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! 🙂
Abbie says
It IS easy to get caught up in what everyone else is doing and to want to try everything you see that is pretty. But you are right that we each need to look at what we have and can do and be content. I am still discovering my style having only had my own house for 8 months! And it’s been fun as the only thing in the budget so far has been paint in a few rooms. So I have to take my time, be creative and thrifty. I’ve mostly enjoyed looking at pictures online to get ideas and see what I like to look at.
Angie says
Words have never rang more true to me! You are right on the money! I love looking at decorating blogs too, and I have been inspired by many of them to try new things or to get out the spray paint. I really don’t have the time, energy or money to copy rooms and honestly, I want rooms to function for MY family and not someone elses. You know what I really love about a house that I visit or see online… rooms or homes that really shine with love and integrity…homes that truely represent the people who live there. That’s what makes a room shine for me.
Sylvia says
Rhoda,
I didn’t take the time to read all the comments. This is one of the best posts you have written. Thank you! I spent too much of my early married life trying to make my home what someone else thought it should be. Finally, I grew up and my husband and I developed our own style. We enjoy it and really don’t care if others don’t like it. My husband jokes that the only way we will get rid of our antiques is when somebody rips them apart so we can be buried in them. Seriously, great, great advice. You rocked it!
Sally@DivineDistractions says
You’re absolutely right. Good design can be achieved within any style, and that should be the goal. A home should always reflect the people who live there….never the signature of a designer. I may not be able to photography every home that I give design help to, but if my client is happy, that’s the ultimate. You are very wise to know yourself and your family well enough to make design decisions that reflect you.
p.s……I can’t live with all that white either!!!!
Jennifer says
I agree that it is so easy to be caught up in what everyone else has or what the latest trends are. I have always had a classic style. I dabbled in fads when I first married (americana…blech!) and decided quickly that they weren’t for me. I like practical, functional, and beautiful things. My home is a mix of family pieces (like the 110 year old rocking chair that belonged to my great-grandparents) and new furniture that we saved and saved for. I love to change up color and fabric, but our home never goes out of fashion. Being content is this day and time is hard as everyone wants to be equal with their neighbors, even virtual ones. Even with contentment the reminder to be true to yourself is a valuable lesson!
Rita says
Amen!
Angie says
I am so glad you wrote this. I was beginning to think the all white cottage style was taking over blog land and that’s all anyone wants. I like that look but can not identify with it at all. All white is no fun! I used to follow trends and when I was done with a room I was never satisfied because it wasn’t me. I recently got rid of everything I didn’t like or that I purchased just because it was the it thing of the moment. I have started adding things that reflect me. I am so much more happier with my home now. I will never follow trends again. Classic, timeless decorating will always work in a home even 50 years from now.
Connie says
Rhoda….I love this post because I am one that struggles with a style and completing it. I love your and other decorating blogs and admire you all as you repaint, garage sale shop and find the neatest things to call your own. I am finally figuring out that I need to put a little bit of who I am in my home and don’t try to make it a perfectly decorated space. I love my home and it will always be a work in progress.
Again…I appreciate you for the simple ways you show us how to do projects if we want to. I need that because I don’t seem to have that creative gene like one of your other commenters stated either. I need you!!!
Love ya, Connie
Rhoda says
Thank you ALL for chiming in on this one! I figured it would strike a chord & it sure did. I enjoyed ready every single one of your comments & am happy that you identified with what I was saying here. Just something for us all to keep in mind in this blogging world. Thanks y’all, for the comments, I loved them!!
Sarah @ thriftydecorchick says
Love this Rhoda!! I was planning almost the exact same post. I am more traditional like you and I don’t think that will ever go out of style!! You said it all so well.
miss corner cape says
i just had to comment on this inspiring post. i find it hard sometimes to look at other blogs and see the decorating talent out there, or to think that my little house is lacking b/c i can’t decorate a mantel that i don’t have. yes, i hope to see comments on my posts, but i also realize that my style is my style. i am not going to decorate in a way that isn’t me just to fit in with what other people are decorating. i might make something work tweaked with my style. thank you for explaining that that’s ok. sometimes we need this time of encouragement, even if it’s from people we don’t know personally. so thank you. really.
