fave decor style?

[natalie]

What is your favorite decor style?

I love old victorian, traditional homey styles, and rustic country stuff....hard to always mix it though.

[Audwoman]

I like modern, traditional, contemporary. Mine is hard to mix also. :lol:

If I was rich I would have two homes. One for my taste of modern, contemporary sleek clean lines the other would be traditional.

Have you heard of the new decorating term "Transitional" I think that is what I am. :blush:

[MaryG]

I like antique wood furniture (I have lots) mixed with really interesting pieces of decor but not too much of anything. I prefer my tables to have one or two nice things on them instead of being covered with dozens of little "dust collectors". I'm a bit of a neat freak so this makes dusting a lot easier. Most of my smaller ornaments are in one big glass cabinet, it has 6 shelves, holds tons of stuff, displays them all beautifully and only needs dusting about once every 5 years.

One thing I insist on are really comfortable easy chairs in the living room. Never underestimate the value of a comfortable chair!

[Pennylee]

I'm with you, Mary, on the subject of armchairs. No matter how beautiful
some modern chairs are, they never seem to be as comfy and welcoming as
the squashy armchairs. I have a suite in the living room that consists of
a rather small settee (definitely for two only) and three armchairs that
have inbuilt footrests. One problem that these chairs present is that they
are off white in colour (I did not choose them!) and although I am planning to
have them cleaned before I move, I would have liked to have tried washable
loose covers - not very practical with the machinery involved in the rests.

I think my furniture comes under the label of Buy It When You Can Afford It,
which does not make for a coherent whole. The dining room table - folds out to seat a party - is
good quality but bears the marks of long family life. It could probably be
restored, I suppose, along with the accompanying chairs that I specially
asked to be made strong and durable, and would hate to part with.
One of the living room walls comprises a storage unit, cupboards, drawers, in
good quality solid wood,
and is such a handy item that it is going to move with me, even if it has to be
cut into sections. All other walls were painted white, in a cost-cutting
home painting exercise that incorporated most rooms.

I recently bought the $9.99 equivalent of the outrageously expensive- sixty dollars or more from memory -
revolving duster, and some ornaments are now totally surprised at the
regularity of their dusting. I only have two fairly small shelves for ornaments,
and they are the very mixed kind, made up of gifts from loved ones of
different generations.

I can't pinpoint the decor, except that the back room where I paint and
make paper probably sets the tone as Bohemian, or Gypsy Caravan.
This wildly artistic setting will become muted and unbelievably tidy in the new storage room.

[Bernie]

I like country. I don't care for the peeling paint distressed look though. My favorite piece of furniture is the dry sink DH made me. I like painted furniture but DH doesn't and since he made most of it we have light colored wood. I made a few quilts to hang on my walls. Also dried floral wreaths. Some stenciling but not too much. Things like that.
Bernie

[natalie]

Bernie, I like country too, and also don't like the old distressed look. ... call it modern country??? I like flowers in my decor, wood, and in my kitchen, use a lot of cast iron...oh and lace. I call it country victorian. I guess its a more feminine version of country style.

But when I see other homes decorated in a more rustic country look, I tend to like that too, but mostly prefer to see it in their homes...I need more of a feminine touch to it all.

I like cutting flowers and bringing them in, lots of reds in my house, lace, and color. :)...and my plants....oh and animals, there must be a few animals walking around adding that nice touch of hair on everything. :rolleyes:

[erdine]

I like country too, but not that impressed with the distressed look either. I like a homey look. Some of the new looks are okay, but sort of sterile looking.
Natalie, I love cut flowers too, dahlias, sweet peas, roses, mixed bouquets.
Bernie, I love dried flowers, afgans, quilts for snuggling into.I have stencilled upstairs in my craft room, but am not very good at it.

[Bernie]

OH Yessss lace. I have lace sheers in the windows. And old crochet lace dollies from DH family.
I don’t have the heart to cut flowers so only make the occasional bouquet when I have a special visitor.
My kitchen has ivy wallpaper and there is at least one piece of floral print in every room but DH lives here too so the rest are solids. My furniture is also ‘buy it when you can afford it’ and even the things DH made don’t all match but everything seems to blend nicely. At least we like it.
Natalie I love to see the rustic look in someone else’s home but I like things a little more feminine too. I’d love to have a vacation cabin done in the rustic country.
Bernie

[boo]

Bohemian, or Gypsy Caravan :o That is my style :blush:

I love rich colors, sparkly things and I love antique furniture. I've been so busy in the garden though i've never really taken any time with the house, but when I do LOOK OUT :ph34r:

[Audwoman]

I was talking to my friends and one friend had a point I thought I would share. She said it is not style that counts she said you know you have it right when peope visit you and do not want to leave because it feels so comfortabe.

