I think I know what I want so I get it and then after that find out there were other alternatives that might have been better. I don't know any gurus except on GW, but this is where I find out I could (and maybe should) have done something differently.

I do what I want - sometimes I am accidentally trendy, but usually I'm way out in left field.

I look at decorating blogs and magazines, but only to spot things I might like, not to slavishly follow the trends.

I do pick up some trends in my decorating style. I'm one of those people who do things in moderation and seem to modify what I am looking at into something I can live with for a long time. I'm still into teals, browns and grays and then I see a thread on honeysuckle which I think is a great color but not for our home and my everyday living. So that trend is out of the question for us.

I am a decor book and magazine addict ... and follow the blogs that relate to my style of decor .... but usually Look, Learn and Listen whenever and where I can ....

... books, magazines, blogs, GWHD (of course!), restaurants, hotels, stores of all sorts can offer all kinds of ideas ....

Generally I simply can not afford trends at the beginning of their cycle ... but perhaps an item or two by the time that the trend reaches T.J. Maxx or thrift stores ....

... my DH did come find a very pretty small sunburst mirror at a local thrift store that MAY find a spot in the living room ..... LOL! :)

My question has more to do with the "experts" who tell others "You can't paint that wall gray/white/orange/purple," etc., or "You need to move that arm chair and put away all of that clutter", perhaps when they didn't even ask for this type of advice. Maybe they said "Country cottage cabin traditional modern chic is out this year and absolutely NOBODY is doing it. You really shouldn't waste your time."

I don't buy into your premise that people who have a formal education in design and give design advice for a living go around making statements like those. If I hired someone to give me advice on a room and she discouraged me from painting the wall orange, I would probably take her advice. If I were to begin an expensive remodel on my kitchen in a country-cottage-cabin-etc. theme and a kitchen designer tried to move me away from it because it would look dated quickly, I would probably take his or her advice. So my answer is yes, I listen to the gurus. Otherwise, why hire them?

While I love reading about designer trends and looking at pics on the websites of rooms done by qualified designers I wouldn't ever follow any trend that cost a lot unless I liked it. And since I like my current decor it would have to be a really amazing idea for me to copy it. When I do copy smaller decorative ideas I see on the web I don't usually don't go out and buy things to do so but use what I have in my closets. Luckily I have a lot of stuff in the closets! LOL

I love looking at photos of rooms the pros do but for the most part many of what I see isn't practical or realistic for the average budget much less to live in. A lot of the time, magazine photos are set up for show not living and even when someone's private home is in the layout it is either too over done or upscale for my taste.

On a separate note, I know a lot of people like modern and contemporary decor and at first I thought it was nice to look at but I think lately decorators are sort of boxed in to just one or two styles, as well as certain colors and I would enjoy seeing something different for a change.

I absolutely ditto everything Jen said. I also love decorating magazines and blogs and enjoy pictures of real homes vs designer advice. I'm not saying there aren't designers I like, there are, and they may influence me, but I am the best on what works in our home.

tina

I am using a designer and going through these decisions right now. I need window treatment for an open kitchen-family room that gets full California summer sun. It is very hard to find pretty/stylish window coverings that will block the sun, but not darken the room completely. I also have a mix of windows and french doors, which complicates things even more. The decorator doesn't like my utilitarian ideas and I don't like her pretty-but-not-functional ideas ... we need to think outside the box and come up with the best solution for this room. Bottom line - I will choose what I want, but hope she has some ideas I haven't considered.

And Bettydee, yes, I believe "the professional" gave you good advice about choosing another color other than white for your appliances.

But if you are happy, what does it matter?

I haven't read the replies yet and only have a minute to type this.

But my question does have to do with the topic. Here on GW, why do so many use the same color on walls? From greens to grays.

I do find it trendy on this board. Is it a coincidence that a lot of people just happen to like the "in" color at the same time and use it?

With thousands of colors to choose from, why do many choose the same one? I know there are many shades of green but the ones I'm seeing are very close to the same shade.

