Interior decorating?

[Gardenarian]

Do you feel like you decorate your house, or is it just what it is?

In our new house I'm kind of going for a particular style and feel, which is not difficult as the things I like seem to fit together.
This is the first time I've had kind of a "look" in mind, which is helping to guide my decisions on what to keep and what to toss, and also what kind of shower curtains, throw pillows, rugs, and light fixtures to get (or make or upcycle.)

I've got a kind of vintage/industrial/bohemian thing going on, with lots of plants and books but very few other knick knacks or accessories. In my head, I call it "Victorian Greenhouse."

It's probably a look that went out of style 5 years ago, but I'm having a lot of fun with it. :)

[kib]

Sounds a lot like my decorating style! I have had much more controlled creative input on houses in the past, this is the first one where I've just let it evolve organically into "Late 20th Century White Trash". I don't like it much but decorating just didn't seem to catch my fancy this time around, and now everything's set in place and comfortable. Maybe next time. Good luck with the VG!

[Tussiemussies]

I love decorating and will spend the money on it when we have it. I have an somewhat updated country style with my colors as dar red, cream and kakhi (sp?).

It's nice that you found a new hobby with your new house. Does having the look you want for your rooms and making them look that wsy, make you feel more peaceful when you are in them?

I find that I really enjoy being in my house so much!!!

[iris lilies]

Since I live for 20+ years in a house that was under construction, yeah, now that it is "done" I want it to look pretty. The wall color of my living room is pretty much like the green at the top of this screen. Green, with red and pink accents. DH built wonderful book shelves with curved tops. He installed nice, deep crown molding.

[lessisbest]

Hubby has a degree in Interior Architecture and is such a plus when it comes to decorating. We've lived here nearly 9-years (new construction) and have changed furniture 3 times and ripped out the carpet (year 4). We work on a design board and end up with a 3-ring notebook when we finish. If you need to match something new, you just take the notebook with you.

We've been to two open houses recently, nearly identical townhomes close to each other, and it was a battle of Hobby Lobby meets garage sale. It was difficult to see the "bones" of these places for all the "stuff".

[rosarugosa]

I've definitely worked to achieve a certain style & look in our house. It's a very small cottage, with white walls and woodwork, lots of plants, books and a nature motif. Bed, bath and kitchen are blue and white, parlor and porches are primarily green & white.

ETA: I've got some pictures posted in albums in my profile.

[KayLR]

I suck at it. I would love to have the talent and ability to execute a put-together look for my house, but I don't. I can manage it at Christmas, but that's about it. Right now the only room in the house that has any kind of "look" is the bathroom, and that's because the towels and rug are neutral, the shower curtain goes well with the wall color and my sister gave me a little terrarium for the counter.

[catherine]

My decorating style is definitely Early Salvation Army. Actually, I didn't get the stuff at the Salvation Army but almost all of my furniture has been handed down by my mother/mother-in-law or purchased as a local consignment shop or garage sale. I actually love the look of my house now--it's pretty wabi-sabi and nothing matches but I tried to at least keep it cohesive with color and I've also tried to balance the eclecticism of it. I'm very comfortable in it at this point, but it took a lot of time to "cure" the patina.

I'm proud of the shabby chicness of it actually. One of my favorite purchases took place when I bought a new cabinet and hutch for my books from Overstock.com. I just felt it wasn't going to fit in just right (it looked too new). So I kept it in the box for a couple of weeks in order to decide.

Well, I was driving through a neighboring town and passed a yard sale, so I stopped. My heart started pounding when I saw this old cabinet with hutch. I asked the owner to measure it for me, and I knew it was the PERFECT size to fit between my two windows. Then when I asked her how much she wanted, she was all apologetic--saying that "well, it IS good basement storage, so we're asking $35." Wow. After it was scrubbed and painted, this 100% solid wood cabinet is a focal point in my living room. I was able to return the new one and get my money back.

