What’s your style? Do you know exactly what your style is or is it ever-changing and evolving?
(Coastal Living)
I think for me, I have known my style is Traditional for a long time now. I’ve been drawn to that look over the years and still love it, although in the last few years, I’ve felt the need to de-formalize that Traditional style and make it a little less stuffy. My living room is going through a little tweaking now. It’s the most formal room in my house and even though I still love my furniture, I want to take it down a notch.
With the surge of decorating on the internet that has been going on for a long while now, it’s easy to get sucked into house envy. We see what everyone else has in their homes and I’m not so sure this habit we have of peeking in the windows of all our online friends is a completely healthy one. Fun, yes absolutely, but healthy, maybe not! 🙂
(Traditional Home)
I dived into the online decorating world back in the late 90’s, when decorating boards like Better Homes & Gardens were going strong and were the place to hang out. There I met other obsessed home owners who wanted to talk about houses all the time and it was a lot of fun. I went on to join a private decorating group online in 2000 and from there, blogging took over and here I am.
I still remember the thrill of seeing other people’s house pics and sharing my own and the back and forth conversation that ensued with all of us back in those days. We lived for a new inspiring project from someone else. Now, it’s a little old hat. You can click on any blog and see house after house, style after style of as many differently decorated homes as you can imagine.
So, where am I going with this?
(My living room)
It seems that now that there is SO much out there to absorb and mull over with all the styles and visual overload, we can start to get dissatisfied with what we have. It becomes “oh my gosh, I love that, I want MY house to look like that!”.
We’ve seen the trends of the first decade of this century: Tuscan, French Country, Coastal cottage, Swedish inspired, and a host of others in between, especially the Pottery Barn phenom. I too, am not immune to falling in love with ALL of these looks at one time or another and I enjoy seeing them all. Does that mean I’m going to change out everything in my house and become a devotee of one of those styles?
Absolutely NO WAY!
I’ve carefully acquired and collected every single stick of furniture that’s in my house currently, one piece at a time and I still love every single stick of it. Whatever redecorating goes on at my house will consist of rugs, pillows, fabrics, accessories, and artwork changing out for the most part. You won’t see a whole lot of new furniture coming in my house. If something comes in, something has to go out.
So, as pretty as I think the current trend towards all white might be, it’s not going to happen at my house. I won’t be painting all of my pretty brown antiques white. Cause you see, brown is classic and never goes out of style. It might not be the cutting edge of design at the moment, but I love every single piece of those carefully chosen treasures.
We all have to do do what is right for each one of us when it comes to decorating our homes. I don’t live in a Tuscan home with architectural features to be envied, nor do I live in a stately old historical home with loads of character and patina. I live in a 10 year+ old subdivision and instead of wishing away everything that’s here, I have chosen to embrace my home and make it the best it can be.
I encourage all of you to do the same. It’s so easy to get caught up in blogland with what everyone else is doing, but you live in your home and I live in mine. So, that’s why on this blog, you will see me encouraging all of you to be yourselves, do what makes YOU happy in your home.
That’s how to truly make a house a HOME. A haven for our families. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to have a pretty house, in fact, I think women have that desire innately built in, but we all have budgets and limitations to what we can do. I can see a gorgeous home online and drool all over it, but at the end of the day, I live in my house and choose to make it what works best for my family and lifestyle. Be unique, don’t be afraid to do what makes you happy, even though it may fly in the face of current trends. Trends come and go, we all know that.
So, here’s what you won’t see in my house that is currently all the rage:
- All white slipcovered sofas and chairs, along with all white walls and minimal color (I do have one white slipcovered chair and ottoman that Grandma helped me with. The slipcover cost me $5 in yardsale fabric, labor was free). 🙂 As pretty as this look is, it just won’t work in my house.
- Brick walls or floors, heavy wood beams, a home built with age. My house has limitations on what it can be. So, I live with what I have and make it the best it can possibly be.
(Babs Watkins, House Beautiful)
- All French inspired furniture and accessories. I love this look too, but I’m not going to get rid of everything I have to achieve it right down to the last detail. Practical rules for me.