I could be guilty because I use a lot of red, but I've used that color for 30 years now and will never change.

Back to my fortune cookie:

"Sometime advice is what we ask for when we already know th answer"

Nope (how else would I have made all those mistakes except on my own? LOL).

I read decorating mags and I admire the tastes & opinions here on GW, but I'm traditional not trendy.

Bettydee good for you. 29 years ago I wanted appliances that were anything but white. I got almond & spent at least the last 20 years wishing I had white. If someone really loves SS fine, but many want it just because it's the 'in thing'.

I agree with what graywings posted, however, I have never hired a decorator as it's not been a budget priority. My only real experience with one was indirectly; my mother hired a good one and had her living room/ dining room/ foyer done and it was absolutely fabulous (and expensive!).
The decorator knew what things to lose, what old things to incorporate and where to spend the money.

In my own home, my decorating preferences lean towards randomness in some respect. I want things to look good
yet have flexibility: if I move a throw around or if the knick knacks are shifted or there are Multicolored non coordinating books laying around, everything still looks nice.

I decorate with what I like. If it's trendy, it's only trendy for a moment. Then it goes back to being non-trendy, but I still like it, so I keep it.

I do like to read expert advice on things like choosing colors to go together, or choosing prints to go together, or the placement of furniture in a room to create a good traffic pattern and that sort of thing. No sense reinventing the wheel.

You know, I've always had red and white in my kitchen, no matter where I lived or what the kitchen looked liked. It was just what I liked and what I felt a kitchen should be. Twenty years of red and white kitchens and it took my brother to figure out that our grandmother's kitchen was red, white, black and gray. Subconsciously, I've been recreating her kitchen all my adult life. But I still like the color combination and I'll keep using it.

No to listening to gurus or following trends. I might think different if I actually paid a guru or decorator for advice. But I'd really rather spend my money on something I like.

Thanks for all the replies. Seems like most of you do follow your own instincts, which I think is a good thing.

And for the record, I actually did not hire a decorator. She works in the office of our contractor and was just available for advice.

I LOVE my kitchen. Wouldn't change a thing. In fact, when we had an open house, nobody seemed to notice or care about the appliances.

BTW, not sure what the colors look like on everyone's monitor, but they look a bit off on mine.

I do what I like, regardless of what anyone else says or is doing. I am ALWAYS behind on trends. Whether its decorating, fashion, technology... if everyone else is doing it, I want to be doing something else. But once that trend is no longer "new" and everyone else is doing something different, then I go "huh... that's actually kind of cool!" LOL

I look at magazines, blogs, and design books to get ideas, and choose those that appeal to me. My style stays pretty much the same, though, relaxed traditional with an eclectic, collected look.

I have worked with a designer several times with varying results. Some of the most useful ideas were simple changes suggested during a brain-picking session paid by the hour. Rearranging furniture, removing something that didn't work, adding an accessory of some type, adding height for balance, etc. The times when I was not as satisfied with the results were when I was persuaded to spend large sums on things that my gut told me were not priorities, like custom drapes or the custom sofa that I never got to sit on before ordering. I won't do that again.

Where trends are concerned, I'm already over the gray/pickled/belgian/linen look, which wouldn't work with the rest of my stuff anyway. When I go through the photos I've saved in my idea files, they have a lot in common. Pale warm backgrounds, medium or light-toned woods, some painted pieces, natural materials, matte fabrics, not too much pattern, tons of natural light, and a relaxed feeling even if there are gilded mirror frames and antiques. And I've been using the grayed greens that are popular now for the last 20 years.

I've notice that even if there is a room done by a particular well known designer that really appeals to me, I am often disappointed when I look at their portfolios to see other rooms they've done. So I guess my taste is fairly constant.

Decordummy, I had an almond washer and dryer. The washer outlasted the dryer, so I spent a few years with a mismatched set. Although I was just a kid, I can still remember pink and blue appliances. I'm a firm believer in white appliances, no matter what others think. I figure I'll be resting easy while those "others" are trying to figure out how to update their rooms saddled with colored appliances. LOL!

