Getting to know you....

17 years ago

After reading thru Judith's thread on 'Inspiration pics for Accessorizing', and Paintingfool giving us some insight into her likes, I thought it would be nice to know if we have a particuliar decorating style, and what our likes/dislike are, and what are the favorite things we surround ourselves with. So here goes..........

I'm the 'typical' traditionalist, and like classic lines in furniture and accessories, but also like a little glitz thrown in, AND sometimes a bit of whimsy! I do not like modern or contemporary for the simple reason that it doesn't give me the 'warm fuzzies'. I consider cottage to be on the traditional side, and my kitchen and sittingroom are done in a floral walpaper, and definitely more feminine than masculine, but hey, it's just ME! I also like being a bit over the top, which to me means, 'you-can never-have-TOO-many-accessories'!(my kids think otherwise~I have five grown 'kids'). ANY space can become the 'canvas' for displaying~walls, tables, a desk, bookshelves, countertops~just about any flat surface where 'something' can be hung or displayed is fair game.

If that isn't enough, i'll hang a 'flat surface', otherwise known as a shelf, to get MORE display space.

I have collections, but i've limited myself to never having more than a dozen of anything. Teacups/saucers, teapots, sterling silver, crystal, anything with Roses is sure to get my attention, and anything cream or white. If it has some detail, all the better, as I like detailing/adornment on anything, and the word 'plain' is not in my vocabulary. I LOVE lamps and lampshades, which I switch about from room to room just about every other week. I also like silk floral arrangements and greenery, and I don't care what was said on HGTV!

Almost nothing in my home was bought new! I love the thrill of the hunt, and my favorite haunts are flea markets(the Rosebowl is ALL you can imagine!), estate sales, antique stores, thrift/consignment stores, garage sales, and love shopping the sales. Retail stores on my list are Tuesday Morning, Homegoods, TJMax, Marshall's, Ross, Target, 99 cent stores, and just about any discount store~almost forgot Big Lots!

I love burning candles, and burn them every night to add a little romance into my life~a man is a nice 'accessory', but not necessary. LOL I also like ambient lighting, except when i'm reading one of my MANY home decorating books or magazines in my bed, surrounder by a mountain of pillows, and a hot cup of tea.

Home decorating has become my 'hobby' and it's fun to help friends and family because they know it's something I put my heart into, and am very passionate about. Every home needs to have heart, and you don't get that thru the use of an interior decorator, unless you insist things be used that *you* love. You home has to make your heart sing!

My biggest dream is to have my own little shop. It will be named 'Sisters', because of my three daughters and the closeness they, and myself, share. My two sons will be on the sidelines cheering me on, as they know it will not be a 'manly' sort of place.

So these are a few facts about what I like, and i'll add my six grandchildren who are a big part of my life to that list, also! My life would be nothing without my five children and grandchildren! I have been truly blessed. ;o)

patty_cakes

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Comments (2)

tamgypsy
17 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
patty...what a wonderful idea for a new thread. Loved reading your post.
I know I won't be able to pull such a nice post together so bear with me please...lol
Some of my style or lack of I have discussed in a previous post somewhere around here...lol
I also dislike contemporary...it seems too cold to me as well and the minimalistic look is just not me...:)
I like colors from nature ...the more muted versions of it...I love monochramatic but not overdone...I love antiques but have never been able to really afford them...the furniture in my house have a somehwat traditional...ecelectic feel...with a little rustic and shabby chic...the rooms in my home don't neccessarly flow...
I just recently was able to add an addition which has become my livingroom...the only room with vaulted ceilings and my tribute living in Colorado for 8 years..it has a skilodge feel...the fireplace in it is massive and the color sceme is tans and browns...with southwestern accents...my diningroom (former livingroom) has black furniture and tan accents...my kitchen has an identity crisis and is at this point not a decorating highlight in my home...lol
My office (one of the bedrooms) is in offwhites and gold/tans, my oldest sons room (he does not live here yet...he will immigrate from germany this year) has an asian theme...my teenage sons room is a complete disaster...lol...and my bedroom has soft green walls gold and muted violet accents...my masterbath is a muted lavendar color and white...:)
I like to collect various items...hummels...candles and candle holders...interesting items with wolves...prints by maija...and just alot of different accessory items...I like items that add whimsy...I love the look of old world but I think at heart I am a bit too playful to pull that elegance off...:)
I cherish the few things I have from my mom...and have all the photographs my mom took and my grandfather took...we are a photo happy family...:)
I love candles too...and also have silk flowers and greenery and just like patty I don't care what HGTV says...LOL
I like to shop at TJ Maxx, Michaels, Target, Kohls, Marshalls and Joanns.
I love watching decorating and diy shows on TV but personally HGTV is now overloaded with real estate type of shows and I am not watching it as much as I used to...
I love decorating and have repainted the inside of my home the second time in only two years...lol
My family says if I don't have some type of project that I am not happy..and I guess that is true...lol
In my mind I am always thinking of ways to improve or update my home...it has at times kept me up at night...:)
I am a tea drinker, probably drinking 10 cups a day...:)
My biggest priority right now is to help my oldest son with his immigration process and to make sure my youngest keeps his grades up...:)
I know there is more but I think I 'hogged' this thread long enough...lol
Sandi_W
17 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
OK, my home is a version of ranch built in 1956. It is not nearly big enough and the ceilings are only 8'. All of my rooms are painted the same ivory, the ceilings plain ceiling white.