I thought that was sweet.

I guess style does not count. :lol:

I think she is wrong though. I may have a "must have order" Disorder. Minimalist decor calms me. When I was house hunting I got to see a lot of homes with way more color and busy stuff going on that would have put me in the nut house in one day.:blush:

[natalie]

I don't like busy either....but I also don't like empty...it must be neat and clean, not stark white or bare, and just be...well, like Aud said, comfortable. :) I like things to go together in a room, somewhat, it doesn't have to be perfect, being a little eclectic is great, but it must carry the same tone for me to like it. Warm ... I guess that explains how I like my house to look....warm and inviting, clean and neat, but not too the point where people are afraid to touch anything. It's not a museum, but a home.
As we continue to work on it here, I've really been able to feel good about it. This house embarassed me for the first 3 years, being so neglected, shabby and just ugly, needing so much work....but now we can feel happy with it and I like to show it off a bit more, and the compliments are great, because now I feel like I can share my home, where as before the work, I didn't. And its so big, so knowing everyone wants a tour through it all the time, fixing the really bad stuff was such an issue

[Sashweezy]

My home is traditional and it's clean but not neat except maybe one day a week. It's impossible to have the neat and tidy house since DD and the grands moved in. I guess if I screamed at them all the time it could be neat but I'd rather let them just be kids. :) Let's put it this way, there's a place for everything but it's not always in it's place. ;)

[jennie]

Hmmm, I guess my look would be considered ecclectic country ???? . I love the distressed look, but not on every piece. I painted,tenciled and distressed my coffe table, I'll have to get a pic. I like flowers and plants in each room. I change things around alot by moving different pieces from room to room. Kellie doesnt care how I decorate, I could paint the whole house pink and it wouldnt phase him a bit :lol:
I just like what I like, I'm not sure its even a style :lol: I keep my house clean and I want people to feel comfortable in it. I do ask that you wipe your feet, or take of your shoes if they are muddy or wet. Oh and use a coaster :p

[natalie]

You sound easy to get along with Jennie, just a sweetie all around.
I tend to be too picky with my house, and it used to get on my husband's nerves, because I turned into a perfectionist for quite a while....I finally realized that there is no point in that and loosened up a lot. I think it makes my life a lot less stressful in any case.

[Blue Belle]

I do ask that you wipe your feet, or take of your shoes if they are muddy or wet.
Sheesh, picky, picky! ;)

I love rustic and Victorian. I like some lacy things, and I love wooden ceiling beams. I don't like modern and pristine. I like going antiquing because I feel so comfortable in that environment. Like I'm home.

[mla2ofus]

I guess I don't have a style. I can't afford 'good' new furniture so I buy older wood furniture that is actual wood! Anyway a lot of it doesn't match but everything seems to blend. My bedroom set does match.;) $100 for bed, dresser, and chest of drawer, made in the 1920's . Dark walnut, spindle legs w/wood wheels and solid wood!! Nothing in the living room matches but the colors and styles co-ordinate. I like neutral colors on the main furniture and jazz it up with pillows etc. I don't like my tables cluttered but I love lots and lots of pictures, plates, and sconces or 'found items' on my walls. Most of my company says my house feels 'warm'. That works for me.:grin:

[Audwoman]

I guess I don't have a style. I can't afford 'good' new furniture so I buy older wood furniture that is actual wood!

natalie, not to hijack you post but. What happened to wood furniture? Everything is pressed cardboard. I had a heck of a time finding a wood vanity for my bathroom. I found it at the thrift store and had a shop refinish it for me.

[donna]

I do like shabby chic but a man lives here too so I like country,found items, market and garage sale finds .I do not like modern country 2 pinecones and a stick in a vase does not evoke thoughts of strolls through the woods.:rolleyes:
I love antiques and the story behind items.Our house is a home while there are sentimental pieces we dont live on a magazine set.