The original fixtures in our bathroom were pink (toilet, sink & tub). The PO replaced them with white just before we bought the house. Better than the neighbours, they still have their original bathroom fixtures in (I kid you not) purple.

And I would love love love to have purple fixtures in our bathroom! I kid you not!

Actually now that I think about it they're mauve, & my 80 yr old neighbour has loved them (in that house) since the 60s.

I grew up in a house that had one bath with pink and gray tile, but the fixtures were white. I actually don't mind the tile if it's in really good shape and it's a color I can live with. This is another one of "those" issues. Someday all of the beautiful big tile and stone we see in today's bathrooms will really date a house. So again, do what you want. You live there, not the designer.

Saypoint, it's interesting what you said about custom draperies and sofa. When my mother had rooms done by a decorator, those were two items she spent some money on.
The dining room window and the living room window draperies came to over 5,000. Now, that is something I would never spend money on, but boy, those draperies were gorgeous, timeless, helped make the rooms and definitely helped sell the house when the time came. We left them there.

The sofa she got, bought sight unseen, is in my house now, and the most well made sofa I have ever had. It is also lovely and has helped me appreciate the difference between an average sofa and a good one. (generally, money) but considering how long it will be around, a good buy. That too was around 7,000.
I tend to think decorating wise, real money should be spent on furniture I want to have forever but all the small things (wt's, accessories, lamps, art,) add up to making the total package look good.

@bettydee: I'm with you regarding white kitchen appliances. I know people who hate their stainless steel appliances because they should fingerprints like crazy. Also know some that hate their black appliances because they show every little bit of dust - even shortly after being dusted.

Now that I've grown and feel confident in what I do, I only follow my heart and my eye. I pick up tips or an 'Aha!' moment from the professionals.

Betty, I have white appliances and I also like them too.

walnutcreek, DH didn't want stainless because of the fingerprints. I had other reasons.

Bubmlebeez, glad I am not alone!

But my question does have to do with the topic. Here on GW, why do so many use the same color on walls? From greens to grays.

I do find it trendy on this board. Is it a coincidence that a lot of people just happen to like the "in" color at the same time and use it?
With thousands of colors to choose from, why do many choose the same one? I know there are many shades of green but the ones I'm seeing are very close to the same shade.

I can only speak for myself, but I think that green - the certain hues that you are referencing - have staying power, and for good reason. I believe that most people find them restful and easy to live with. They are often evocative of nature and the great outdoors, in which most people find beauty and order. The green I've chosen to carry throughout my house is very close to the original shade it was painted in 1940, so for me, the color also has ties to the past that I value.

I can't imagine anyone painting their house a color simply because it's the "in" thing. Don't you have to love it? Or at least like it very much? Now, whether you're able to actually live with it for the long haul is another question entirely, but I just don't believe that people are using a lot of the same greens simply because they're "in."

Not a trend follower at all~~no 'pottery barn look' or anything even close, no brushed nickel, no green room, etc., etc., etc. I *do* however have SS and granite, but don't consider them trends, just a notch up from ceramic tile and white appliances. The same for wood flooring~~it's a choice, not necessarily the following of a trend. Your choice could be a trend, but if you like it, who cares?

As with everything, we buy what's available in the retail market. If it's shoved in your face thru magazines, it's your call, but there *are* still a ton of color choices, as well as furnishings which may not be on the design pages of a magazine at the moment, or may have already had their day~~who cares.

Like AJ has said, you gotta love what you're gonna live with! ;o)

I find gray greens to be soothing too and have greens in most of my house. Our living room is probably ready to be painted and I am debating painting it the exact same color- a gray green.
I think a lot of the blogs and decor mags use colors to get your attention and they often are exciting to look at, but who wants to really live with school bus yellow trim throughout their house?

I did paint my laundry room a lovely aquamarine, but that's trendy too.

I think we - the people on this forum - and the rest of the country are far more influenced by trends than we care to admit.

