Finding My Style
Lately I’ve been ‘nesting’ and have decided it is time to turn my attention to our home in earnest, our extensions have now progressed sufficiently to start the final decorating stage. The question is, what is my decorating style, and it isn’t just my tastes that have to be considered but PC’s too. I have been blessed with friends who are very talented in the home decorating arena, they just seem to know what to do and somehow conceive ideas effortlessly. Whilst I admire these friends immensely, I continue to be at sea as to my style, what says me.
Last weekend I began my search to define me, clicking on decorating blogs for inspiration, one blog after another and I had a revelation. Many decorating blogs whilst very pretty, scream to me, clutter! I have plenty of stimulation in my life with 11 people in my home and their belongings, what I want is less. Children come with belongings, and with a wide age range and both genders that equates to a lot. I realised my style requires cupboard doors and pretty boxes, not more visual clutter, which alot of the ‘decorating touches’ equates as such to me.
Searching on I looked at ‘minimalist’ and whilst the instant denuding was visually calming, when I imagined this look translated to my home it began to seem rather stark and not warm and inviting. Then I stumbled on the phrase ‘simple’ and I believe I have found me!:) My look:):)
How does a simple style translate for me? Well instead of having a grouping of frames on the wall I picture one, or at most two. I’m imagining all clutter hidden with just a focal touch or two. A vase of flowers, a touch of pretty and the rest hidden; warm, inviting and calm. Finding my style at last is allowing my mind to slowly begin imagining:)
In the bedrooms I’m visualising curtains, matching beds, pretty bedspreads, a focal picture on the wall, and the rest hidden behind cupboard doors. (Spanish Cream architraves, skirting boards and timber floors also star in my mind) In the living areas I picture a similar style, the minimal visual look, calm, warm and inviting with a touch of pretty, a picture, flowers and that’s sufficient.
As for my kitchen, bathrooms and laundry style, well I haven’t got that far yet, though I’m pinning away. Mostly I’m just excited that I’ve discovered my style.
Slowly I’m finding a few decorating blogs that inspire and don’t overwhelm. I’d love for you to add more suggestions.
Bean in Love
Bower Power
320 Sycamore
*Please understand the thoughts in this post are about finding me, my style, not intended at all to be a criticism of anyone else’s style, which I often appreciate, we are all unique.
7 Comments
Chareen
Oh that's so funny. I opened up to comment on your post to find spam! Yikes thats a little cheecky using your blog to advertise. Amazing!
Anyways Erin I don't have any decorating blog gems but I do confess I love Pinterest for inspiration.
On a little side note I miss your photography challenge and hope you do it again some time. I have a newer dslr and would like a reason to play.
Have you heard about Radiate ? I hope you can join me 🙂 It's FREE
http://www.radiatephoto.com/
Nope it's not advertising I just remembered us learning about our camera's and photography last year and thought you might enjoy doing this with me it's FREE
Blessings.
PS Looking forward to more bump inspired pictures 🙂
Ruby
I will look forward to some pics as you decorate. It is definitly not my forte but simple sounds perfect to me. When we moved recently I went from cluttered to sparse very quickly! I had been wanting to dejunk for ages so that was a great step. Storage is the key, isn't it.
Cassie Williams
I have the same problem and don't know my style either. I can easily say I like it or don't like it, but I struggle with putting things in my own home. I like what you are thinking and I think simple is great. It works for me! I was very cluttered in my earlier life and got rid of everything. Now we have minimalist and I don't like it. I have fixing this at the top of my to-do list. I'm planning on doing some garage sale shopping and thrift stores next week while on break from school. Good luck and can't wait to see what you come up with!
simmone
Hi Erin, sorry for my tardy response to your Q, haven't visited my space for a while. We used a thing called a Table Cell. Can't remember exactly which one we used but if you google "table cell onto blogger" something should come up. It comes with a border which you might want to remove in html mode, I reduced my pics to 150mpxl. I think your pop out pics on your static pages look great, wish more blogs would use table cells with pics so it's easier to find pages of interest. Looks like you are getting close to finishing, many hands, ha!
Erin
Chareen
You, love pinterest! No, never! 😉 giggle.
Oh really, well I'll have to come up with another challenge then, you've made me smile:)
Thanks for telling me, have signed up:) will enjoy doing the class with you. and yes I might even show some more pics. I realised with Gabrielle I had none and that would have been nice
Ruby
how ruthless were you? was it hard? I'm slowly imagining my look, this is major for me.
Cassie
So trying to find the middle ground. What do you have in mind as you go garage saleing/opshopping?
Simmone
I'll have to look into table cell, though I think I've found something even simpler for photo layout:)
http://sevenlittleaustralians.blogspot.com.au/2013/08/category-photo-gallery-flipcard-or.html
Well we are a long way from finishing, probably another 2 years.
Willa
I agree about style — it has to be personal. I can like another person's style without necessarily thinking it would work in my own life. A good lesson for almost everything.
I am on my computer where I can finally post all the comments I couldn't post on my IPhone where I usually read blogs, so that is why you are getting so many comments from me today. Blessings on your week, Erin!
Erin
Willa
Always love getting comments from you:):)