I've been getting lots of emails (which I love!) lately asking me things about my home, personal style, design, invitations, etc. and I want to share some of those questions and answers here. I like to answer each email with individual attention but I'm getting a lot of repeat questions so it just makes sense to feature them here on the blog.
FAQ: i stumbled upon your blog and love it! pretty much everything about it describes my heart and the style i want to give my home and my designs. in a few words, how would you describe your style?
i was wondering how you went about finding all your adorable furniture? i love that style but sometimes for me it seems impossible to get all the right things and fit them together to show my style!
First off, I'm flattered and thank you. But to the point - in just a few words I would describe my style as mid-century modern meets cozy eclectic.
And while you asked for just a few words, I'm going to have to dive into this topic, as it's something I've given a lot of thought to.
It's taken a lot of time to really develop my personal style when it comes to my home. When I bought my first home (a fab 1970s modern) I painted the walls lime green and red just because I could. When Jeremy and I moved in together in a pre-war historical duplex we fell in love with the space as we fell in love with each other.
We decided to buy a pre-war historical home together and that has done a number on my personal style when it comes to my home. I've had to make some pretty bold and fearless moves (like painting the hallway with black and white stripes) but I've also had to practice quite a bit of restraint (by choosing neutral and light paint for the rest of my home). I credit a lot of the beauty in my home to the old bones and architectural beauty.
When I was younger I would ONLY buy furniture that was mid-century modern - I'm sure if we had an IKEA near by I would've done myself a disservice by filling my home with 100% flat-packed Swedish furniture. As I'm getting older (and wiser and a little bit more secure in my own personal style) I am feeling this shift to mix it up a little - but I feel like I can maintain a cohesive aesthetic by having this mid-century base. I also take other things into consideration like color palette, texture, and now more than ever - comfort (something I used to completely disregard for the sake of a pretty piece of furniture).
The furniture that I've held onto has all been vintage finds on Craigslist (thank you, Liz Fabry, my personal Craigslist shopper), local antique stores, estate sales, and hand-me-downs from my family. It's taken years and years to collect all of this furniture - In fact, I'm still holding out for the perfect credenza for our dining room. But I will also mix in accent pieces, like side tables, lighting, rugs and throws from IKEA or Target.
My recommendation for executing your own personal style is to collect as much inspiration as you can. There are lots of fabulous blogs featuring beautiful homes (Desire to Inspire is my favorite) - right click, save and analyze what it is you like about rooms. As you are shopping for furniture (or just keeping your eye out for key pieces) ask yourself "Does this fit my vision? What is the color of this piece? how will it fit into the overall look I want to achieve? Do I love it? Do I need it?" Now, I'm no expert, but these are things I have to ask myself before I bring anything into my home. And don't be afraid to step out of "matchy-matchy" but if it's what you need to do first to establish a solid look and feel for your home go for it and develop your own personal style from there by adding in interesting finds.
And finally, don't be afraid to get rid of pieces you don't love or don't fit into your vision for your home. Donate them and don't look back. Something my dear friend Liz (and personal style bouncer-offer) said in the comments to her SFGirlByBay feature has really stuck with me: "I edit ALL the time, because for me, my house will be perfect (however temporarily… it’s all about the chase, though, isn’t it?) not when there’s nothing left for me to add, but when there’s nothing left for me to take away. You know?"
So that's that!
In a few words how would you all describe your interior design style - or what would you like your home feel like?
