Finding My Decorating Style

I’m a little slow.  After  being married and decorating my  home for nearly 38 years (next week!),  it seems it has just been in the past 3 1/2 years  I have finally been able to pin-point certain  decorating looks, colors and decor items  I love living with day-in and day-out, year after year.

I like many different decorating styles.  In fact,  sometimes think I have decorating attention deficit disorder but after I sat down with pencil and paper and made an actual list,  a pattern emerged and there were some things  I realized I am drawn to time and time again. 

I never tire of:

• light and bright
• white! white! white!
• pastel colors, especially soft greens and pinks
• black and gray (over brown and beige)

photo source: A Vintage White

• wrought iron
• wicker & rattan
• baskets
• floral anything, especially roses (art, fabrics, china etc.)
• garden/nature decor (clay pots, birds, bird houses & cages, nests & eggs etc.)
• greenery, especially ivy, ferns and topiaries

(Someday, I hope the front porch of the house in Hooterville looks just like this!)

photo source: unknown

• 2" white faux wood blinds
• plantation shutters
• crisp white bead board
• shells and beachy decor

photo by Dan Mayers 

• great moldings  around windows and doors
• crown molding
• no (or very simple) fabric window treatments 

photo source:  Better Homes & Gardens

• lace
• crystal candlesticks
• tea cups
• white pitchers
• milk glass

  Did I say white?

photo source:  www.countryliving.com

• slip covered furniture (neat & fitted, not sloppy)
• painted  furniture (especially white!)
• curvy furniture
• furniture with details like carvings or moldings

 

Although my first choice will always be white furniture over wood tones, I am drawn to some wood pieces if they are:

• semi-rustic and aged looking (but not too beat up)
• light to medium tone in color

photo source:  Better Homes & Gardens

For many years I thought my style was Traditional but clearly, my preferred decorating style is really the more informal Cottage Style…actually a mixture of  Romantic Cottage, Beach Cottage, French Country Cottage, and maybe to a lesser degree,  English Cottage.

Have you ever stopped to really think about what decorating looks, colors and decor items you are repeatedly drawn to?   If you are sort of  floundering around, looking for your decorating style,  I bet  you will find it if you make a list of the decorating elements  in your home  you love and never have the burning desire to change.