Stylin'
I grew up in a time where everything matched. All the furniture in your living room came as a suite, and your curtains matched your bedspread, which matched your sheets, which matched your decorative pillows. Thank goodness home décor is more open to individual interpretation now. In fact, we have so many studied styles that, often times, it’s difficult to define which style our own homes fall under.
For example: Coastal, Contemporary, Country, Eclectic, Minimalist, Traditional, French, Western or Moroccan – to name a few. I’m going to show pictures of just a few to get you started. Look through them and decide where your house might fit in. In the following I’ll reference the articles or websites that my definitions came from.
Contemporary
“Contemporary style has many variations in its interiors. They celebrate a bold starkness and love curves. Contemporary style has no problems swinging for one extreme to the other on the color scale.” RE: http://budgetdecorating.about.com/od/designstyles/a/Modern-Vs-Contemporary-Style.htm
Eclectic
“Eclectic style encompasses a variety of periods and styles and is brought together through the use of color, texture, shape and finish.” RE: http://www.hgtv.com/design/decorating/design-101/eclectic-style-101
Traditional
“Traditional style celebrates simple elegance, classic shapes and unfussy details.” “A traditional interior is usually a cozy, comfortable and calming room. Hallmarks of a traditional room include carved moldings, fine woodwork, graceful lines and sturdy finely crafted furniture. An overstuffed, sumptuous sofa, soft accent pillows, framed wall decorations and elegant fabric curtains are a few details often found in a traditional room.” RE: http://imatchdesigners.com/interior-design/traditional-interiors-does-this-sumptuous-style-work-for-you/
French
“French country décor feels warm, welcoming and unpretentious – characterized by an elegant grace that elevates its humbler side. Its surfaces are gently worn with time and use; its colors reflect the sunny rural surroundings and its furnishings fill multiple roles with ease. Although it feels more rustic than refined it’s in no way crude or rudimentary.” RE: http://www.homeportfolio.com/design-styles/french-country-style-defined
Southwestern
“Southwestern style is generally characterized by earth-tone colors, rough textures, and crafted objects, brightly colored woven fabrics, an abundance of terra cotta and clay tile roofs.” “Leather is a common covering for sofas and chairs. Knotty pine is a popular choice for wood furniture and floors, which may also feature a distressed finish embellished with burnished metal accents.” RE: http://www.hgtv.com/design/decorating/design-101/southwestern-style-101
Flea Market
“What do flea markets, thrift stores and antiques shops have in common? You are likely to find the most fabulous stuff buried under piles of blankets or sitting in a dark corner. This is the kind of stuff that brings story and humor and a bit of quirkiness to your interior — and that’s just the kind of decor a cottage loves.” “If your decorating bent is toward old handmade rugs and quilts, chairs with messy slipcovers and a personal array of accessories, flea market style is just right for you and your cottage.” RE: http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/27058549/list/decorating-a-cottage-think-flea-market-style
Minimalist
“Minimalism aims for simplicity and objectivity. It wants to reduce works to the fundamental, the essential, the necessary, and to strip away the ornamental layers that might be placed on top.”“Minimalist designs tend toward more whitespace, better typography, grid layouts, and less color.” RE: http://vanseodesign.com/web-design/why-minimalism/
I sincerely hope that this blog stimulates your interest in the fascinating and unlimited decorating styles that abound. Ultimately you should allow your home to reflect the part of you that shines the brightest. Be true to yourself – objects that soothe you or motivate you, perhaps objects found or family heirlooms passed down will guide you to the style that you find most appealing.
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