Wow, I wish that I could come up with something new, but because I'm so darned design-minded to begin with, I did this from the start. It'll be fun to see what everyone else comes up with, though. But, that said, this I what I did design my rooms around:

My guest room and guest bathroom have all Western art. Everything in the guest room was inspired by these two gorgeous pieces from New Mexico photographer, Phil Sonier (we love and collect his work). The wild horses is actually a very large piece:

One of my favorite pieces is this original watercolor "Lilac Lane" by NM artist, Sean Wimberly. I fell crazy in love with it and our MBR is decorated around it. Romantic in soft rose and green:

Thanks, Sue. Lovely pieces and I can see why you choose them. Great mix on the rugs. The rugs and your art will be beautiful as a timeless starting point for your new home decor.

Two tan/beige cats. :)

Donna

Such an interesting question! I don't quite understand what it means "to decorate around something". I just buy/acquire things as the time/money/opportunity arises and everything just falls into place, somehow...Is that what it is :)?

mojomom, your rugs is absolutely exquisite. Would you mind sharing where you acquired it? It is without question my favorite of any rugs I've seen here.

For me it would be my porcelain collection that decorates every room, the paintings, drawings and watercolors that are similarly everywhere, and our books.

Very nice, Lynn! I missed your post as I was replying to Sue. Love the hutch especially.

Ingrid, pretty porcelain. I got the rug from Authentic Persian and Oriental Rugs in Denver. It is a family owned shop that started when the kids came over from the Middle East to go college in Colorado probably in the early 80s and their parents shipped them rugs to sell for their tuition, etc.

When we were shopping in there a young couple in their late 20s or early 30s were also shopping. The wife told us that her mother had alway bought her rugs from them and had always loved their shop.

They have a large stock and take their time with their customers. Each rug is unique but they had many very similar to the one I bought so it was a tough decision, They also always come down from the tagged price. In my case they took a semi antique rug, that was in great condition but too formal and in the wrong colors in partial trade, which was wonderful.

Hamma, I think what I was getting at is that if you could only keep a few pieces from your current home and have to start from scratch elsewhere what would they be? Or put another way, if you could only save a few pieces (other than memories and papers) what pieces would they be? What pieces, other than memory pieces) define you the most?

I don't decorate around things, but as an exercise, here are some things that could be inspirational:

Bowl made from gourd, Ghana:

Chair, ottoman, and side table from Ivory Coast:

I'm posting mainly because I love your singing bowl, and I want to get one myself! We went to the Integreton last month for a sound bath, and I had no pain from my arthritis for two weeks afterwards. I think I want to get a brass singing bowl, but they are rather expensive. At the Integreton, they used brass and crystal bowls. What is yours made of?

I was going to ask about your singing bowl, too, Mojomom. And your gorgeous antique side board. You seriously need to show us more of your beautiful home!

I noticed the sideboard also. It looks like a combination of Jacobean and Elizabethan styles, and so it might be a Victorian combination of those two styles, or it could be a transitional piece, but furniture that old is pretty rare.

Thanks, Lynn! House is still a work in progress, not everything hung, missing window treatments, no backsplash yet, waiting for a couple of pieces of furniture etc. but we're getting there. I posted a few pictures on the January 2018 build thread in the homebuilding forum. Will do a full reveal around the end of February since we have company coming then and that's our completion goal.

The singing bowl is crystal of some type and the sound is amazing when DH makes it sing --I don't quite have the touch. DH was given a smaller brass one by a river friend (we both used to be really into whitewater kayaking) for helping teach a swiftwater rescue class, I think, and he was entranced by it. I found that one for his 50th birthday and it has always held a place of honor. I think it reminds us both of us of the zen of river running, when nothing in the world matters other than you and the water ahead of you.

i really don't know much about the sideboard, but I do love it. It was purchased for my first house almost 40 years ago from a nice antique store. I've always thought of it as Jacobean (I think that's what I was told at the time), but really have no idea.

I have it all the time in my head..that I'd need to pack and leave..it's less about decorating around, it's more "you leave..what do you take with you?". That'd be art, books, netsuke..several lights if I'm lucky..I've a bad feeling I won't be able to take all books or all art..I'll keep to the most dear to me. That's already quite a lot. Won't be 5 things..:)

It's actually quite sad, this feeling that you need to always be ready to go. I try to live in the moment and all, but I'm not very successful. Life didn't encourage me to believe I'm to stay for long somewhere.

I love some of my furniture pieces a lot, I hunted them very patiently, they have stories and memories attached to them..but realistically speaking..if I need to choose they're staying behind.

April, if you ever write an autobiography, I would be first in line to buy it. And I mean that sincerely.

Lynn you're too sweet and I'm genuinely surprised..not because you're so kind since that, I know..:) but because...well..I don't know how to finish the sentence

Josef Frank wallpaper, Omar Rayyan prints (which my husband thinks are creepy but of which I have several), And lots of things for the kiddies to climb on

I like your print, but I have to think that it would scare children. A lot of paintings scared me when I was a child, especially ones of snow scenes, since I didn't know what snow was and thought it was ghosts.

I love the wallpaper, and at least that is child-friendly!

The linenfold detail of that sideboard is typical of Elizabethan, and the rest looks Jacobean. It could be early Jacobean with some Elizabethan style left in, as that was the period just before Jacobean. In the Elizabethan period, the bulbous legs would have been even bigger. Linenfold was phased out during the Jacobean period but still can be found, and the legs continued to get smaller. It's been decades since I studied furniture history, however, but that's what I remember, more or less.

I love the wallpaper!

I think my kids are slightly demented, just like I was when I was little. They love the artwork, especially this guy.

@cran that painting/photo of an orange is fabulous. How big is it? I really really like that

For my office, the Andromeda Galaxy, in a 3'x4' photo, to put things into perspective

For my family room,this Fantin-Latour painting, a copy of which hangs over my fireplace.