When I needed new dining room chairs, I asked the owner of our favorite Japanese restaurant if I could buy four of his, because they were moving/redecorating the restaurant. He gave them to me for free and even delivered them to my door!

[Seven]

My decorating style is definitely Early Salvation Army.

Thanks for that name :laff: that's perfect.
My home doesn't have a defined style. It is a collection of hand-me-downs, flea market finds and used Ikea.

[frugal-one]

I abhor decorating. Recently DH said he was sick of a decor. I said "fine.... put what you think should go there". Wow, did he shut up fast. No more mention of it. It is a time and soul suck for me. I could care less. As long as it halfway matches and is clean ... Anyone else feel this way?

[KayLR]

Yes, I do, frugal-one, and I shrink at spending money on decor. Just seems like a want, not a need. But, hey, I'm cheap, frugal too.

[Gardenarian]

Oh, I am enjoying it, and it does make the housekeeping more satisfying too, when a room feels really welcoming and comfortable. It's not adding to my work - I feel like it's simplifying things by making it easier to determine what works and what doesn't. (Though we have a BIG outbox in the garage; things that I don't think I want but am not quite ready to let go yet.)

My stuff is almost all via Craiglslist and garage sales. We also have a lot of duplicate things (bedding, dishes, lamps) because we had a cabin as well as our house.

I did get a new-to-me sectional sofa from CL. I love it; it's big and it's leather and it fits perfectly in front our gas fireplace. Having that big sofa and fireplace have really changed the way we live; we're all much more likely to sit around together, play cards or a game, now that we have a comfortable place. I also bought a giant arc lamp (new! from Ikea - $50 (http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/60103854/)) as there was no ceiling light, and that lamp really sets a tone for the room.

I have plans to paint some furniture - shelves, chairs, tables so they fit in to the scheme better. I'm mostly using black and cream. A lot of my older things are more shabby chic/country, and they look a bit odd next to the more industrial bits.

I'm not going to get into reupholstering or anything, and the draperies from our old house (mostly a heavy wheat-colored velvet) work fine with the new scheme. No new artwork; dd is an art factory and there's plenty to chose from. I may do one of those photo-collage-posters you can order (like these from Snapfish (http://www.snapfish.com/snapfish/fe/collage-poster-prints)) as I have a lot of little photo frames that feel cluttery. I'm thinking, one big photo collage in the hall, and that's it.

We haven't set up a television (we had one for watching DVDs) and I'm not missing it yet. DH would like to get one of those big 50" screen ones - we have the space - but really, it's so affordable to go out to live shows or movies here that maybe we'll just do without.

I'll post some photos once I've got more settled.

[Blackdog Lin]

I think it's so cool for those of you that are interested in interior decorating. I used to be but outgrew it. I don't know if this is a good thing or a bad thing.

We built our house in '92-'93, and had an inheritance so we could afford to furnish it all new. My style: traditional/w/no imagination whatsoever, since I'm no good at it. Now the furniture and furnishings are all wearing out and showing their age - and I can't summon the energy to care enough to start replacing. Good enough is good enough for this stage of my life I guess. I don't want to go shopping, I don't want to spend the money, and even Salvation Army and garage sales require more time and energy than I want to put out just for.....furniture. It would take a LOT of thrift-shopping trips to luck into (frugal) new furnishings that would work.

Though I did make myself re-do my bath 2 years ago, and it makes me happy to see it, so it was worth the hassle and money.

[Float On]

My decor is Artistic Bohemia Look At The Deal I Found.

Antiques, flea market/yard sale, trades with other artists and lots of color.
The only thing I really want to replace right now is the sofa/love seat set we bought just over a year ago brand new. I really wanted an old leather sofa I'd seen on craigslist but DH insisted on this brand new set and none of us like sitting on them and I'm constantly resetting the seat pillows.