(Christopher Petkanas, House Beautiful)
- Swedish design, all pale gray/green and minimal furnishings. Again, beautiful and I love to see it in magazines but it’s not me. I have to use what I already have and make it work.
- Sleek styling ala Pottery Barn, with minimal accessories. Again, I enjoy that look too, but much prefer my old antiques and I like my stuff too much to pare down that minimally.
So, how about you?
What do you truly love?
This pic below from House Beautiful probably speaks to me the loudest at this moment. But, will I totally have this look.
No, but I can get inspired from this pic. 
Do you fluctuate between styles trying to find the REAL you?
I’ve definitely honed in on my style much more as I’ve gotten older. I’ve become a bit of a snob when it comes to buying vintage things, I so prefer old to new and it’s a whole lot more fun to shop like that.
Does trolling blogs make it easier or harder for you to find your style?
If we’re not careful, we can definitely have house envy, myself included. I see SO many beautiful homes out there, but at the end of the day, I love my home so much and have the best time tweaking it and changing things around. I am truly grateful for our home. We have so many great ideas at our fingertips now, visual overload at times and it can make for some frustration and joy all at the same time.
So, here’s the bottom line on all of this. I urge you to be yourself, find joy in YOUR home and don’t get sucked into doing the latest and greatest in blogland. While there is certainly nothing wrong with getting inspiration and ideas from others in blogland, just be careful that you are going in a direction because YOU truly love it and not because it’s the thing to do this year. Copying might not be the best way to get the home of your dreams. Look, listen, and learn for yourself so that you can take the information you glean and use it in a positive way at your Home Sweet Home.
The End! 🙂
I am so glad I read this post because I have been w ondering and thinking lately about what my style is. My husband would go crazy if we had to have an all white house with minimal colour. He’s all for colour and I have to say thatI love it too because it adds a lot of character. As for my style … I am still not sure. We pick up a lot of stuff on our travels made by local artisans and I love each piece to pieces. There are always so many memories attached to each piece. And now I am starting to love vintage stuff too. So I have to find a way of incorporating both. Hope you had a great Easter.
@Tiffany: There was a great girl’s bedroom makeover recently i believe on centsational which i think you can find via google….very pretty room.
Yes, I have had design envy. I live in the East Coast inner-city and I’m most envious of people who have home offices that look out on verdant greenery! I’m also in awe of those who have fabulously decorated rooms in every home with fresh flowers and accessories everywhere. I’m trying to figure out how in the hell they do it because I have two cats who leave hair on, scratch and climb on/knock over everything! How do people have glass tchotches and breakables everywhere!
I appreciated this post though because I do appreciate having my own home after years of living in apartments. I’m happiest with my recently painted kitchen and dining room where I’ve had several parties, dinners, and holiday celebrations. That I can do that for my family and freinds makes me very happy and that’s what I appreciate most. People always say they love the warmth of my home and while it’s not perfect it’s a work in progress. Thanks for the reminder that perfection is not necessary to enjoy where you live.
Hi Rhoda — couldn’t have put it better myself! It is definitely easy to getting tricked into thinking that we need the latest and greatest that comes along. And here in blogland, it seems to come along daily 🙂 I’m definitely still figuring it out, and have been victim to trends before only to bring them home and discover that they SO do not work for me. My other struggle is to do what I want in my house even though it is a trend. It’s a balance, for sure. Thanks for the encouragement to “be unique!”
PS, I love that Barbara Westbrook entry way. An all-time fav for sure!
Rhoda, I stumbled upon your blog this morning, and I absolutely loved this post! It really is easy to get caught up in trying to make my home look like everyone else’s…thanks for the encouragement to stick with my own style and make my home perfect for our family!
Thank you so much for this post. I’m very new to all of this blogging and decorating. Not sure what my style is yet, don’t think I’ve lived long enough! I’ve been married a little under 3 years and just did like my mom. Mostly traditional with different colors. As I look at ALL the blogs it is easy to get VERY overwhelmed with all the ideas. Once again thanks for your post. My husband is from Savannah, GA and looking at your home helps understand more of what he likes and misses about the south( he informs me that TX isn’t the SOUTH) 😉
This is an older post I just went back to read again! Love it.
