Okay, so I’m about finished with simplifying and organizing my home. During this process, I’ve also been rearranging a few furniture pieces and redecorating spaces in an effort to make my house a home that I love. LOVE being the key word. As I mentioned last Friday during “After Class with Mrs. Hines”, my rule of thumb is love it or lose it.
But one thing I struggle with, as I think many of us do, is being able to truly define my style. I will look at a photo, a room in my own home, or a home decor accent in a store and wonder, “is this me?” I NEED to figure this out. I want to enjoy my space instead of changing it all of the time.
As I would browse my Pinterest boards, I noticed that certain photos really stood out to me. I thought that if I could pick out those pins and collect them into one place, that it might help me to define my personal style. So, I went through my various boards and selected rooms, landscape, and even some fashion, and created a collage.
Photos Sources (from top to bottom, left to right):
Georgiana Design (photo no. 1)
Daves Garden (photo no. 2)
The Entertaining House (photo no. 3)
Marks & Frantz (photo no. 4)
Polyvore (photo no. 5)
Rural Intelligence ( photo no. 6)
This board has “me” written all over it. The white house with black shutters and dormer windows is my dream house. I love cottage style gardens, rooms that glow, and spa-like bathrooms. My favorite color is blue, in any hue, and I never tire of navy and gold. It’s just as classic as black and white. I’ve noticed lately, that I like seeing little splashes of red mixed into an otherwise soft or neutral color palette.
This exercise was a great learning tool. I hope you will give it a try.
See you in class,
Mrs. Hines
About Mrs. Hines
Hi Sharon….this post I need!! I am in the process of painting, and redoing my entire home…changing from the gold/red era…to a lighter bright look…like everyone else in blogland…trying to use and blend in with as much as possible with what I have…but what is truly me? What do I really love? I am struggling with this big time! I have always been a warm color person…always…now…I want light and airy…is that really me or a fad influenced again by blog land…one thing I do know…that adds to the confusion…light and airy rooms photograph so much better than dark rooms…and for instance my dark kitchen looks so much better in person than in a photo…so do I REALLY want to paint it white…my golden tan wall color…looks so much better in person…looks like baby poop in a photo…and I need to realize that I live in a home…not a photo….oh geez ..see what I mean…I need help! LOL!
1 100% know what you mean, Sharon. I am a warm color person too and sometimes seeing all of the beautiful rooms and homes (that are different than mine) causes me to question my own taste. I love looking at those rooms, but when let myself jump in the picture and imagine myself living in those rooms, I don’t feel like “me.” I’m learning that appreciation of other styles doesn’t mean I should change my own style. Go with your instincts. And I highly recommend making a style collage.
I love this exercise! I have discovered that I am more rustic/shabby chic, old farmhouse look (without the old farmhouse work!) Up until a few months ago I had no style. Ask my oldest daughter
but through Pinterest and reading and trying I’m discovering that I do indeed have my own taste.
Marty, it’s fun to learn something new about yourself, isn’t it?
I love navy blue and cottage gardens too. I love your board, even though fashion style part is not as important as comfort and fit at this stage of my life!
Carlene, I’m an all or nothing girl….gotta have the comfort and fit too.
{Melinda} Can I just say, LOVE!! Love cottage style, glowing rooms, so homey and inviting. Visiting you from the Faith Bloggers Network … your blog looks like has so many awesome tips and projects. Look forward to getting to know you better. Following you now!
Thank you, Melinda. I’m looking forward to getting to know you too.
Great post Sharon….I think you knew your style all along..it took having to see it visually from the pics that you gathered and loved to realize, “yes, the is my style”…and a beautiful style it is!!!
You’re such an encourager. I’m so thankful for you.
Hi, I found your via Barbs blog, I love what you did and this is one of the methods I use to teach my clients when I was doing in-home consultations. I just did a post last week on this very subject, if you want to take it one step further you can read my post when you have a chance…….http://goodlifeofdesign.blogspot.com/2013/02/how-to-get-back-to-your-design-roots.html
I love that you are teaching readers the lessons you are learning along the way!! I am all about information and teaching, that is why I love design, we are always on the learning curve, it is never ending, now how great is that?!
Kathysue
Hi! Thanks so much for visiting. I’d love to check out your post. Thank you for the encouragement. Yes, do love learning and passing that knowledge on to others. We should always be learning.