Once upon a time there was a living room that looked like this.
The Queen who lived here ( that would be me) loved it for years.
I created this space back in 1998 to 2000.
There was a lot of house to do and we couldn't do it all at once.
So it came together over the span of a couple of years.
This book probably had the greatest influence on me in the designing of this room.
Ms. Jackie. Now there was a woman that just oozed style.
What woman wouldn't want to emulate that?
I have been fascinated by her for years.
When I was in middle school I read Death of a President and saw her as the tragic heroine.
What can I say? I was a romantic twelve year old.
I wanted to be just like her and even took to wearing white gloves.
Really?
This was Viet Nam era.
I looked like a fashion freak.
You can imagine what my tween peers thought.
My standing in the social hierarchy known as
the middle school pecking order
nosedived and it took me years to rebound from my fall from grace.
:)
I made the same mistake twice.
Again,I was copying a look that had passed.
Again, it was Jackie.
I never thought to put my own spin on this look and update it.
Classic is good but a period piece should only be in the movies.
I know that to copy someone else's style is never a good idea.
The problem was I didn't know what my style was.
I thought of it as a static element.
I should have known better.
I started out wanting whatever my parents didn't have.
Ahhh, rebellion.
They were traditional.
So, in our first home I went ultra modern.
In a couple of years I was all about the whole country look.
Talk about extremes!
Most of the decorating updates I have done in the last five years been more of a midstream relaxed style with a bit of a contemporary edge thrown in for fun.
Still I wonder and ask myself
who am I design wise?
For one thing, like most of us, I know I am ever evolving.
What I love today will not represent me as well ten months or ten years from now.
The changes will be subtle but they will occur.
Knowing that, I now realize that even though I like nice things and I demand quality,
I don't want to be married to anything other than my husband.
I have spent too much on pieces in the past and I have lived to regret it.
This time I decided to set up a mental budget for myself and stick to it.
(or at least pretty close to it).
:)
It was easier than I thought it would be.
In this economy there are a lot of sales to take advantage of
and almost limitless new resources waiting to be discovered.
I also know that the room I am working on also influences my choices.
A home needs that flow but a surprise here and there can be a good thing.
About two years ago I started writing about the idea of updating our living room.
I even posted some images of looks that appealed to me back then.
I was seeing neutrals and slipcovers everywhere.
I thought this was where I wanted to go.
It is pretty, but the more I studied that image I knew it wasn't me.
I wanted something a bit more modern.
Modern?
Who was I becoming?
I am still drawn to those ceramic garden stools though.
Something like that will be sure to show up in my new space.
I often find images online that inspire me and I will make them my desktop photo for a week or two.
It helps me to focus on what I like and what is maybe just a passing fancy.
These were just a few of the photos that I used over the past two years.
I thought it was interesting to look back and see how my direction has evolved as I slowly discovered what look I wanted and what would really work well in our house.
probably a bit too casual for this room.
I need smaller pieces and although I love the room that art work is distracting.
Sorry Erik Roth.
A bit of overkill on the zebra.
Pun intended.
:0
Robert Stern
Elegant and tasteful but maybe a bit tame to keep me happy in the long run.
Hodgodon
So fun and definitely closer to where I want to go.
I knew I didn't want the slip covers but I loved the rug, the pillows and even that purple chair.
Perhaps I will have a purple pillow from time to time in my updated space.
A pillow can be changed out so much easier than a chair.
via Inspiring Interiors
I am attracted to the wood edged chairs and the neutral creams and taupes in the larger aka expensive to replace pieces.
There are elements in each one of these images that have brought me to where I am now but it is probably a combination of the last two photos that most accurately reflect who I am today.
I like the fun, whimsy and wow of the room with the chevron rug and the sophistication and clean lines of this last photo.
So who am I?
Diane, at Phelan's Interiors, my design muse, finally put me in a category.
She thinks I am Hollywood Regency.
I looked it up and she could be right.
There are definite elements in this style venue that I am drawn to and I will be incorporating into this room.
For example, I would love to bring in this iconic touch from that period.
and a pop of this.
I don't want it to be too oppulent though.
I felt like the room was too formal before.
I don't want to do that again.
I am striving for a more comfortable, approachable luxe.
I have heard the term transitional thrown around.
That works for me too.
When push comes to shove though I would have to describe this latest landing place of mine as
modern traditional with a dash of whimsy thrown in and of course a splash of color grounded by my ever present black and white elements.
So that's me in a sentence and it only took me three apartments, one condo, eight houses and a now an update to figure that out.
Now that I have discovered who I am I am anxious to share what my design choices have been.
This post is getting way to long though.
I hope you will visit again this week and I take you though my missteps and design process.
If you would like to link up to this week's Motivated Monday click here.
xoxo,
P
