Ok, here's the thing. I am wanting to redecorate the house completely. Repaint the whole of the inside and change the furniture too, to suit the new look. Now here's the problem. What do you do when you can't decide on a look? What if your tastes are too varied, and you like lots of different styles? I read all these gorgeous magazines, and surf around all your fabulous blogs, and I love it all! That's all well and good, but all it does is confuse my feelings towards my own tastes and style, and leaves me feeling inadequate and silly. What I'm really asking is, how would you go about finding what your style really is? I do know that what I liked a few years ago is not particularly what I like now, and I know that I often do things according to my mood at the time, then regret a choice later. I really don't want to make any mistakes this time round since it's going to be quite a bit of work for One True Love, Precious Princess and I to do, not to mention the costs involved. One positive thing is that I do know what I DON'T like. Trouble is, there's not a lot I don't like! lol Can you see the dilemma? So advice is desperately needed on what steps I should take to work out a style or look, then once we have that established, I'll need advice from all of you fabulous decorators on how to go about achieving this look. Also, would you carry the one theme through-out the house, or can each room have it's own personality while loosely following a main theme? Can you help with advice please, because if I scratch my head one more time or bite my lip again, well I don't think my skin can take it! lol So I'll leave you for tonight with a photo of the sunset that Precious Princess just took. I'm off to prepare dinner and ponder....ponder.....ponder!
Love Amanda (aka Confused Cottage Contessa!)
31 comments:
Not sure I should be handing out advice but this is what I have been thinking about lately. Hubby and I have been toying with the idea of getting a small place along the coast......of course, that would not be tropical like you but it would be a little warmer than the mountains of PA! LOL
If we do, I've decided to go neutral in the hard services.....walls, sofas, furniture....no that neutral doesn't have to be a boring white. Green can be neutral if you pick the right shade.
Then, to satisfy my whims(y), I would have a closet pull of pillow shams/slipcovers and decorations to fit each season/ style/ mood. If it's autumn, I could pull out the oranges, reds, and golds.....If I feel romantic/shabby chic, I'd pull out all the cottage rose pillows and stuff. You could change the look in a flash without spending tons of money once you had your stash. The great thing about this kind of decorating would be that if you were out shopping and saw a couple pillows you can't live without.....just start a new theme! That way you can live with everything you like.....just not all at once. I saw this idea on a decorating show. They literally could change the whole look of a room in about 15 minutes!
Your hubby will never know what he's coming home to....chuckle
There will be more sophisticated suggestions I am sure.... but his will definitely be what I do when I get to start over again with a new canvas :-)
Good Luck, Dear Amanda......I know we will all love to see the process as you "sally forth" into the decorating battle to come. ((hugs)) Rosie
Knowing what you don't like is a good starting point! ;o) With so much beauty out there, it is hard to pin point one style only. Like Rosie, I personally live with a more neutral interior landscape. Much as I love color, and use color in my crafting and creating, on a daily basis I need a serene oasis around me. When we moved into our house two years ago, the interior was a disaster--no surface or room had been painted or updated since the 60's! It's taken us two years and now we have a lovely place, I think. The whole house we have done with a pale scheme--light cream walls downstairs, white upstairs. Touches of aqua blue, turquoise, stone and a little chocolate brown are color points thoughout the house. Keeping to one theme creates a great sense of harmony, I feel. The rooms flow together making it very inviting. Pick colors you can live with for a long time. Keep whims, as Rosie suggests, to simple things you can easily change--like cushion covers or small deocartive objects. But do find a deciding feature of the walls, big pieces of furniture etc, that you can live with and won't regret later. Looking forward to see all your transformations! Happy week, my friend ((HUGS))
First, I must stop sighing over the summer sky...what a great view!
Your dilemma--thinking of myself, all of my rooms are different colors. I really think about how much sunlight they receive. I know you have seen my diningroom on my blog as you left a sweet compliment. It's pink because it's a northernly exposed room, the only one in the house, interestingly, and deep color would just make it dreary.
Next, I try to think of the mood I am usually in when in that room. My kitchen is light. I have many friends who have done the dark woods in there but I feel it's too office like so that did not work for me. Today I posted my bedroom--another color struggle--but I knew the feeling I wanted it to emit...hope this makes sense!
:0)
Tara
Happy Australia Day! I popped over to tell you that because Joan at Joan's Journeys mentioned it and here it was actually on Saturday. Sorry for the late well wishes.