I am still in the process of re-doing half of the rooms. I don't have a style so I guess I'm eclectic. I have several large pieces of furniture that were made by my grandfather and father that I will always use so I have to decorate around them. They are really beautiful pieces.

My bedroom is almost finished. I have a 30 year old walnut bedroom suite and use pastel pink, ivory and sage in that room. I still like my furniture, but would replace it with a formal 4 poster suite if I could afford to.

My guest room is done around my grandfather's old twin bed and pieces of my bedroom suite that will not fit into my bedroom. It's done in pastel pink, yellow and sage. I decorated it mainly for my GD when she comes to visit. It's a mix of traditional, cottage and princess. Hr favorite color is pink also.

We won't even talk about my 16 yr old son's black and red room. The only 2 pieces in there worth keeping are my grandfather's dresser and the large wooden toybox my father made. The rest he picked out and loves.

My bathroom is in the process of being just about torn out. It will be done in black and white with some pink accessories. Possibly some yellow thrown in.

My living room is very formal and an altered version of Queen Anne. I say altered because my sofa and drapes are NOT Queen Anne style. My sofa is throw covered in the same black, rose, & teal floral fabric that I made my drapes from (16 yrs ago for another house). My large area rug (I don't even know what you call it) was a hand-me-down from a family member almost 10 yrs ago and it has the exact same colors as my drapes. She had found it on clearance a year before and then decided to change the colors in her living room. Thank goodness for finicky decorators. I couldn't have found a better match if I had looked.

I have a very formal, very old mahogany dining room suite that belonged to my grandmother (table, 6 chairs, china cabinet and buffet) that I will be moving to this house in the near future. As I don't have a formal dining room I will be turning my living room into a dining room with a sitting area. I am very excited about this and only hope I can fit everything in.

My kitchen/sitting area are not redone at all. The room is one long rectangle only separated by a 6' long walnut bar made by my grandfather (like you would see in old western movies except dressy) so both rooms will be done in black and white with pink and yellow accents (lemon yellow walls also as I'm getting a little brave). These rooms will be a strange mixture of styles that will be my own and totally unlike any other room in my house. Some walnut pieces and some painted white. I collect pink pigs and have them displayed in my kitchen/sitting area so these rooms will be very casual. I would love to do cottage in here, but DH wouldn't feel comfortable with it and since he doesn't object (too much) to all of my pink I will make him happy.

My utility room is totally NOT done. Hopefully soon though.

I have 3 koi ponds in my backyard and am in the process of building a much larger pond to connect to them. I love ponding and gardening and spend hours and hours outside. For years my gardens were formal, but over the last few years I've changed to a tropical/cottage style. Nothing is more satisfying to me than to have my morning coffee out there and at the end of a long, hard day of gardening than to sit by my ponds and hand feed my water babies or just sit and relax and be proud of myself.

I love crafting, but don't get to do a lot and am not very good at it. Most of what I do is for holidays like the ornaments for my tree. Right now my kitchen is a mess with ornaments for Valentine's, St Paddy's and 4th of July that I'm painting. I would love to have just a small room to do my painting in.

I'm a stay at home mom and have a wonderful relationship with my son. He is an amazing person.
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Getting to know you....

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tamgypsy

Sandi_W

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