure to make my home look like everyone elses. Just using what my husband and I love and feel comfortable with. 😉
Susan G, I’m with you on purchasing books just for their decorative value! My home is filled with books and I love to see other homes with books that are read and appreciated. I think homes should reflect yourself and your family not things purchased just for decoration. I am horrified by the trend of removing the covers from books and tying them together!
My husband is a ship captain so our home has nautical antiques, seashells and corals collected in our adventures, plus, I’ve got over 50 Japanese glass fishing floats collected during our years spent in the Marshall Islands that are all scattered around our home and backyard. A couple of years ago Pottery Barn started replicating fake versions so now my house looks like PB exploded in there! But I love it and everything has meaning to us. Long after that trend dies, I’ll still keep the real thing around!
My decor is traditional with some family antiques and quiet colors but mainly I want my home to be comfortable for my guests while displaying things that mean something to us.