Updating Your Style in Our Pinterest Perfect World

This is a long post, so make yourself comfortable on this one……

It’s been awhile since I did a lengthy decorating post and I thought this would be a fun topic to talk about. I’ve written on the subject of finding your style (5 years ago) before and let me tell you, I certainly don’t have it all figured out.  But a love of decorating started for me way before I ever got in my first house in 1985.  I’ve always liked pretty surroundings and living in a comfortable space that reflects who I am and how I want my home to feel.  It’s no wonder that so many of us have honed and changed and remade so many things that we own, trying to find our true style over the years.  And the trends?!  Things just keep changing, don’t they?  And we all know, trends will continue to change.

These days, it’s not easy at all in the picture-driven world we live in, to find what makes us truly happy and content.  If you hang out online for any length of time, you will see numerous styles that are popular and trendy, from Farmhouse, Industrial, Rustic, Coastal, Shabby Chic, to Traditional and Modern. There is something for everyone. It’s just sometimes hard to figure out what you want to live with and how to update what you have to stay at least a bit current.

I can tell you this.  I know my current style is not popular with everyone and my taste in decor has changed just like most of yours has over the years.  If I look back to 1985, I was smack dab in the middle of the 80’s pastels just like many of you were.  We can’t help but be swayed by magazines and TV shows and what is deemed popular and trendy at the moment.  It’s hard not to get caught up in that.  I sure have, plenty of times. When I look back at pictures of my house in the late 90’s and even going into the new decade of 2000, I don’t love what I see.  I may look back at where my home is now in decorating taste in 10 years and hate it all.  We have a tendency to do that.  How do you update what you have now to last into another decade of design and trends?

As I said, I don’t have all the answers, but I can give you some ideas that have worked for me.

I thought it might be fun to go back and show some of my old rooms, even before I started this blog over 8 years ago.  Where I was then is not remotely where I am now.  Thank God!   I’m in a different house, but many of my furniture pieces are the same.

How do you evolve without changing everything out?  Let’s talk about that.  Not many of us can afford to completely change everything in our homes at once. I’ve never been able to do that.  I have good solid pieces of furniture that have served me well for many years.  I don’t go out and buy new all that often.  I’ve learned a few things over the years of how to change things up and what things to switch out that will freshen up a room and make it feel current and new.

OK, sharing these pics makes me feel really ridiculous and putting these out there for the world to see is definitely cringe-worthy, but I think it will be helpful to go back and look at where I was decor-wise around 2000, when these pics were taken.  A mere 15 years ago.  Lord help me!  Don’t laugh (well, I don’t blame you if you do), you were probably there too.

If you were hanging out on a decorating forum called Great Impressions with me back then (way before blogging started), you will remember these pics, hideous though they are now.  This was my first house in Georgia and I moved in here in 1985 and lived there for 20 years.  You younger girls who have not been keeping house this long may not remember these trends and styles that well, but your mother probably did this. I had to scan these pictures from my old photos for amusement and visuals.

Get ready to remember back with me…..

I migrated sometime in the 90’s to the Hunter green era (remember that?) in my living room and kept it for a long while. Hunter green and burgundy to be exact.

Then the red kick came along and I had to have red in the living room.  Red doesn’t do much for dark wood furniture, but it definitely perked up the space.   We were all in a dark and moody jewel toned phase back then with the paint colors.  We were also in a Tuscan phase and floral fabric phase.  And lots and lots of accessories.  Some people think I still have a lot of stuff in my house now….well, take a look at this explosion of things.  Yes, it was way too much, but I didn’t think so then.   You can peek and see that I had just bought those caramel leather chairs that are still in my living room today.  See it by the fireplace.

I still have all of these wood pieces in my house now, from the china cabinet, to the desk/vanity, to the sideboard.  All old and vintage pieces, still love them.  The fabrics here were so froufrou, but I loved them then. My mom made these window treatments and all the pillows. It all looks so over the top to me now, but back then we were all sporting a similar look.  We were formal and elegant, weren’t we?  The styles that are around today weren’t prevalent at all.  No one knew that Farmhouse and all things reclaimed wood would be coming around a few years down the road and completely take over homes.

What in the world will we think in another 10 years over the styles that are popular now?  I can’t wait to look back and see how it evolves.  Will those reclaimed wood plank walls that are everywhere look ridiculous in 10 years?  I love them now too.  Who knows, but I’d say there is a good chance they will.

There’s my china cabinet  that is now in my den. And that painted Frenchy looking piece, I just sold earlier this year and updated it with a newer piece.  And this is before the yellow floral window treatments were put up.

This is my antique vanity that is now in my bedroom.  I had the mirror off here and used it as a desk in my living room.  Fake floral arrangements were all the rage back then too and it took me awhile to get rid of all of those dust catchers.  I don’t miss them a bit, but I thought they were SO pretty back then.

This will make you laugh!  Somewhere along the way, I watched Lynette Jennings do this little project on her TV show.  I am dying over this now, but back then I thought it was so cool.  Cutting out wallpaper flowers and making a little swirly statement across the top of my door was fun and creative.  What will we be laughing at in 10 more years?  I’d say there are probably a few things on the list, but I won’t name any right now.  I was so proud of that little artistic creation….again, Lord help me!

My vintage buffet that is still in my dining room has been with me for a long while too.  I had it all maxed out with accessories, flanked with matching traditional lamps and more floral arrangements.  And a bunny thrown in for good measure.  Are you smiling yet?  Does all this look familiar?  Please say it does!

My foyer was painted green then and I had fake plants all over the place here too.  That big Italian inspired tapestry wall hanging, I just had to have and I was SO proud of it too.  It came with me to Birmingham and lasted awhile longer, but I grew tired of the over the top Tuscan/Roman look that we all got caught up in.

There’s the old bunny red fabric and the valance my mom made for me. This all came to Birmingham with me too and I changed out all those fabrics later. I loved all of this for a long while, but this set has since moved to my screen porch and the fabric changed once again. These chairs and table have definitely served me well.

Moving on to the master bedroom of that first house.  Ok, uggh, remember faux finished walls?  Oh, yes you do!  I did those all over my house.  It was an explosion of faux.   Faux, faux, everywhere faux.  And wallpaper borders.  Ackkkk, remember those??  And this color, what in the world was I thinking?  It’s hideous to me now, especially with that wood on top of it.  But, you’ll recognize this armoire as still in my current bedroom.

Greens and reds were all the rage back then, those jewel tones took over and we all had them.  Florals and stripes, oh yes!  I am still using these vintage wood nightstands in my bedroom too.

I did update this bedroom around 2000 to this lighter and airier look and fell in love with toile.  And lots of pillows, apparently.  My mom made these toile drapes for me and I just loved this look and was so proud of this bedroom…then.  Still have the sleigh bed too.

Everything back then was a little over the top.  We all got caught up in the European/Tuscan thing and it was everywhere.  But there can be too much of a good thing, can’t there?  Those drapes ended up in my dining room in Birmingham and I loved them there for a few years.

So, moving on to the Birmingham house.  If you are new here, I started blogging in Birmingham and this is the house we lived in.  Those who started reading my blog then remember this room.  It was a pretty room, certainly a lot better than the Georgia house decorating.  I had started evolving and honing my style here and was very happy with this look, very much on the Traditional side.

I still have that Ethan Allen sofa (bought in 2004) and those 2 caramel leather chairs.  The chair of many fabrics has gone to a friend of mine.  Still keeping the bones of furniture the same, I’ve been able to update the look in my current house without getting rid of everything. It’s all about paint, fabrics, rugs, and accessories.  So, we will get into that in a minute.  That oil painting is now hanging over my bed.  I still have the same coffee table and all those side tables are in my living room as well.

The vintage buffet in the dining room that I still have now. I bought this table and chairs while in Birmingham and still love it. I wish I had gone a bit less gold on the fabric now and more neutral, but it still works in my room.

China cabinet is still with me, down in the den now. Those toile drapes got sold in my moving sale.  See, I don’t miss anything I sold in that sale, it all went to good homes and I kept my favorite things and was able to build my new home around those pieces.

There’s the antique French cupboard that I first had in my bedroom in the Georgia house (not in the picture above, but it was there), then the breakfast room in the AL house and now back to my living room in this house. It’s been moved around a lot.  That breakfast table is now on my screened porch.  It’s great to reuse things and move them around from house to house.  I brought that lantern over the table with me to Georgia too and it’s hanging in my foyer now.

The corner cabinet that I found in Birmingham is in my dining room now, so all of these pieces were used.  I got rid of a lot of these accessories, but kept my favorites and still have more than enough stuff in my house.

The old bedroom in Birmingham.  I kept all of this furniture and reused it, but freshened it up with new fabrics and color scheme.  If you buy good pieces, they will last a lifetime. That’s my motto!  I still have the vanity, that piece that the TV is on and the slipcovered chair and ottoman in the corner, as well as the chest of drawers that you can just see the corner of.  All of these are good solid pieces.

Ahhh, remember my cute office nook in Birmingham?  I was so proud of this space and now I have a whole office to enjoy, using these same pieces…again, freshened up.

My current office.  That desk is from Target online from about 10 years ago.  Those Ballard Designs shelves have been with me for many years, bought from the outlet here in Roswell.

My current newly freshened up living room, with the new blue chair and pillow covers. I added touches of aqua blue around the room as well as some black and white and greens to bring more color to this space.