As for your dilemma...embrace it. Make a list of everything that you don't like. And a list of everything you do: Pastels, floral prints, Shaker style, etc. From that you can paint your canvas using pieces from each category. Just make sure that it's not "dated." Something very hot right now might not be in the future. Basics, basics, basics. The accessories can always be changed like in the other ladies' suggestions.
Love,
Julie
Good Morning Amanda,
Wow, I must say you do have a dilema here. LOL. I'm not a decorator myself like most of my blogging friends. I just don't seem to have that talent in me. Now if it was me painting, I would paint the walls a Neutral color. That way, whatever style I chose, would blend in with the paint. The things I have don't really match anyway, so I have a little bit of everything in my decore. LOL. You might also check out HGTV.COM and come up with some ideas from that. I don't know if you can get HGTV over there, but I like to watch it sometimes. I really love to watch House Hunters. I love the beautiful picture that your Precious Princess took of the Sky. It is just stunning. "THANK YOU" for sharing it with us. Sorry I couldn't be of much help, but I do hope you can get some ideas from here in blogland. Take care my friend and have a great evening. May God Bless You and Yours.
Love & Hugs,
Karen H.
Wow I know this is hard. What I did when we moved to our new home was go and look at things I loved. Colors that no matter what was in or out I always went back to.I see nothing wrong with adding touches to rooms such as bedrooms. My kitchen,dining and living are open so I stay close in color. Even though It is kinda French country I love the richer look. The rich colors. Toile and crockery.Some people take that and make it very country,but the house I live in is a two story brick so as I said I go with the things I love,but add the richer look. I want my bedroom soft..comfy..inviting.A haven. Now as you know the bedrooms upstairs we don't use I did themes. But the color of the walls the same and at anytime I can change them. My money doesn't allow me to paint evertime I change my mood so I use THINGS in the room to show mood and season.
I can tell you if you don't love it DON"T do it or buy it just because it is popular. I did this before too. We had a house fire and I was overwelmed I was just sick and couldn't come in the house. Hired someone and let each child show and decide what they wanted. They guy did a awsome job!!! my home looked like a magazine,but it wasn't me. Your home shows who you are.Okay im writting a book here..lol
Magazines and all they show can mess with your mind. Like I said before I would go out look at color and cut out pieces from magazines and lay it all out. Check your heart and remember who you are and go with it!
Hi Amanda..now I'm not going to be able to give you much advice except for buy what you love and decorate accordingly...my house is a mix of primitive and antiques and I love it! I like colors like red, blacks and neutral warms...I love oriental rugs and big pieces of furniture!! LOL
Hugs,
Robin
Hi Amanda...Using a neutral color for the walls, is a good place to start. Using a neutral color for the larger pieces of furniture is another way. Adding accessories in colors you love is less expensive than buying a large piece in those colors and if you change your mind, down the road, it's easier to replace a couple pillows than a sofa.
Always buy what calls to your heart. Whether it's the in trend or out...buying what you love and furnishing your home with things you love is much better than following trends or fads, in my opinion. I like to add things to our home, that have special meaning or a great story.
Visiting HGTV.com is good advice. Click on Rate My Space. It's fun to see the homes and hear the comments. Some are not so nice, but many are very helpful. I added my living room a couple weeks ago. I only leave my rooms on for a short while. Last time I looked my room was on page 66!! Not sure if you would be able to find it. The past couple of days, they've had some wonderful rooms, in the living room section. One is French Country Farmhouse style. Just fabulous!
I'm looking forward to seeing what you decide!
Pat
Hi Dear One! Thanks for inviting me over! :-) I wish I had more time to discuss this. I too like SO MANY style it is hard for me to decide on my own house!
Here are a few quick thoughts. I am not a big believer in giving decorating advice without being in your room, I think that is a bit of a misleading way of doing it--be cautious about specific advice when a person has not BEEN IN YOUR ROOM. But here are some quick, general tips:
1. Start with the non-negotiables. What things in the room/house need to stay and what do you have to build on? This includes the style of the house, the natural light from windows (is it bright or dark?) existing furniture you love (if anything) existing flooring and woodwork.
2. Once you know what isn't going to change, you can go from there. There should be a basic feel from the house structure, even if you hate most of what is already done decorating-wise. The house itself is a clue as to what will work well in it! If you've considered the non-negotiables and it still leaves room for options of neutral walls or colored walls if you like both (again, you can't always make that determination without knowing what kind of woodwork you have or flooring or existing features, vaulted ceilings, tile and cabinetry!) So if you considered those things and neutral walls or colored walls are still both options, then you can move on and think about the next step. No need to decide on colors for the walls yet.
