Finding your decor style

Have you ever looked for similarities in rooms you are attracted to in magazines or online?
That's one of the best ways to determine what you like for your own decor.  If you don't know where to start here are several suggestions to set you on your way to finding your personal decor look.

Develop a vocabulary for your style 

Initially you may not have the words to describe  why you are attracted to a space or why you find it interesting, but you will over time if you do enough looking and comparing.

1. Start with some rooms you  don't like at all. 

When you have about 10 or so look at them and decide what you don't want in a space.  This is just as important as what you do want.

Here's a room that doesn't  particularly ring my chimes because it has too much glitz and materialism.  It reminds me of  a woman who has on too much makeup and bling,  but there are lots of people who love a glam look.  I'm not judging, just saying it's not for me.

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 2. Have a category for rooms that you like aspects of


     It might be the furniture or the fabrics or layout.  It could be how it is accessorized. It could have one thing you like or a number of things.  Identify what you like and don't like.

Caleb Anderson 

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You can be attracted to a space and not like all the components of it. I appreciate that this space is dramatic and artfully conceived.  Dark wall colours are not part of my aesthetic nor is traditional decor, but I find myself drawn to this space. Why?

• mix of  some traditional and modern (furniture and art)
• accessories in vignette combine colour, texture, form and  different styles
• the perfect intersection of chair back with art  making the chair an integral part of the vignette
• there is nothing cookie cutter about this space; it's totally individual /unique
• the variety in the vignette arrangement takes my eye back again and again
• it is the opposite of what I like usually (light interiors, clean lines and more minimal look) 

3. And most importantly find rooms you love

 

 Here are some spaces I love from recent pins on Pinterest.

Room #1

House and Home

 This room couldn't be more different than the one above!  It is a space that I think is timeless even with the bold tile choice.

Here's what I like about it:

• simple geometric patterning in neutrals 
• simple lines in flat panel doors
• mix of open shelves with doors to provide some visual relief
• mix of wood,  white and geometric to add interest 
• this would be in style for years

Room #2 

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There are similarities to the kitchen above if you really look. Here's why I find this appealing:

• mix of warm wood and neutrals
• a room has to have at 3-5 different patterns for me to find it interesting
•  a touch of the outside is important to me (plants and wood) 
• lots of textures
• pared down but inviting because of the rug and the pillows

Room #3

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Such a great space:

• white, black and wood
• it looks like a well composed abstract painting
• very geometric in layout, especially the vertical window and cube lights
• the mirror connected everything visually 
• like how the sink is like a piece of furniture, not hidden
• this is a unique space

 Establish a my style and not my style boards on Pinterest 

I find it useful to have one board on Pinterest that focuses on my style. I am selective in what I put in there and often go back and delete things until I am left with what I find pleasing. If you don't want to have it open for all to see, set up a secret board and record negatives and positives without insulting anyone!

Find your look/style by doing quizzes online 

The Decorist 

This is a short quiz and was spot on for my style when I completed it.  You have to provide your email address to get your answer. 

7 Quizzes to check out 

There's a range here from Houzz to Lonny and  Better Homes and Gardens. 

I hope these simple suggestions will help you define your decorating style.  We are all unique and that's what you should aim for in your home.   Go for it!

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What's hot on my Pinterest?

  Analytics are always interesting when you keep a blog and they can provide insight into your readers likes and dislikes.  I keep a close eye on my blog analytics and also Pinterest. While I look for patterns of pins on Pinterest there often aren't any, but last month was a little different.

 Do  these images  indicate what is popular on Pinterest or do they reflect what I like personally or both?

Here's a selection of  my most liked/repinned pins in order of popularity from last month:

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 What we can say ...

• clean lines are evident in all designs
• versions of gray are very popular paired with lighter walls
• texture is a dominant feature especially from wood and brick
• lighter woods are used to add texture and warmth
• contrast is an evident characteristic 
• nature is present in fruits, plants, woods

That's what Pinterest told me last month. Of course I know what is popular on my feed is influenced by my own aesthetic.  If I pinned all glamorous space some of these would be at the top of the list.  But that won't be happening any time soon.  I am not a glamorous type of gal. 

 Are you influenced by what you see on Pinterest?  Do you what you see changes  how you design your home? 

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Bring on the green

St. Patrick's Day gets lots of attention where I live because so many of us have Irish roots.  While the partying and music happened last weekend, I'm doing my own bit today by recommending green as a colour to consider in decor if you like to bring the outside in.  When someone says they hate green, I'm  flabbergasted.  How can you hate the the most prominent colour in nature?