Look at Bettydee's kitchen - it's lovely with its off-white, crown molding topped cabinets, an island, ORB fixtures, dark counter surfaces, beadboard panel on the pantry door, hardwood flooring. Years from now we will be able to date that kitchen to this time period.

Five years ago were any of us talking about blue walls? And now I am looking to put Wythe Blue in my foyer. The vast majority of us are lemmings mindlessly following trends. We just don't know it.

When pictures are posted on here, the rooms seem to be quite trendy. There are a few exceptions that I remember like Aunt Jen's and some cottage-style homes, but for the most part I see stainless steel, granite, beiges, grays, pale aqua, and dark brown. Seems trendy to me. I think if you pick something trendy because you really, really like it, that it is quite a different mind-set from that of someone who needs to feel stylish. I see a lot of young adults who have to bow to the trends, and a lot of older people who choose not to.
Diane

graywings, I think you are right. We sort of follow trends whether we realize it or not. We were given only certain choices when we built and were told that was what was readily available.

We actually put our foot down on the flooring in our living/kitchen/dining area (no pun intended) and had something special ordered. We had to wait and it did delay our build.

It only makes sense that what people want during any certain time period would be more available.

And thanks for the nice words about the kitchen. I know it's not for everyone, but I really do like it.

Bumblebeez, the sofa is lovely, but I was replacing a deep overstuffed sofa and putting the new one in a smaller room, so I told the designer that it needed to be shallower, front to back, than the old furniture. She selected a sofa size that is very shallow, and more suitable for ladies perching and drinking tea than family flopped out in front of the TV. So I moved it to the living room and moved the LR sofa to the den, disrupting my entire plan for colors, etc. Live and learn.

The drapes were lined silk drapes that I already had made a couple of years previously. I told her that I wanted a lighter look, as these were a med. dark green color. She talked me into having them interlined and trimmed (at nearly the same labor cost as the original construction)with a fabric that I already had. They're in the closet in the guest room. Another lesson. If your first thought is that you don't like an idea, trust your gut.

As far as so many people using the same colors, anyone who is currently redecorating is choosing from the colors that are current in the market, unless they are going custom made. Bedding, towels, accessories, were all aqua and brown a few years ago. Now a lot of stuff is gray or grayed colors, or brights to use with gray, an a lot of painted furniture in a french style. I'm having trouble finding items that go with my un-trendy existing decor, and I don't really want to start over from scratch.

There's nothing wrong with following trends though. I know I like having my house up to date, just like I enjoy wearing current fashion trends. Hopefully, I choose things that look good, that's what's important.

I agree- there is nothing wrong with following trends. You can pick up something new and exciting to add to your portfolio. And yes, it is very hard to fight what is offered in stores; maybe that is why I love to sew and to repurpose things. I do hate it though when a cool idea, like starburst mirrors, become institutionalized and shows up in every store including Walmart. It just ruins the original idea for me.

Also, lots of people love the calm and freedom that neutral colors offer. I am sure that when guests come to my house, they look at the colors/pieces that I have chosen and think "I would never pick that." But I sit in my house and love comfort that it gives me and hopefully all of you feel the same.
Diane

I would say the biggest trend I follow right now is buying vintage and trying to be as "green" as possible, and I'm not talking about paint! I also try to be socially conscious rather buy a well-made vintage piece that was made in the U.S. than buy something poorly made and/or imported from China, etc. We try to buy things locally whenever possible, and if we have to support a larger retailer, we would support the local one. For example, Whole Foods is coming and a big deal has been made of it, but I will still support Earth Fare, which is a NC-based company.

So, I don't know, is my kitchen trendy because it's retro? I guess RetroRenovation is a trend, but I've always liked 50s and 60's decor. OTOH, our kitchen is filled with things and colors I like that fit the character of the home which is in a moderate neighborhood.

