Reader Question: How Do I Define My Own Style?

"Don't let a fear of being tacky render you tasteless." - Celerie Kemble

I got this email last week from Lisa in Soddy Daisy:  I am a newlywed and new homeowner and I am so excited about decorating my new place but my husband and I don't have a lot of money to put into decorating.  I am wanting some ideas on how to start decorating my home since I don't really have a style - I really don't know where to start.  Help!

Lisa,

Decorating your home can seem like an overwhelming challenge when you are starting from scratch.The best advice I can give you is to take your time!  The very best rooms are those that evolve over time.  Anyone can go out and buy a living room "suite" but what you will end up with is a room of coordinating pieces that lacks any charm or personality.  Take a look at these photos that feature matching furniture sets.

Matching furniture sets that have no personal style.

And now compare to these rooms that have a more collected, personal point of view.:

This room features a mix of furniture styles in both painted and wood finishes

Another room of non-matching furniture styles pulled together by color and personal collections

Harmony is found in this room through the strong blue walls and accessories and the mostly neutral furnishings (non of which "match")

A close up of diverse yet personal items displayed on a mantel

Rather than color, this room uses flea market finds and collections of framed art and books to make a statement

Collections of books, a white slipcovered sofa and a striped rug give this room a beachy, collected feel.

  So, Lisa, I would encourage you to take your time  and only buy things that "speak to you".  If you love it and it looks good, it is good!

Recession Decorating 101

"I strongly believe that people may not want, or may not be able to, start again from scratch, so giving old furniture a new lease on life is at the heart of my philosophy," - Nina Campbell

Hey, it's no secret that a lot of us are struggling during these tough economic time and  so that's why I've decided to create this post about getting your chic on the cheap!  These tips are nothing new but they are common sense ideas that challenge us to tap into our creative sides and look at the items you already have with fresh eyes.  Possibilities are all around us if we carpe "design"!!  : )

This is about the 4th incarnation of my camelback sofa. It has been dressed in a mauve colored mini-print (remember country cute)?, a blue flamestich fabric, a denim slipcover and now this chenille paisley.  It is a great quality piece that has been with me for years!

I have had this mirror for decades and it started off life with a nondescript brown stain.  I freshened it up with a can of glossy white rustoleum and it has a clean new look.  I love the way white accessories "jump" off the wall.  So sculptural and modern.

This is actually a coffee table I bought at a yard sale for $25.  I snagged the animal print fabric on ebay and off I went to my upholsterer to create this luxe bench.  It's great for extra seating at my dining room table !

Speaking of my dining room, would you believe my dining table and chairs were FREE??!! Yep, I got them from a friend who was about to begin renovation on a flip house and the dining room set had been left behind by the previous owners  Lots of cleaning and some fresh upholstery gave me a dining room I have been enjoying for years!

What more can you say about this?

. . . except maybe this!  I love the colored glass of wine bottles and found a few ways to use them in design!

This collection of audobon prints are actually pages from a calender I bought a Barnes & Noble a few years ago.  Pre-matted frames came from Southeast Salvage to create this thrifty art collection!

These "curtains" in my breakfast room are really tablecloths I found at HomeGoods for about $15. They are a nice heavy fabric and they are hung from a cafe curtain rod with ring clips.  Tiebacks are grosgrain ribbon.

I hope this post inspires you to look at the things you already have with fresh eyes.  Just think, your new look could be as close as your local hardware store for that $4 can of Rustoleum!

Home decor galore at Bae

Don't get me wrong, I love New York. But I have to confess, ever since I visited San Francisco last March, we've been having an emotional affair. San Francisco has all of the great qualities of New York and, well, not so many of the less desirable ones. One of those great qualities is home decor store, Bae. They offer some truly special stuff, take a look...




*love* these vases








...and those pillows...



...and these vases!



Images courtesy of Bae

How will we furnish and decorate our homes in the future?

You can actually see and experience how our homes will be furnished and lived in at the WIRED NextFest 2008. It's being held at Millennium Park in Chicago, from September 27th to October 12th. It's free to the public, and features groundbreaking exhibits of sustainable design, next generation healthcare, interactive art and games, humanoid robotics and more. Here are a few exhibits that look intriguing to me...




The HOVERIT Lounger - could you picture one of these in your living room? Think Philippe Starck's Louis Ghost Chair but...levitating. Perhaps the creators can describe it better...

"British Company, Hoverit Ltd, introduce ‘The Lounger’, which is the first of their revolutionary magnetic ‘hover’ furniture range. British design, precision engineered and British built by hand. Defying gravity with the use of repelling magnetic forces in both the bed and base this contemporary lounger is comfortable, practical and stylish. Permanent magnets may also help back, muscular problems and headaches, so our furniture not only looks good - it may make you feel good too. The sensation that you feel as you lay back and close your eyes is totally different, like floating on a cloud.

Even more exciting, they are now offering them in fun new colors, and you can chose what shape the "holes" are in the seat (i.e. hearts, droplets, or slots). They also plan on adding more options soon, such as cushions, decals, and up lighting.

Check out the HOVERIT site for more info.





I would hang this art on my walls now! And you can because these stunning works of art can be purchased at Jot, the website of the artist, Erik Natzke. Go to his site to see more awesome work.

"...Erik Natzke has set out to transform Flash, the media and interaction tool for creating Web site banner ads and intro pages, into a medium for fine art. Working on drawing engines, generative algorithms, and color studies — all in Flash — Natzke has fine-tuned his software in order to produce epic, 9-foot-wide prints of digital creations and swirling videos that take us through the creation process. Lines come in, dart through, and pierce the video window before settling into algorithmically predetermined resting spots." - Wired

Lighting gets chic and eco-friendly in the future with the creations of Saazs.

"Why bother replacing incandescent light bulbs every few months when you can brighten your home for 20 years (or 500,000 hours) with Planilum's luminescent glass plates? Each panel, which can be incorporated into a shelf or table or can stand alone, is less than an inch thick, composed of four layers of glass, nontoxic gas, and phosphorescent compounds. Planilum emits a soft glow and can be touched without risk of burning. Also, unlike incandescent bulbs, it is energy efficient and 90 percent recyclable." - Wired

Is Shabby Chic still chic?

Rachel Ashwell started Shabby Chic back in the 80s after years of scouring thrift and antique stores for furniture with beautiful lines and the patina of a good life. Shabby chic has now become a decorating style of its own; pastels, worn finishes, whites, and romance are all variables that pull the look together. Some say that shabby chic has lost it's appeal, but I'm on the fence about it. I absolutely love the photos, and I think I could never get out of one of those beds once I 've slept in one. But I also wonder if the furniture and accessories could be blended in with people's already existing decor, or if one goes Shabby chic, do they have to go all out? What are your thoughts?

Images via
Shabby Chic