lisaroy says
This is a great post! I have to admit that I’m one of those white slip-covered sofa people – I wasn’t always but about 10 years back, I thought I’d give it a try. I wasn’t sure it was going to work for us since we also had a dog who lived on the sofa so muddy paws were inevitable. But to be honest, it really works for us. No other upholstery can live up to the wear and tear those slipcovers get but it’s a simple run through the washer and it’s good as new. I love the freshness of them. I think tastes evolve as we get older – from college hand-me-downs to first home budget pieces to more traditional pieces as we mature. I’ve certainly gone through this in the 20 years I”ve been married and I’ve also had a husband to consider who also has tastes and I wouldn’t want to force my likes and dislikes on anyone else. I’ve never really gone with whatever the current trend is – just what we like and feel comfortable with. I’ve enjoyed collecting pieces in our travels and have a true appreciation for vintage pieces and reproductions. So even though we may have white slipcovers, they marry well with all the other pieces we’ve acquired and they keep our home from feeling dated. Our home reflects our personality which is one of the first things people comment on when they visit. It doesn’t look like a showhome -it’s a well used family home. Blogs are great inspiration and I think often people think that the look has to be replicated completely, when actually it could just be one item in a photograph that can provide inspiration. Our homes are our sanctuaries and should reflect who we are and not what someone wants or expects us to be.
Becky says
I’m grateful for what I have – but I still have a little house envy when I look at yours. I find it inspiring though! I love finding a treasure for nothing and I guess that is why I love your blog so much. Although I don’t like all styles for myself, I can appreciate them in other peoples homes.
Melanie says
Thank you for this post! I just commented on your friends house and I have reds, greens, and tan with some black pieces of furniture. I see all of these rooms that are neutral or white and while I love them, they are not me. I don’t really go for all the trends. I stay towards traditional and add a touch of whimsy to it. I have had the same red fabric for about 9 years and I love it still to this day. I had pillows and then I found the fabric and had curtains made and am using them in our new home. I feel as you do. The pictures are nice and we can swoon over them but I am not jumping on the bandwagon:)
Kate at Centsational Girl says
Oh, what great insight Rhoda ! I love how you encourage us all to find our own personal style and stick with it. You know, the thing I love about other’s blogs is that I get to peek into THEIR style and THEIR personality, and that’s why I visit. If we all had white homes with white slipcovers everywhere (not that I don’t love that look !) then how boring would this blog hopping be ? I get inspired by everyone else’s style, but I’m one who will stay true to my own style which is just a mix of elegant and eclectic, traditional and modern, formal and casual, cause love it all ! We should all stay true to our own style, it makes this journey much more interesting.
And I love a great wood antique piece as much as you ! In fact, sometimes I truly hesitate to paint because wood is really beautiful, and so much of the trend now is to paint everything. I think we may regret that in a decade and plenty of pieces will get stripped ! But I’ve got plenty of wood in my home and I love it like you. Thanks for keeping it real Rhoda. Easter blessings to your family!
Kate
Love WHERE YOU LIVE says
Rhoda, This is one of my favorite posts ever. I think many magazine looks can be intimidating to some degree. And some think they have “to do it this way.” Nah — do it your way. Use the magazine photos for courage to try a new paint color or as a brainstorm session with your own instincts and likes. As a regional editor for home decorating magazines, I have helped publish everything from showhouses to budget homes. My personal favorites are those that are approachable and convey personal style. I’m not swayed by brand names. I especially like furnishings and things that have a story to share. I keep it real in my own house, considering everything from comfort to budget, future resale and what I need to do to keep it fresh and current. I look for ideas that suggest a long lifespan. Have a wonderful Easter. best, -susan
Tiffany says
Well said. I agree with the comments here – it is easy to get overtaken by ideas in blogland. And I made a command decision several years ago to NOT look at magazines and online decorating sites – to find my style. Over those years, we really saw a dramatic change in our style – a mix of antiques that have been in the family for years, lovely yard sale treasures, DIY rebuilds…but the wall color was the key here. And that color was GREY – OMG, grey? What were you thinking? We heard it over and over – and now that I am lurking back out in blogland for some inspiration on a tweenage girl bedroom makeover (anybody tackled that one yet with success?) – it seems like grey is the in thing. LOL – guess we weren’t the only ones who like it. But I will say this – my grey in on the blue end of the spectrum – still keeping with my first love – blue. 😀 My first and only color love…
Bella Michelle says
Thank you for this great post!!!! As we are getting ready to move I am trying to tweak my style a bit and I appreciate the reminder to make sure it is MY style!!!
susan said so says
THANK YOU for saying EXACTLY what I needed to hear! I’ve always been fairly secure in my own design sensibilities, but the more time I spend trolling design blogs the more I’ve felt a bit schizophrenic. I enjoy finding inspiration from others’ lovely homes, and pretty rooms are fun to look at whether I would want to live in them or not – but it can be overload. Thanks again for this post, and thanks to Hooked On Houses for pointing the way over here!
xox,
Susan