As far as paint colors are concerned, I really do enjoy seeing what colors others have used and what seems to work IRL. It is overwhelming to go to the BM store and see literally 50 shades of white, but if I have an idea of what whites (or greens) others have successfully used, that helps me a lot to narrow it down.

Last year I decorated my brothers house for him from a completely blank slate. He has a small home but it has some good lines and a nice floor plan. High cathedral ceilings, nice fireplace.

It was so EASY to buy everything new and coordinate it all.
I found great furniture from Craigs list then we bought end tables, lamps, art, rugs, drapes, accessories from Home Goods and found the same coordinating colors everywhere we went.
I picked out his paint colors, he had it done, I bought vintage styled travel posters from art.com and framed them and everything looks amazing ....mainly because I didn't have to match one single thing he already had.

Well, not totally. He had a painting I did for him years ago over his fireplace and we pulled colors from that, and thankfully, those were the In colors.

It was the most fun I had in a long time and maybe every color was trendy, but it was again, so easy and looked fantastic.

I have a lot of cobalt accessories in my house and those have been OUT for a decade. and it's not easy to find things that work.

I'm pretty opinionated and stubborn and usually do what I think is right. But I do ask for opinions. I often ask paint store salespeople because they've steered me right many times. I figure they should better than I because they're around color all day long. I listen to people whom I respect and whose style I admire.

As far as trends, I don't want to look "dated" in my clothing, as it ages me. I feel the same way about my home decor. I tend to buy classic furnishings so don't feel a need to change them, but I will check out magazines and blogs to see what's "in" and may change up things such as paint colors or accessories to stay current. But if you want to dress or have decor that was popular, say, in the '70's, then go for it!

Sometimes I wish I had. Someone on here told me not to make a valance from this large print fabric, but curtains instead. Well I couldn't afford to do that with such expensive fabric so I made the valances and i hate them. They look skimpy and kind of cheap. Do-over time, next they will become pillows.

As far as the trends go, a lot of it is a reaction to what has been here so long. After a decade of seeing cute little ducks with mauve bows and "I love country" signs, I think most of us were ready for something sleeker and more elegant. I got dark wood floors maybe as a reaction to the lighter floors I was so used to. Now I see that that is the trend, and I am thinking, OH NO, are these going to be really "out" soon - you know, like leisure suits?
I am sticking with my paneled walls (partly because Hubby insists) but am hoping that soon everyone else will have painted theirs and my wood will be the "different" thing. lol.

Bumblebeez, we have cobalt blue in our lighting fixtures in the kitchen. I love it, too. We also have cobalt bathroom towels that I use with yellow from JCP, but JCP no longer carries that blue.

I should mention that if we lived in a craftsman bungalow or Victorian, I'd decorate differently to accommodate the character of the house. Like most people, we are not moving any time soon, so my current look is safe for now.

I will never be an HGTV home anytime soon,(except as the "before" house.) 'cause I broke several "sacred" guru rules!

1. A deep-colored accent wall with - HORRORS - rest of walls, vaulted ceiling and tile floor WHITE! I was going to paint rest of walls a lighter version of the accent wall...then decided I loved the way it looked as is...white walls almost seem fresh again with so much beige, green, reds, blues used these days. I have warm-tone figurative art and metal accents...and white tiles/white floors make everything pop so nicely, yet somehow keeps the overall feel spacious and calming. But of course, most would call this "unfinished" and frown on my utter lack of design sense! :)

2. Silver and gold...yeah I mix 'em. (Call the design police!) Subtle gold accents on mirror and art frames, SS/nickel door hardware, a curved black bar with SS trim and sparkling silver and crystal chandy! Plus a touch of old-world bronze shimmer on candlit sconces. Talk about a big "no-no". I've read it a million times: keep metals in same family. But I love the mix - mostly because open layout is clean and sparse with a minimum of clutter. Don't think it would work as well with a lot of "stuff" in the rooms. In my '20s, I used to be so "matchy matchy"...and now find myself going the opposite way.

I like you, kitchennovice. I can hear your different drummer now. I'm marching along with you to that old standard, "White Appliances."