Hi Rhoda. Thanks for a great site. I love this post, agree with every word. Reminds me of looking at perfect, airbrushed models in magazines.No one can compete with that. I love my home , it’s where my family lives, warts and all. Do you have a garden? I’d love to see it. Also, have you seen Paula Deen’s book, “Savannah Style”? I think you’d enjoy it, really beautifully done. So, now I’ll close with a quote I stole from a magazine, not sure which one.” We feel envy, quickly see it for what is,, let go of it, and come to a better place. We come home to ourselves.”
Hi Rhoda, I know I’m a little late to this post but I’m so glad I found it. I too can get caught up in all that’s out there to behold. Don’t get me wrong, I love the inspiration but it is very apparent to me that I am NOT a trendy person. I see things on blogs every day that I love but if it’s not me, it’s just not. I wondered if my style would translate at all to a blog or ever be something people would want to see because of this — the jury is still out on that! Anyway, I enjoyed your insight and love your traditional style! Hope you’re having a wonderful Thanksgiving…Lindy
Wow! Talk about divine intervention. I worked very hard yesterday to convince my husband that we needed to get rid of all our furniture and get white slipcovered furniture instead….mind you, he was NOT going for that easily. 🙂 I read your post this morning. Thank you for putting things into perspective for me. We have 4 teenagers…3 of them boys…and a small (with a BIG attitude) dog who LOVES to dig and frolic and truly ENJOYS being a dog! Therefore, white slipcovers REALLY are NOT a good idea for my family. Thanks again for the perspective! 🙂
P.S. My husband, the kids and the dog REALLY thank you!!! 🙂
This is a great blog and this article is full of common sense and good advice. I feel like sending it to my two daughters both starting their own homes.
Thank you for posting this!! I’ve changed my decor around quite a bit since being married {have been for going on 8 years} My husband is starting to get frazzled with all the changes going around in our home. Thanks so much for writing this…way before I discovered blogland….so it would be available to someone like me who really needed somethings put into perspective!
I agree totally! Yesterday I saw a new client. She asked me “what’s trendy?” I said “I could tell you but if it’s not ‘you’ then you won’t feel comfortable in it anyway.”
I do mostly redesign so I get a good sense of what people like right from the start when I enter their homes. We tweak a few things here and there; change out a few things; subtract or add a few things to give them a fresh look to their old things/home. Maybe that’s why the motto for my business is “LOVE THE HOME YOU’RE IN … AGAIN!”
Great blog post! Sorry it took me so long to read the entire thing and comment!
Thank you for your words of wisdom. I love our home and check out blogs (like yours) to become inspired and thank you for the pics, they definitely spark my creativity. It’s so much fun to dream and find ways to make changes (pillows, treasured accessories, antiques into practical uses, etc) – and its a rewarding accomplishment too – comfort, practicality, pretty (staying within budget of course) are lessons I stick with and yes I will admit, I am a fanatic when it comes to decorating because I absolutely love it and have so much fun. Yes, as you mentioned, it is innate, somehow my genes just work that way, (not everyone has this type of passion). I remember as a kid, rearranging my moms living room furniture, painting old dresses…crazy even back then ;). So thank you again, there is a time to sit back and say, aaaahhhh, I Love My…HOME SWEET HOME…Love & Blessings, Lady Delores.
Looking at so many design blogs sometimes makes me feel unsatisfied with my home. Even when looking at homes that are not even my style. What is really disheartening is reading certain “trends” are out when you just did them in your own home. I agree you should find and follow your own style and make your home your own.
I have always known my style and recently remodeled my home going with my intuition plus a year of interior design. I LOVE my French glam cottage coastal look and it works beautifully. Thank goodness color is back but I have always used my fav pinks, teals and whites throughout my home. Wish I could send photos but iPhone does not allow size.