3) Next step is to find something you love. Either something you already have or something new. Anything! A rug, a plate, some fabric, a new chair. Whatever. Then, build a room around that. What colors are in that item? What goes with it AND the house's existing features? And if you determined whether or not the walls could be neutral or a color, which color should the walls be based on the item?
4) Basically, from there, one thing will lead to another. Trying to form a complete plan in your head from the start (unless you have endless funds to have everything custom made) will be a waste of time! You'll start out heading in one direction and end up veering off later once you start finding things you love. And that is not necessarily a bad idea! Let things evolve piece by piece as you find treasures and wonderful things you love.
Ok, phew, I wrote a whole post. Not sure if that will help you a ton, but it is how I do it everytime. I know there are a lot more details but this is at least a basic framework to try!
Have fun!
Melissa
I have to say I'm so happy there's someone in a completely different country who is the same as I! *lol* My home is done in what I like to call "early attic". : ) Just means I find what I like..put it somewhere and when I tire of it I don't feel so bad about losing it because it was most likely bought very inexpensively! When we painted the inside of our house this spring (not finished completely yet) we chose a very neutral color for most of the walls. I chose a very pretty light green for the living room because we got a ceiling fan with a stained glass globe and that green was most prominent. I tend to decorate with my mood, also. Nothing to be done about it. It's just who we are! You'll love what you do...now. Then in a few years perhaps it'll be time to do it again...differently! *lol* I'm sure whatever you decide will be perfect for you!
Love,
Jan
It IS confusing BUT I always go with my fave color for the walls and go from there - can't wait see what you decide!
xo
mary
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Hi, Amanda, how exciting for you, but I understand too how you can be drawn to different styles. I would sit down and look at many magazines and tear out all the ones that you are drawn to. Look them over and over again to see what it is you like about each picture. What are the colors, style of furniture, feel of the room, that you like in those pics. That should be your starting point on deciding what sort of feeling and look you want for YOUR home.
If you are truly starting from scratch, then you are very fortunate to be able to get exactly what you want this time. I've always worked with what I had, adding to each room as I go along until I have what I do today. Most of the time it's a process to get a room all put together. You are attracted to certain colors & maybe even furniture styles and then it can be a challenge to pull it all together.
One thing I've learned over the years is that for me, I keep my larger pieces of furniture neutral, like the sofa. No more big print sofas for me ever again. I keep those neutral and add other prints & accent fabrics in side chairs, pillows & window treatments. That way, you can change things out down the road and not be stuck with an out dated sofa fabric that date when you bought it. That would be one recommendation I can give you!
Good luck with it!
Rhoda
Hi there
I see you have received some great advice here!
I have been through alot of different styles and tastes myself and still surprise myself with what I will choose sometimes...
I am slowly realising that having a neutral background of colour in your main living area is a good idea and then choose one or two small rooms to paint a crazy color (for eg I painted my downstairs bathroom scarlett red and then my laundry room a candy pink)now I can enjoy the vivid colors but its not too much...
I also believe in mixing styles..where my main style would be vintage/shabby chic, we have just bought a great big leather sofa, which is quite modern and it looks great. I also have a mexican style coffee table, which I have painted and distressed and it has blended in really well with the rest of the room.....
try not to stress and overload your brain with images.
Pick certain pieces that you love, individually, and you will find a way to make it all work together!
Just have fun!
Hi Amanda -
I've struggled with this since we moved into this house 8 years ago. I found myself creating a home more on what I though it should look like instead of what made me happy.
Somethings I've boughten have been expensive and so I've learned to live with them even though they ended up being mistakes. We are building a new home this summer and I will get back to the basics that make me happy and I will also follow this motto "if it makes my heart sing it's meant to be". So follow your heart because you know what makes your "heart sing" and stick with it.
How's that for advice, LOL. Style is a real personal thing. Good luck sweetie :)
Hugs - Karen
Amanda,
I love Rosie's advice, and Melissa's, and Rhoda's. Take stock of what you have to work with, make any new large upholstered pieces neutral, and remember it's a process.
I tend to build on the same three or four colors in every room, so that I can easily move chairs or pillows, or art and accessories from room to room.
Choose things you LOVE, so that the rooms will be YOUR style, not just Country or French or Tuscan or whatever.
Like Rhoda, I've always had to build on what was already there, and not start from scratch. Magazines and books have definitely helped hone my style, and show houses help too, especially to give you a feeling of how colors in a room make you feel.
How exciting for you -- be sure to let us see some pictures!
xoxo,
Mary
There is a lot of good advice here!!
