Finding Your Decorating Style & When Not to Compromise

You know what? I totally struggle with defining my style.  And, it's made for some interesting conflicts when decorating. And, sometimes I've had to tweak a space three, four or more times to get the look I'm after.

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At any given moment I am in love with:

Vintage Modern
Rustic Glam
Antique with Modern
Cottage
Modern Country
Industrial French

And I completely struggle with it. Also, I am highly jealous of those of you who have a very defined style.

But, I feel like there has been some sort of shift in 2014. Like everything is beginning to click and my home is a better reflection of me. It incorporates all of the styles I mentioned above, but in a sense is far more unified than ever before.

I was thinking about all of this the other night and I think it comes down to a few things...

First, I've let go of the idea that I may be judged by others (my own family included). You know my mirror gallery wall? I have been wanting one since we bought our house 16 years ago. When I first mentioned it, way back then, I didn't get the most fantastic response. So I didn't do it. I've come to realize that not everyone can visualize a project until it is totally done. My husband is completely one of those people.  Sometimes, I just need to do it rather than talk about it.



 

 Secondly, I've learned from my mistakes and I've accepted them. Even when it has cost me extra time and work. A couple of weeks ago I shared my antique pantry cabinets. I had initially painted them gray, but wasn't thrilled with the results. I could have left them like that, but I went ahead a repainted in a cream. This means I painted the same furniture twice in one week, which was seriously annoying. But, I don't want to compromise and I want to smile every time I look at a project I've done.




 Next, I've learned to spend money when I need to.  This doesn't mean to constantly shop and buy everything. Instead, it means to be more aware. For example, I wanted a living room chair that blended better with our style and the colors in the space. But, I was only looking at thrift stores. I know the old me would have settled for something because it was a good price and well made (even if I didn't love it). Instead, in this situation, I bought new and got exactly what I wanted. I'm learning to do this more and more.
 



 

 

And, lastly, (for today) I've stopped working with things that no longer work for me and my home. When we first got married my husband and I bought a lot of new furniture. And it was wonderful at the time. But, to me, it no longer was. I've found most of the pieces to be huge and overwhelming to our space. The 1990s had some big furniture!  Over the last year, or so, I've sold almost every single thing. I've used the money to buy pieces that I really love (at this moment) and with money left over. Our home is more open, bright and we all love it so much more.

 

 

 

So, please share your thoughts with me today! Have you felt this way before?