I have ONE guru--- my interior designer, who is has a godlike ability to look at a room and tell you what is wrong with it. He knows me, my family, and all our likes and dislikes, and every time I have trusted his judgment I have ended up with a spectacular result. He can do anything he wants to my house---because I know it will look even better than any picture in a magazine, any catalog picture or anything I could imagine on my own. :)

kswl, I wish I knew someone like that I could completely trust.

kswl, I wish you'd post pics ;-)

Lol, decordummy---I will once we are "intact" again. We just completed a major overhaul of the back decks and just started on a front portico (a week before Christmas) and everything has been moved around since the front door is no longer accessible! Our designer knows I like traditional in the house we live in now, and works accordingly. It may not be your taste at all, I like a lot of color.

What's funny about our relationship is that he has also worked for my mother and SIL, and the three of us had passed around some family pieces of furniture so that he has worked with some of the pieces in four or five houses over the years. Mother likes formal French, SIL is more modern/mid century and I am the traditional holdout. :)

I started nodding my head when I read Graywings' answer.

Unless your house is done in something completely off-the-current-decorating-wall, most of you do also. When we check in here at Decorating, we either want help and will be getting (hopefully) some of the current ideas and colors and styles that others here are using, or we want to pop in and share our own ideas and photos and finds. Twenty-nine years ago, when Mr.Red and I bought our first place together, it had rust shag carpet and a brown/rust theme throughout. (Brand new mobile home) I was buying Country Accents and Better Homes & Gardens magazine at the time and went right out to find fabric to make peach & celadon green drapes with matching bed ruffle and ruffled throw pillows for the master bedroom. Friends who came over loved it. My colors reflected what was in stores and in the magazine spreads at the time. I even bought the pattern to make the goose wearing a bonnet & apron and made myself a nice goose to sit on top of the vintage doily on the antique cabinet in my living room. The "oooohhhs & ahhhs" flowed in quite flatteringly from friends.
Interestingly, I thought I was ahead of trends. I thought my decor was pretty doggone original. The fact that peach & celadon & rust & blue towels were everywhere didn't even give me a clue that I was loving what I was seeing and adapting it to my own sensibilities. Seriously now, how many of you are doing celadon and peach right now? If someone posted a ruffly bedroom set with lots of old doilies on the furniture, would you be doing the "Holla!" for that person's help with your new living room?

Nope. And while some of us here do doggedly follow a particular style or feel for their homes no matter what comes in or goes out, (wood trim when painted trim was considered the only way to go/white appliances when designers are touting stainless/wallpaper in a paint world/fussy Victorian furniture even while many were buying 'Ghost' chairs and mid-century modern credenzas) most of the people who buy decor mags, watch HGTV, or even ask for ideas when buying drapes or bedding or paint or dining tables, Do want something that looks fresh and pretty and fairly modern. Why else would we be here?

Now, as for me, I know that I am influenced by what I see. I don't change things for the designers or even when someone says they don't love what I have. I've loved antique/vintage case pieces my whole life. I've shopped thrift stores and flea markets way before the first garage sale was ever held, thanks to a thrify mother. I usually prefer color to white walls. I like dark furniture and wood floors and even liked them in the 70's. Live plants will be in my home even if plants become completely taboo. And after nearly 30 years of buying decorating magazines and moving from Country Accents to Beautiful Home, I have absolutely decided that the Best Decorators and Kitchen Designers and DIY Experts are right here on this forum. You guys take the best of what's out there, ignore the stuff that will tank in 13 weeks and offer advice on what's truly liveable and can stand the test of time. When one of you whose style I admire tries a new paint shade or slipcovers a couch or paints their own cabinets, I pay attention.

I may need that soon....

Red

(and my disclaimer to the ruffly peach/celadon frilly comforter set people who may also have a heart-shaped ruffled peach chintz pillow on their bed....I already did that. It doesn't mean it isn't pretty. Mine was beeyoutifull. It just means YOU....May...NOT...BE...Trendy anymore!)