You can have a little green woven in with any other hues and it always looks good.  Think plants.  Is there any room a plant doesn't work in?  Or you can have a green statement piece or green accessories mixed with another colour.  The possibilities are endless when you think about the variety of greens and the proportion of use in a space.

A green statement piece 

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A green velvet sofa is daring and this one sings because of the white walls and light artwork above it.  

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This is still a statement in an otherwise white room,  just a more subtle one. 

Green  furniture and accents 

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I am more drawn to yellow greens like the ones in this space.  Love the leafy references in pillows and romans.  This much green needs the relief of white walls.  I would like to see more of the blue green as a stronger punch of colour.  

Just a hint of green in a neutral space 

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Just the merest hint of accents of green with plants and branches can liven a white space. This little amount of green only works well in very light space. 

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You can weave  a little more green into any neutral space and it can either sit back and  quietly warm it or...

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say, "Look at me, I'm the life of the room".  I'm particularly fond of this colour scheme and the use of texture in the space. 

I guess you've figured out from my photo references that I like green with white and gray.  It's the fresh punch that intrigues me, and for that you need a quiet background.  There are other ways to work  with greens  using lots of black for instance, but then the room gets too shouty for me.  Are you a lover of green?  

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Suddenly

What looked like a dream, a wish in waiting, maybe not to come true for weeks, suddenly it's real: Spring has arrived with all its sweetness, birdsong, the warmth of sunshine, a gentle breeze in the air, longer evenings with just enough chill to crave a fire and all the tiny blossoms, making the season so desirable. 

My daffodils look ready to bloom in a fortnight, tiny bluebells cover the still dormant grass, and the squirrels chase each other up and down the trees.

My impatience has given way to a a calmer joy, a mood elevation I can only blame the season for. My heart is filled with optimism and I feel energy rising again. 
Today I met my dear friend, Deirdre Verne, a fellow writer and mother, a woman I admire for her accomplishments. My own dwarf against hers I feel. You can find her fabulous books here and everywhere books are sold. We talked shop and how to build a story line, how to come up with credible characters and how to make it all work. It is always incredibly invigorating to exchange ideas and to brainstorm about writing with her. For weeks now I have struggled with a particular issue, something I have carried around for decades and how to deal with this in my writing. It had come to a point where I felt it crippled my abilities to tell the story and she simply said, do not worry so much, just write it all down, there is much time to change it and you can always edit it out. How little does she know how it has freed me. After we parted my head was spinning with ideas. Perhaps it was the sun, sending her rays over my keyboard, perhaps it was my friend's easy attitude to something which had loomed over me for weeks, but since that moment the inner blockage has disappeared and after I came home I sat down to prep-write. I dropped everything and typed away notes and sentences, which I did not want to loose until I would have time to properly write. When the phone rung, I did not expect anything unusual. But it was my teenage son, asking me where I was. I had overlooked the time and had forgotten to pick him up from school. 
Thankfully it takes just a few minutes to get him and I was only ten minutes late. I laughed to myself, this had, as far as I can remember, never happened. 
Shall I put an automated reminder in your phone, my son asked me slyly, but not unfriendly when he stepped into the car. Please do so I answered smilingly and he did. Now, if I happen to become entrenched in writing, some friendly reminder will pull me out of my reverie and bring me back to reality.

And now, as I write this, I see outside my window the old Magnolia tree with its long pink blossoms, leafless still, but ready to bloom. I am ready too. How I love spring.

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Adding spice to your decor.

If you've decided your decor is predictable after reading my last post, and you want to spice things up a little this post is for you.

Here goes....

1. Rebel against  over-matching  accessories

If you choose an accent colour everything does not need to be that colour!   Consider breaking up the accessory load with a complementary colour scheme  or by choosing several colours side by side on the colour wheel.

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A lively mix of pattern and colours brings energy to neutral spaces. Imagine this room without the colour.

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And for those who like a more traditional space, here's an adventurous mix of patterns to create a very soft look.  Notice how the orange is repeated in the flowers, and the pink in the flowers on table and the books, but the yellow stands alone. That makes it a 3, 2 and 1 colour distribution.  Subtle but everything counts for interest and variety. Now I want to repaint the walls soft white.

