Someone recently asked me what my ‘style’ was in regards to my personal home.
I was stumped.
I replied with ‘warm contemporary’, just to get an answer out and one which I thought was what I represented, but after the fact, it was a disingenuous reply and I felt guilty. Not necessarily to the person who asked me, (because they were probably just being polite) but to myself. In all honesty, my house right now is not very cohesive in any ‘style’. It’s kind of a mish-mash of inherited, found and bought pieces that live side-by-side out of necessity. The question would have been a lot easier to answer had it been phrased as: “What do you want your personal home style to be?” Because that I can answer in a jiff. I want modern architectural lines, boho-eclectic accents, a simple monochrome color palette with a bit of whimsy and a dash of glam. And above all, I want it all to be organized! That should have been my answer from the get-go.
But what exactly is that answer? That’s not a style!?!
But actually, it is. I can visualize spaces in this unique ‘style’ that I have in my head. That’s what makes it a ‘style’ unique to me.
Your home is just that. Yours. There is no need to conform to one specific ‘style’ to make it feel homey. Nor do you have to stick to one specific ‘style’ throughout to create cohesion. I personally think mixing things up makes for great conversations at dinner parties.
Whether you live in a mac-mansion or are furnishing a rental, isn’t personal styling unique to you, what counts when creating personal spaces?
I thought long and hard about what ‘style’ in a home stands for and it’s this: inspiring individuality for those who live there. Encouraging each family member to make the spaces their own and feeling good in those places created.
It may not be a simple thing to actually do… But discovering one’s personal style involves working out your own sense of what is beautiful or meaningful and then applying it to the larger canvas of your home. It’s your little piece of how you perceive this world, so you go fill it with whatever speaks to you and whatever makes sense in your head. May you dare to be the curator and enjoy the journey of exploration! You shouldn’t feel like you have to do it overnight or buy everything from one store. Heavens no! Shop around. Look at things and sleep on the decisions before finalizing each purchase. Dream up each lovely vignette and make them a reality.
My personal style means little to anyone but me and my family and that’s exactly the ‘style’ I like. I pair my likes with my husband’s likes and even incorporate what my children enjoy.
Modern, Boho-eclectic, monochromatic, whimsical, glam? Great! Sounds weirdly perfect to me.
-K