[natalie]

natalie, not to hijack you post but. What happened to wood furniture? Everything is pressed cardboard. I had a heck of a time finding a wood vanity for my bathroom. I found it at the thrift store and had a shop refinish it for me.
Aud, don't owrry about it...it's not much of a change of topic....:)

We try to find real wood too, I often scope garage sales and thrift stores for wood furniture that we can just refinish. We've done that with a few things.
I can be picky with my house, and manage to keep everything in the same wood tone, but I'm frugal about it and only spend money when I have the cash. The best thing about using wood, is you can re-do it and give it a fresh stain, it improves the piece itself and makes it match everything else.
This pressed stuff...I hate it...get it wet, and it's history, that's why I've never understood making sink vanities out of it.....although that's what we have right now. Sometimes you just need to go with what you can afford, whether you like it or not.
Also ,the unfinished furnture stores can be great to hit too!

[Bernie]

I don’t think style makes a difference to guests. My DH and I don’t like anything at all about our dearest friends home. Although beautiful everything in their home is dark, dark wood furniture, dark walls, rugs etc. Our home is the very opposite. Still we love every minuet we spend in each other’s homes. We always feel at home with them and they with us. I think if you are comfortable in your home you can make your guests feel comfortable as well.

My DH began making furniture because he wanted a he-man type hobby he could do at home but mostly because he hates pressed wood furniture with a passion. Even expensive stuff is made of it these days. Except for one piece he made everything out of scrap or reclaimed wood. Mostly pallets found on the side of the road. I never realized most of those pallets are made of beautiful oak. He made every piece of furniture in our living room and master bedroom. When we moved here our DD took all the furniture from the family room and her bedroom and DS took all the furniture made for his bedroom. Jim made dressers, blanket chests and headboards for all three bedrooms. Most people don’t realize our furniture is homemade and always comment on the beautiful inlay work he did. Everyone thinks it’s Jim’s trademark. In a way it is but the inlay was really done to hide the nail holes in the wood where the pallets where nailed together. Sadly DH got sick before he could start on the furniture for the guest room. My computer desk and one bookshelf is pressed wood. I hate it and am on the look out for real wood I can refinish. It’s very difficult finding stuff that will fit in here so I’ll have to live with it until I do.
Bernie

[jennie]

My entertainment center is that cheap pressed wood crap :(. Someday I want a armoir(sp??) for my tv etc.......
My computer desk isnt real wood either, but its what I could affor and it serves the purpose.
Here is the coffee table I painted. I got it free quite a few years ago, used it as is for a long time and got a bug to spruce it up one day :lol:

[natalie]

Very pretty!

[Audwoman]

Jennie you did a nice job. Since I brought my vanity at the thrift store I have been making regular visits. It is amazing how fast the wood pieces are being snapped up. I am not the only one looking for wood.

I have not brought furniture new in about 20 years. I thought the only place you would find pressed wood would be at K-Mart. I was shocked to find it at the high end stores. I could not bring myself to pay that much money for paper.

It certainly made me happy I brought good wood pieces in my early days. I am a modern milly type home decorator but I like wood with my glass. :blush:

[MaryG]

Aud - since one of our main industries here on the island is forestry there are several people who make a living by buying some of our fantastic lumber and they make furniture from it. You could probably find a furniture builder if you did a little digging around, maybe asking some of the locals if they know anyone who makes wood furniture. It'll be pricey but at least it'll be good solid wood furniture. Do you have a local Farmers' market? Sometimes there are wood craftspeople at these markets selling smaller items. They might be able to steer you in the right direction. Also some of the larger Christmas craft shows might have someone who works in wood.

[Blue Belle]

Great job, Jennie! It's very pretty. I always wanted an armoire for my TV too, but they're so expensive. I finally bought one a couple of years ago. It was a display model so I got it at a great price. I love pieces of furniture that hide things we use every day. Another one I like is my small rolltop desk that I keep my bills and papers in. The slots inside are messy, but roll down the top and it's all hidden. :) Here's the armoire I have. Sorry, the pic is a bit fuzzy as I could only find a small pic and had to enlarge it.
____

[Pennylee]

I like your table very much, Jennie.

