Living Beauty Full in the Burbs
Living Beauty Full in the Burbs
Ever wonder what “style” you are? Many people do. It’s one of the topics discussed frequently in decorating groups on Facebook. You join a group of a certain style, only to find out that’s not the style you thought it was. Facebook groups can be confusing. For instance, let’s take “Farmhouse Style,” it sounds simple and straight forward, but it is NOT. There are sub-categories of farmhouse style. There’s Industrial Farmhouse, Cottage Farmhouse, Romantic Farmhouse, Prairie Farmhouse, Shabby Farmhouse…..whatever descriptive word placed in front of “Farmhouse” can be a style. Ditto for the “Cottage” look. There are as many sub-categories for cottage as there are for farmhouse. And the creator of your chosen group may have a specific version of your style in mind.
Recognize that some styles are straight forward, Mid Century Modern, Primitive (or Prim as it’s known) have a very distinct look. So do Colonial and Art Deco. Other styles seem to blend and morph into one another. And trust me, people have strong opinions on what is, or isn’t a “style.” Fair warning: This is a photo and text heavy post.
So, how do you know where you fit in the style you think you like? Or are you even the style you think you are??? How do you figure it out? There are some things you can do to help identify what style you love. Or what mix of styles. I’m not a purist and don’t fit into a neat category anymore. I’ve always loved country style. And I’ve gone through many phases over the decades. But I know I’m a blend of Country (Farmhouse) with a little Cottage thrown in. So that’s where I started. But what if you don’t know? Don’t have any idea?
What if you are tired of your current look (or non-look if you are still living with cast offs from in-laws)? You’ll have to do your homework. But it’s so worth it in the end. Trust me.
Begin by taking inventory in your own home. What do you love? A vintage chair inherited from a Great Aunt? A modern ghost chair you bought at a high end furniture store? Do you love your sofa? Your bed? The trim around your doors? Take notes, make a list. What do you dislike? This is just as important as what you do like. Make a separate “dislike” list.
Visit some model homes in your area. Take pictures of features you like. (ask permission.) Do you like a certain color on the wall? Ask what color it is and the brand. Do you like the curtains and draperies? The accessories? The furniture? Is there anything you don’t like? Take photos and notes.
Look through decorating books. Your local library will have a well stocked section of design and architecture. Check out books on the specific styles you think you like. Use your cell phone to take photos of pages that appeal to you. Browse through magazines. That’s where I started many years ago, long before Facebook and Pinterest, I was a magazine addict subscriber. I ripped out pages of rooms I liked and put together a notebook of tear sheets. I still have it and I still browse through it, looking for ideas to incorporate. Every couple of years I remove pages that no longer appeal to me and add some that I’m now interested in.
I still subscribe to lots of magazines, old addictions habits die hard it seems. If you don’t subscribe, go to your local thrift stores. Many of them have bins of old decorating magazines and books. Antique stores often offer bundles of past issues of decorating magazines. Buy those and use them for your tear sheets. Make notes on the pages of things that you like. Don’t leaf through a magazine quickly and think an image has nothing to offer. You may not like the color or the sofa of the room pictured, but how is it styled? Do you love the collection on the shelves? Like the panels at the windows? Perhaps the trim around the windows catches your eye. Make notes, for these are all clues.
This is the digital age and most people don’t want to bother with tear sheets, if that’s you, head to Pinterest…. if you are one of the three people in the world that haven’t already. Create “boards” for things you like. You can create as many boards as you want. I have well over twenty. (Is this a lot?) You may want one for paint colors, lighting, furniture, individual rooms, whatever keeps you organized. Or you can make ones for specific styles, American Farmhouse, Cottage, Mid Century Modern, BoHo….whatever. Then start pinning images you love.
You’ll soon notice that you are drawn to one or two styles. Then you can start researching those. Google the style(s) you like for more information. Subscribe to blogs. There are dozens of blogs, maybe hundreds. There is a blog dedicated to every style ever thought of. As you get closer to identifying what you love, start to unsubscribe to those blogs that don’t pertain to the style(s) that you are drawn to, delete the images from your Pinterest boards that don’t really support the look you want. It will become obvious what style or combination of styles you like.
And don’t worry if you love elements of several styles. Many of them play nice together and can live harmoniously in the same room. Right now you just want to identify the style or styles that seem to call your name.
Why should you go to all this trouble with lists and research???
It will help prevent investing money in things that don’t really reflect who you are. Buying furniture and accessories can get expensive. Transitioning to a new style and buying all new things because you think you like it, and two months later you’re wondering what you were thinking….. can be a financial nightmare, not to mention all that time wasted. If you know ahead of time that you are drawn to colonial style you won’t be tempted to buy that cute cottage style table. OK, you’ll be tempted, but you won’t actually purchase it. And for sure you won’t get caught up in the latest decorating trend. Refining your style and integrating it into your home is for another post. For now, enjoy the process of finding out who you are.
Loving your surroundings, feeling comfortable in your rooms is imperative in creating a sanctuary. And you deserve to live in a sanctuary, no matter the size of your home, where it’s located, or the money available to design and decorate your space, the key is to be YOU and then find those things that speak to your heart.
Create the home you see in your heart. Create your sanctuary, one room at a time.
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