My home is a mix of lovelies!! That's the way we like it, a collage of our lives..added together and it says who we are. Who says you have to stick with on specific style!!
They always say make a 'story board' of a room...start with colors, fabric choice...pictures of pieces you love...That way you can edit as you go and it helps keep you focused.
Anywho.... just a thought! keep us posted on your progress! I love redecoration...
XO
Hi Amanda,
I'm a bit like you in that I change my mind depending on my mood so I know what you mean. There are days that I think I've gone phsycho with the clutter and other days when I think "oh I just love all of my country clutter"...I think what works for me is to stay within a color pallette that I love and then go with pillows and throws, etc. that I can change out. As for a theme, pick the things that make you smile and surround yourself with them. Don't worry so much about what matches, what's popular, etc...it's about how it makes you feel.
Happy belated Aussie Day!
Hugs,
D
It's been so fun to read everyone's response to your question! You've been given so much good advice I don't have much to add. What I did was look at the common denominators in the mag clippings I had over the year and I always liked rooms with white furniture & yellow walls. Then I just went with the things I like looking at such as toile & transferware and sort of built on that slowly. Sometimes I think I want a room to look a certain way but once I start putting things together it becomes something else!
I too like different styles but I do think you have to listen to your house and see what would be the best fit.
Manuela
Good morning Sweetie!
What I do is I look through all kinds of decorating magazines and I tear out the pictures that just scream out at me, I look at it and say..."I want to live there". I glue the pictures in notebooks. When I look back through the book, I see a pattern emerging....for instance, almost all the pictures of kitchens that I love have cream colored cabinets, or I chose a lot of pictures with burgondy and cream and other warm colors.
I know that I don't prefer modern or the desert look, so that helps. You will find your style, just do a little homework. Also, are there any homes in movies that you just love? I love the house in Home Alone and I love the house in Meet Me In St. Louis. I do feel that both are a bit too stuffy for me and I like a little more country casual.
How exciting for you! Yea! Try to think long term too so that you won't hate it in a few years. Try to go back to things you liked as a child, things that are timeless that you have always loved.
Keep us posted!
Hugs, Sharon
Hi Amanda, My advice, go room by room, choose soothing colors for the backgrounds, and then add what ever you want in accesories. Be eclectic so you don't get stuck in any one style. I love shabby chic, but that would not work in a modern ranch, so I made the screened porch in that style. I love nature and green, so that is what you see in the living room and dining room, however, they are so bamboo green neutral that I can add a dose of mango in the summer or red at Christmas. I also like to add teals and tuquoises at a whim. Go to when Karla did her what do you love about your house, open house and look at those pics. only print the ones you love and then compare. You will find common threads...but like I said, mostly be comfortable and make sure that everyone else living there is as well. Hope you didn't mind my 2cents. Susan
Tough questions. How about doing something a bit different in each room? I have my shabby chic craft room, a cottage style living room, a country kitchen and a guest room decorated to resemble a log cabin since I live in the Pacific Northwest. Oh, and the guest bath is old fashioned patriotic theme. But, this is Esther. Hey, happy Aussie Day!!!! Love, your friend up over - Esther
Hi Amanda, I read the best book on how to recognize your true style. Start an inspiration books using your magazines. Cut out pictures of the color schemes you like, furnisings, accessories, linens etc. Do this for at least a month. Be really selective eventually you will see a pattern forming of what you truly find pleasing. Hope this helps.
Loved the tea and toast post, but what does Vegemite really taste like??
Hugs, Linda
You've already been given lots of wonderful advice, Amanda. There are so many different looks that I love but they don't all work in my home or my lifestyle. I think magazine clippings are a great way to start. Go through them and analyse what you like about them. See what works with what you already own and start from there. Redecorating is a huge undertaking and you want to plan but don't obsess ... go with what you love and will feel comfortable living with for the several years. There's nothing stopping you from incorporating several different "looks" into your home. If you tie it all together with a cohesive colour scheme it will look fabulous! Most of all ~ have fun. It's *your* home and you want it to be a place where you all love to be. ~ Lynda xo
Woweekasoweee you received a bunch of advice.!!! So I am not really going to add anything---I enjoyed reading the comments. I think lots of us feel the way you do. Rosie's Whimsy had good advice I thought--a whole lot depends on your personality and what makes you feel happy. I have had to go with what makes me feel happy!! So I have changed wall colors off and on--sometimes I have found I don't like the way a color looks at different times of the Day!! So I have had to change it--sometimes I haven't liked the mood it gives me! I no longer have any white walls---I had to go with warmer colors or cool serene colors---had to have colors embracing me.