Soon I'll have to think about colours for each room. I tend to favour
pale fruit colours, and I have in mind a blue lightened with a touch of
grey, also a pale shade, for the kitchen. It's a blue that we have in the
present dining room, and although it has been on the walls for a long time,
it remains light and pleasant and cheerful. I'm otherwise a little chary of
blues - don't take to deep blue carpets or electric blue anywhere. The grey
has added just enough mistiness to this shade that I like.
There is one tiled row in the cooking area, and before I do anything
rash I will have to check that that doesn't clash.
My present house, built in a time when the first thought was to reduce
heat (lots of draught encouragers, fairly small windows) is of course dark
in winter, and I am looking forward to a sunnier aspect.

[jennie]

Penny, my bedroom is a country blue. It ws that color when we moved here and at first I didnt think I was foing to like it but it has grown on me:blush:

I too like bright sunny rooms with lots of windows.:grin:
I want to paint my kitchen and hallway this fall/winter. I found some colors I like. If you go too www.kilzcasualcolors.com (http://www.kilzcasualcolors.com) I want to paint the walls brown sugar with terrene brown for the trim and doors in the hallway and red fox trim for the diningroom (and maybe one wall done in red fox too). I currently have dark green carpet in the livingroom, diningroom and halway, but in the future we want to rip it out and put down wood laminate. I only want carpet in the bedrooms.

[Audwoman]

Penny, your colors sound soothing. I do earth tones. Brown beige, green. My bedroom is pale green with dark carpet. I am still looking at colors for my new house but I know it will be pale colors. I always go toward pale colors.

Jennie, I am going to pull up the carpet throughout the new house because it has hardwood flloor. I like the look of hardwood but.... Most of the time in cold climate places you will see wall-to-wall carpet because it lowers your utility costs. I will see if my bills go through the roof if it does I will put carpet back. :lol:

[jennie]

Thats true about the utility bill. We heat with wood though so its usually plenty warm in our house. I have ceramic tile flooring in the kitchen and its always toasty warm on our feet in the winter :lol: [/URL]





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[jennie]

Great job, Jennie! It's very pretty. I always wanted an armoire for my TV too, but they're so expensive. I finally bought one a couple of years ago. It was a display model so I got it at a great price. I love pieces of furniture that hide things we use every day. Another one I like is my small rolltop desk that I keep my bills and papers in. The slots inside are messy, but roll down the top and it's all hidden. :) Here's the armoire I have. Sorry, the pic is a bit fuzzy as I could only find a small pic and had to enlarge it.
____

Nice armoire blue. I like the look of hiding my electronics too. I would love a roll top desk. My desk is in its own room so if its messy and company stops by, I just close the door :blush::lol:

[erdine]

Natalie, love your house, and yours too Jennie, I love your front window.
that table is very pretty.

[Bernie]

Jennie I love that table. You did a fantastic job. I think we have the same sofa.
I don't care for armoires in the living room. They always seem to big and out of place to me. I prefer to have the TV on top of something with the electronics hidden behind closed door below it. Everyone I know who has one seems to leave the doors opened anyway. I like them in bedrooms for some reason. As they say different storks for different folks.
Bernie

[Audwoman]

Aud - since one of our main industries here on the island is forestry there are several people who make a living by buying some of our fantastic lumber and they make furniture from it. You could probably find a furniture builder if you did a little digging around, maybe asking some of the locals if they know anyone who makes wood furniture. It'll be pricey but at least it'll be good solid wood furniture. Do you have a local Farmers' market? Sometimes there are wood craftspeople at these markets selling smaller items. They might be able to steer you in the right direction. Also some of the larger Christmas craft shows might have someone who works in wood.

Mary thank you, I did try a couple of local places they wanted 2 thou for a wood vanity. It was out of my price range. :blush: Thrift cost 25 and 30 to refinish. I could afford that price.

[Gregory]

Okay, time for a guy to chime in;). Our home style is a result of my other addiction, collecting artwork, so we have a bunch of tribal art and oil paintings which require our furniture to be simple. So leather furniture and simple solid wood furnishing's are what we have. I have a number of things in the house that are family hand me downs which also work well, my computer desk is my grandma's solid oak desk she used as a teacher and we also have inherited several old cedar chests and a really nice handmade craftsman style dresser. Our covered patio bar and grill is decorated hillbillie chic though and that has been fun, my sis just gave me two more license plates to put up.

Gregory

[jennie]

Gregory, your house sounds great! I would love to see a pic of that hillbilly chic patio bar and grill! :grin: