Do you sometimes feel like you just can’t keep up with the trends? I have a friend who says she tends to redecorate on the backend of trends so that in 2 years, her whole house looks dated!
There’s a fairly simple way not to fall victim to trend-chasing. First thing is you’ve got to figure out what you inherently love, what you are always drawn to.
If you buy and use what you love, you can be free to embrace the trends you like without going to an extreme. Just because you are drawn to a fabulously trendy Moroccan pouf, doesn’t mean you have to go all-out global in your decor.
Repurposing furniture you already have is a great way to “update” without breaking the bank. Whether it’s a coat of paint or a slipcover, repurposing a piece you already love will make it feel appreciated. It will love you back.
What experiences have you had redecorating with the trends? Were you happy you did, or did you feel like it was a mistake?
Do you go whole-hog with “new looks” or are you grounded in what you love?
You’ve said some great things in this post Kristie. I think when people decorate the whole room at once it will always look dated eventually. If you add favourite items one by one over seasons and years you get an eclectic look that is genuinely your style…the style you are happiest with…the style you love and can live with.
You’re so right, carol! It’s got to be about who you are, not just the latest fad.
the WORST trend for me was a huge WALLPAPER mistake….in style at the time…but years later – UGLY and too hard to get off the wall
Yes, wallpaper is a commitment- but it makes such an impact when it’s good! That’s why using sizing is so important. It makes it a snap to remove 🙂
I have an old friend who is also an artist and art teacher who summed up my feelings when she said she never buys a painting to match her couch but rather buys a couch to match her painting!
on a related note, have you heard of Unhappy Hipsters? Scathing but funny. 😉
No, I haven’t heard of that – is it a blog or a tv show? I love scathing . . .
http://unhappyhipsters.com/
warning – they are not all G or PG rated…
I am in the process of dreaming about how to freshen up my living room … this has given me some good ideas.
Visiting from BloggyMom’s blog hop list. 🙂
When KitchenAid came out with their red mixer, I just HAD to have it! I was getting married that same year and registered for EVERYTHING red … all my friends (and mother) said I would regret it. But it’s been 8 years and I’ve gone from “Modern Red & Black” (ps. had red, black and gray polka-dot wallpaper on two walls too!) to the trendy “Red & Aqua” and I’m loving it! So I totally agree, buy what you love and work around it! Great blog 🙂
I love nearly everything so it is complicated for me. I have to discipline myself. When I see something I love I ask myself where it belongs. Often the answer is in a house that I don’t own- like my beach house, my lake cottage, my English manor or my city condo. Many items I love belong to spaces that I only decorate in my dreams. My real home is eclectic but there is definitely a overall theme (Modern Bride meets Hollywood Regency) that I stick with to keep things cohesive. With color every 10 years or so I start to delete colors in my scheme and when I get things pretty neutral I start adding others. I always have blue though. It used to be peach and blue. Then it was navy with emerald and burgundy (remember jewel tones). Now it is a cooler medium blue with green and gold.
I am making my own home so trends swirl around me and occasionally I will pull something I love into my own created sacred space. That way I enjoy the comings and goings of color, shape, functions while staying true to what I want my home to be and more importantly, to feel like. That includes excellent pieces of furniture that last a lifetime, books, colors that nourish my soul, and things that make my home function in the way I wish to live. We can honor creativity and enjoy the scenery of passing trends while remaining true to our own master design. Home means something different to everyone. Finding the truth of Home and then enjoying it is key for a peaceful life for me.
I so enjoy the monumental and never ending pools of ideas flowing from creative women and men. It is fun to watch and at times when something speaks to me, bring it Home to my Home.