What a stunning sunset! Gorgeous photo - now that's some serious inspiration right there!
Have you ever tried home decorating software... the kind where you can change the color scheme of the rooms you're working on? Once you have the wall colors chosen, then the furniture, the soft furnishings are like frosting the cake when it's done! =)
Hi!
You have had such wonderful advice here! I will just put in my little bit.
Look around your house and gather up everything that you absolutely LOVE. Put them all together and really look at them. What is it that draws you to them? The color? The style? The texture? I think once you put together everything that you love, you can begin to define YOUR style.
Hugs,
Penny
Oh Amanda, what fun you are going to have...as you know I love to decorate my home and I change things often. You have so many wonderful comments and I think they are wise.
I use lots of color in my home...but I do change wall color often.
Take your time and make it cozy...so you can relax and enjoy your home when you are done. Dianntha
Oh Amanda, what fun you are going to have...as you know I love to decorate my home and I change things often. You have so many wonderful comments and I think they are wise.
I use lots of color in my home...but I do change wall color often.
Take your time and make it cozy...so you can relax and enjoy your home when you are done. Dianntha
Amanda,
Oh my goodness you poor thing...what to do...what to do...ok so I'm no expert that's for sure, but I certainly have an opinion when it comes to decorating right or wrong? - ha! Here is how I handle the way I decorate my house, and maybe it's old fashioned, but I find I'm satisfied with it and it's worked for me. Ok here goes....you will see lots and lots of beautiful things that you will just love while browsing through blogs and magazines. However, I'm a true believer in purchasing classic pieces of furniture, that I can look at 5 and 10 years from now and they will still be "in style" as decorating a home is no inexpensive task. So, I choose all of my bigger more expensive furniture pieces in traditional style...then I add pieces that are currently in style or are "hot" like cottage decor items. For example, I have very traditional furniture in my home, I love warmer woods, like cherry, as I believe those are "classics" - looking back 50 years ago at traditional decor you can probably find a very similar piece of furniture...do you see what I mean? I have queen anne style wood pieces in my formal living room and dining room, but I can play around with those rooms...just by changing the fabric of my pillows, or the items I put on the side tables or coffee table....changing the "look" to cottage, just by the pieces I add to the room. I've had my coffee table for 17 years...and I can walk in my living room and it looks as classy today as it did 17 years ago. Hope I'm coming across clearly - LOL! Anyway, in summary, all your main items should be "classic" whatever that means to you, then incorporate newer "hot" items to keep with the current style. I have a floral couch and plaid chairs in my living room, and if I had to do it all again, I'd probably go with a solid couch and chairs...and bring in some pattern on the pillows. So that's the only thing I'd change. But honestly, I still LOVE my couch and chairs...even with their pattern. Oh dear, hope I didn't baffle you more than helped. Good luck, can't wait to see how your home turns out.
PS - I too agree that you need to stick with items you LOVE, just make sure these items go well with your classic pieces (whatever style you decide "classic" is)...and you can't go wrong.
Hugs,
Rose
I was gone most of the day yesterday (quality time with Beautiful Daughter and her brand new room full of furniture! FUN!!).
One way to find your style or even if you HAVE a style, which I do not...is to look at magazines and when you find a picture of a room that you just absolutely LOVE, either tear it out (OUCH) OR ear-mark it in some way. Then, on to another and another magazine. At the end of a month, compare all your "I just am IN LOVE WITH THIS ROOM" pictures and find the common threads. You will be shocked that nearly all the rooms are the same....I did this and came up with love of Country French mixed with traditional with a little New Country thrown in. See, I told you I don't have a STYLE. But, i do love my house. Well, most of it, anyway. I, myself, love having the same colors throughout my house. I love being able to take pillows and use them anywhere or a chair from the bedroom into the livingroom. I think keeping the same colors makes for a nice flow, too.....
Can't wait to see what you come up with. Good, good luck. Oh, and I always keep my walls neutral..off white or creme. I love adding color with accessories.
hugs, bj
I did make that mistake, so I know what your going threw. If I were you I would play a little game.
(I hope I can explain this.) You know how when you look at something and your heart just melts, say its a beautiful white couch with all of these yummy pillows on it. Or a the warmth of a big brown leather couch. Once you get that feeling you know thats the look your going for. I really wanted white cabinets but went with wood, because everyone was saying you don't want white cabinets.I should of followed my heart and not there advise. Have you looked on HGTV rate my space? you will find lots of ideas there.
Good luck to you,
ginger
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