2. Mix old and new together in one space 

Briggs Solomon 

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 3.  Display meaningful objects 

Collections always denote personal interests, and  they are  markers of time and events in the collector's life, e.g.,  when was something purchased, where etc. You are really creating a personal timeline and history when you display a collection of objects. 

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The trick with displaying collections is to come up with a way to do it that looks artful rather than cluttered. 

4. Throw in something unexpected or quirky

I am always attracted to vignettes that tell a story like the one above.  Is the leather saddle bag connected to hobbies or is it random? Perhaps it's for bike riding, e.g., a messenger bag.  What are the tall wooden pieces?  Has the owner seen New York from the air or is it just a visual adventure? 

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Oh, art you have such power to present and question.  Putting this large piece on the floor brings it to viewing level, but it also places it where a foot is usually found in a home.  

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Layering, complementary colours, interesting objects and a bit of whimsey.  Perfectly composed and inviting. 

5. Mix styles 

Mixing styles isn't for everyone, but it always creates comparisons that are interesting.  In this space the hard edged, lucite table  is a total contrast to the softness of everything else.  It is there without being there visually.  

6. Use common objects/materials  in new ways 

IF you like the idea of a clock table there's every conceivable take on this on Pinterest.  Check them out here .

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If you have a thing for rulers, that works too. 

7. Mix patterns and textures to create visual excitement 

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 California Home + Design

8. Break up furniture sets 

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 Furniture sets were conceived for the person who wants a ready made room without the fuss of looking for separate pieces.  With that ease comes predictability.   If you are interested in variety and energy in a space,  take away one or more of your set pieces and introduce something new.  In the room above,  only the chairs match,  but it all works very well together.

9. Go for contrast and drama  

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 Of course black and white is the ultimate contrast.  Add any colour to it and you have instant interest.  How do you feel about red and black?  Perhaps you would like white, black and yellow better.

10.  Play with scale to create a statement 

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Playing with larger scale pieces works best in more minimal spaces where the size and form of objects are highlighted without  the distraction of a lot of objects. 

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If you're  choosing a large painting for a space make sure you have some bridging heights like the plant above to connect all the objects in the space. The range of patterns and number of pillows below the artwork also ads visual weight to balance out the large work.  Manipulating scale can be a tricky business.

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So many ways to create interesting spaces.  Do you have a favourite from this list? 

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How predictable is your decor?

 Yes, I've been Pinteresting too much again. It's one of the best ways to see what the common trends are in interior design.  I am not talking about the "cutting edge" ones touted as design trends for a particular year, but the ones that you know average people usein their homes.  These common elements are sometimes referred to as "decorating crutches" because anyone can use them in any space.   I bet you know them already because they are constantly flying by your eyes on Pinterest or Instagram or in home decor stores.

 Check out some of the hallmarks of decor predictability in 2016  compiled from an evening of online viewing. Here are a few pics for you.   Can you see any similarities in these spaces ?

Here's what I came up with...

• overly coordinated fabrics and accessories 
• trays used to corral vignettes on tables
• stacking books in vignettes 
• pale rugs 
• lots of  candles 
• box store art
• art that gives you directions (word art)
• antlers and faux taxidermy 
• empty frames ( is it a conceptual art statement or just a thing?)
• dishes that match a room's colour scheme
• accessories covering every flat surface
• cute holiday and seasonal vignettes
• beachy colour schemes 
• hurricane lanterns
• girlie chandeliers 
•  mirrors everywhere  
• mason jars used for every conceivable purpose
• fake topiary
• changing  seasonal/holiday displays 
• gallery walls with everything apart from real art 
• large wall clocks 
• bleached wicker 
• overuse of baskets for storage
• and abundance of pillows and throws
• gray everything
• pale wall colours
• family references and a touches of sentiment

How predictable is your decor in 2016?

 Is it a bad thing to be predictable?

  Probably not.

 We like what we like, and likes are developed through exposure (repeated viewing). In today's world of social media we do a lot of viewing.  Likes are also shaped by your social circles, your decorating budget, and what is  readily available in a local area.  Sometimes we want to be the same as our friends and we model each other.

We all have things we are attracted to and use in different ways in our homes. From the list of overly used elements above  I  am guilty of: stacking books as fillers and to vary heights,  using trays to corral objects in vignettes,  layering with  throws and using an antler in various arrangements (but it's a real one found on a hike) and I do have a thing about pillows.  I am happiest in light rooms and gray has been my go to neutral since 1985.  How about you?

Stay tuned for 10 ways to interject a little decor rebellion in your space.

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