[Spartana]

I'm a minimalsist so haven't got a lot of decorating going on in my house - just the basics. I do like clean lines and open, uncluttered and undecorated spaces, as they make me happy and relaxed, as well as make it so much easier to clean. Especially when you have hairly little critters running amok at home (and pets too :-)!).

[Chicken lady]

Our house has mostly been "Early American Attic". We married young, dh was in school, we were happy with anything. over the years we did a lot of work on the house and bought a few pieces of furniture, but now the kids are moving out and we are unloading the stuff we "inherited" from relatives 25 years ago into their apartments.

my oldest has a "design" education. She hated the house when it was all white walls and random furniture, but I think she hates it more now. We closed in the front porch and made it the dining room - oak table and chairs, the floor is concrete staineded a marbled gold, one short wall behind the black enamelled woodstove stayed white, one wall became dark green, two walls are windows, there's a leaf blade fan/light, the trim is black, wrought iron and white glass wall sconces, and the door is burgundy.

Step into the living room and the furniture is natural cherry, medium grain medium toned wood floor, white walls, braided rug in williamsburg blue and the floor and door colors from the dining area, lighter burgundy couch cushions.

Then on the little section of wall between the living room and kitchen, there's a black laquered chinese themed antique bar with dark red, ivory, and gold accents. It belonged to dh grandfather

Bathroom down the hall is tiled in tan and sea glass green. the walls are a slighly darker green.

She says "nothing in this house goes with anything else!" dh says "It all goes with Mom."

When she came to visit and saw I had painted the kitchen door periwinkle, she actually cried.

[Lainey]

....

She says "nothing in this house goes with anything else!" dh says "It all goes with Mom."

When she came to visit and saw I had painted the kitchen door periwinkle, she actually cried.

Chicken Lady, this made me laugh. After my parents retired, my sis would visit and get upset also at their furniture, etc. She would actually rearrange it, and after she left my mom would just laugh and put it back the way she had it. In truth my mom was disorganized and my sister's rearrangement was always actually better, but I saw no need to hassle my mom about the way she wanted to set up her own house.

[sweetana3]

My style is "collected over the years". We have lived in old and new houses and I dont mind the wood or period not matching. We have two huge burled walnut pieces in the living/dining room which house a lot of stuff. Three different lawyer glass cabinets for stuff and most of the rest of the house is Ethan Allen room units in maple. Our dining room set is pecan from 1975. It still holds up and is comfortable so why replace?

We are introverts who consider our home our sactuary. I really dislike having people over and therefore, it is simply the way we feel comfortable.

[iris lilies]

I think it's so cool for those of you that are interested in interior decorating. I used to be but outgrew it. I don't know if this is a good thing or a bad thing..

.

oh that's me, too.


I used to look at all of the decorating magazines. I checked out every decorating book from the library. But then I kind of lost interest because my own style finally developed and I don't need to look at what is newand different anymore.


I have Victorian wood pieces, contemporary upholstered pieces, and that's what I like. A mix of old and new with pretty wood.

[Packy]

Yeah but, what about having those correct stamped metal ceiling-tile dealies that go around the light fixures in the 19th-century masonry structure you've got sitting next to a major river & on a seismic fault that is overdue for some more activity? Did you kids get the right dealies, yet?

[TxZen]

I have enjoyed it more in the past. I did pick out the paint and the feeling I wanted the house to have but I wouldn't say I'm very into decorating. I prefer simple and do things like buying fresh flowers every week. The only thing we are going to do with this house is put in wood floors. I guess I am a creative but just not in the decorating a house type.

[Seven]

I used to look at all of the decorating magazines. I checked out every decorating book from the library.

I did that too, but only got annoyed because I could never afford all the fancy things they had. I'd rather look at the homes of my friends for ideas, because they live in similar situations and so we share some decorating problems.

[Songbird]

Since we moved to this tiny lake cabin my decorating style is a mix of rustic, cottage, and vintage. I'm loving it as it has a very warm cozy feel about it, which is both welcoming and comforting...