Adding the new fabric on the pillows really made this room come alive (I think!) and the new foyer piece is a nice addition too, from the more froufrou one I had.  I have had that antique mirror since my first Georgia house and it hung in my foyer. All my lamps have been changed out over time to more modern shapes and shades.

These 2 chairs started out life in my first Georgia house too and painting the yardsale desk green was a fun update this year.  Collected vintage artwork has been fun addition to my house over the years.

I’ve had my dining table and chairs about 10 years now and they work well in my small and compact dining room.  I didn’t have a dining room in my first house, so it’s been fun to have this set and enjoy it.

And the sideboard is still with me, all these years later.  It would be easy to covet new, to get rid of some of these older pieces and start over with something that’s more trendy and current, but I have no desire to do that.  This is a classic.

Dining room corner cabinet.

My current master bedroom with all the same furniture, just updated bedding and drapes.  I even kept the same blue paisley pillow shams. The trend now is for those lush upholstered headboards and I do think they are beautiful, but I probably will just keep my bed for the long haul.

Slipcovered chair and ottoman, vanity, and chest of drawers are all reused.  But, this room looks completely different than the Birmingham house because of the new wall color, fabrics and rug.

In my downstairs den, I have much of the same furniture that I used in Birmingham.  Most of this was bought over there, except the Ballard Designs coral chair and ottoman.

You’ll recognize this china cabinet from my first house pics in Georgia.  I updated this space with a vibrant floral fabric on the drapes and most everything else is solids in here.

One of the key changes was switching out the old striped fabric on the LazBoy recliner.

This picture shows the old jewel toned stripe that was on the chair when I ordered it originally.  It had to go for me to successfully update this space and make it all work together.  I think adding the new drapes made a huge difference in this room too.  Much fresher and prettier, along with new windows adding light.  That was a game changer too.

So, what point are we making here?  How do you go from house to house and freshen up the look while keeping the bones the same?  I’m going to try to break it down and explain what I do and how I made it work for me. 

9 Tips for Freshening Up and Using what you have in Decorating: 

Furniture Basics:   Buy good basic pieces of furniture and they will truly last a lifetime.  I have good sofas and chairs in mostly neutral fabrics.  If you invest in the best you can buy on sofas and chairs, they will last for years.  The problem is the fabrics.  We do get tired of fabrics usually before they are worn out.  Choose neutrals for the most part on the big upholstered furniture items and then change out your drapery fabric and pillow fabric for a fresh look.  Remember the bold floral sofas and plaids of 15 to 20 years ago?  They were fun for awhile, but oh, did most people get tired of them before they were worn out.  I’ve still got good solid wood antique and vintage pieces that I’ve collected over the years.  I don’t see any reason to get rid of them for more current or trendy, when they are classics and serve me well.

Rugs:   Rugs can be updated and changed these days without spending a fortune.  I remember back many years ago when people were spending thousands on Oriental wool rugs.  I have never been able to afford that, so I never did it.  Now, I think you can find great looking wool and natural fiber rugs for not that much $$ and when you get tired of them, buy something else.  The internet has opened up a whole range of rug possibilities for not a ton of money.

Lamps:  Update your lamps for a fresh and more modern look.  You will notice all the traditional lamps I had in my first house. Those were all that were available back then.  Now there are countless styles of lamps out there and you can update and change out lampshades to bring your rooms up to date.  Lamps make a huge difference in the look of a room!  Don’t go all matchy-matchy with lamps in one style.  Drum shades have been popular for a few years and I just love that look on my lamps. There are so many ways to personalize lamps too.

Drapes:  If you’ve been decorating for 20 years or so, you’ll remember all the changes that drapes and curtains have been through.  Notice all the frou-frou styles I had in my first house?  We all loved those swags and jabots and the more tassels and fringe, the better.  That look was so popular back then and most of my friends had the same look.  It was just one of those decades of ornateness that we don’t have today. Will it ever go back to that?  I hope not, as I really love the simplicity of classic panels.

Blinds:  Blinds have gone through changes over the years too.  I had metal mini-blinds in my first Georgia house, wooden Plantation blinds in the Birmingham house, and I opted for bamboo Roman shades in this house.  I love that look and feel that it will be a classic for years to come. Of course, there are many different ways to treat windows, so choose the one that feels right to you.  Classic Plantation shutters are always going to be beautiful in the right home and add such architectural details to a space.

Paint:  Paint is the #1 way to update and change the feel of a room.  I’ve used lots of vibrant colors in my previous homes (as you can see!), as well as jewel toned moody colors, and now lighter and brighter colors in my current home.  I do love the lighter feel that a white neutral paint gives to a space and I will probably stick with this for a long while.  I just think darker wood furniture that I have plenty of looks so much better against a white wall.  My floors are dark, so the furniture shines with a lighter and neutral wall.  I do like the rooms I see that have a moody dark color on the wall in certain areas.  It’s very bold and modern, but you just have to figure out what you enjoy in your own home.

Painted Furniture:  The painted furniture craze is still going strong and I do think it’s a great way to update those old pieces that we no longer love.  Of course, chances are that the painted furniture trend will wane again and one day, people will be stripping that paint off.  I can see it happening, just because of history!  But, for now if you have older pieces that you’ve scored at yardsales and thrift stores, paint them for a longer life.  Better to paint than get rid of!  I’ve done plenty of furniture painting over the years and it’s a great way to extend the life of a piece you still enjoy.

Art and Accessories:  I’m not an art snob, but you probably already know that.  Some of my favorite original art pieces came from the thrift stores or yardsales/estate sales for next to nothing.  Some folks spend a bundle on art, but I’ve never really been one to save up to buy original art.  I think it’s beautiful and looks so appropriate in many homes and if that is your thing, you should go for it.  Art and accessories can also change with time and the last few years, I’ve enjoyed hunting down fun and unique accessories that work in my home. I’ve bought my share of mass produced accessories, but the ones I seem to keep for the longest are those one of a kind treasures that I’ve scored out thrifting.  When it comes to your accessories and art, personalizing those things are one of the best ways to make your home stand out and look fresh and different.  Framed botanicals have been something that I’ve loved for years and I’ve had sets of framed botanicals in all my homes over the years.

Be You:  The best tip I can give you is to hone in on what you really love and want to surround yourself with.  It’s so very easy to get caught up in what everyone else is doing.  If I let myself be drawn into all the beauty I see in blogland, I can easily become discontent with what I have. And that’s not healthy or practical.  I’m very grateful for all I have and I make my house the best it can be, using what I’ve acquired and accumulated and shopping wisely.  I’m not an expert designer, but have learned what works for me. And that’s the best tip I can give you too. Be happy with what you have and do the very best with your own home. We all have different sized budgets that we can work with.  You and your family have to live there after all and it needs to reflect the people who make it home.

Thank goodness that styles today are more casual and personal.  With the sheer magnitude of decorating blogs out there, you can jump from blog to blog seeing so many styles and interpretations of styles that are out there.  I love seeing bold decorating using modern fabrics and clean lined pieces that many younger bloggers are using and I’ve done a bit of that in my own house. The talent in blogland is amazing these days and never before have we been able to peek into others’ homes and see how they decorate and dress.  Beautiful homes are all over the internet and it can get in my head if I let it.   Back to that contentment thing again.  I have to stick with what I have and own and make it the best it can be.  These are my best tips for updating your home, using the bones of furniture and “stuff” you’ve accumulated.

My home is never going to be cutting edge or picture perfect or mainstream magazine worthy, but I do the best I can with what I have.  And I suspect that you do the same.  We can get caught up in trying to follow trends and do what everyone else is doing.  If I followed the lead of blogland, I’d be decorating in a lot of neutrals, with lots of white and gray, and hardly any color.   And I’d have reclaimed wood furniture all over my house.  There’s nothing wrong with doing that if you love it and I like many elements of that style. I’m certainly not knocking any particular style, we all have our own tastes in decor.  But, that’s just not completely me.  I love color and will always have color in my home.  Thankfully, we don’t have to follow all the trends that come along.  Pick out a few things that speak to you and might be something you’d like to use in your home, but don’t get too carried away with the trends.

As I mentioned before, I think in 10 years we will all be looking back at some of what is popular now, smack ourselves in the head and say…what in the world were we thinking?  Time has a way of deflating those trendy balloons that we think are so beautiful and stylish at the moment.  My main goal of decorating now is to try to stick with the classics and look for things that I will love 10 to 20 years from now.

If I can be completely honest, at times I feel so obsolete in blogland.  My home doesn’t fit the criteria for what’s popular and trendy out there.  It’s a great home and I love it, but I know it doesn’t appeal to mainstream (and youthful) America.  But, I still feel that I have something to share and contribute after all these years blogging, so I’ll continue to do so.  One more thing.  I’m pretty happy and content with my house now, so I won’t be tearing things out or redecorating every room just to blog about it.  I’m not moving anytime soon.  Maybe never, unless I happen to get married down the road (ha, not even close!), but it’s certainly not on the near horizon.  I’ll more than likely be in my house for years to come.  So, as much as I’d like to blog about decorating and redecorating, there won’t be a whole lot of new things from me, except for seasonal decorating and changing up small things here and there.  I may redo my master bath at some point, but that would probably be it in this house.  So, I thank you for sticking with me during my house renovation and beyond! I may not have a lot more WOW pics for you from this house, but I sure do enjoy living in it.

How about you?  I’d love to hear your thoughts on this topic!

 

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