 | Happy Monday! Today the amazingly-talented Annette Tatum will be guest-blogging for me. Annette is a textile designer, author of The Well-Dressed Home, and mother of four. Her design philosophy stems from her belief that your home should be a reflection of your lifestyle, which includes how you dress. Her lovely blog features inspiring fashion and home decor ideas, as well as trends and fun decorating tips. Annette helps you explore your inner “fashionista,” bringing a piece of the catwalk into your home! Enjoy this wonderful post and check out her special offer at it’s conclusion: |
“As outlined in my book, The Well-Dressed Home , my design philosophy is all about layering. I believe that your home should be a reflection of the styles you wear and the lifestyle you enjoy. So instead of choosing this season’s latest fashion craze when deciding on a design theme, why not allow your own personal wardrobe to inspire the décor?
For example, in my closet I have a lot of vintage and romantic pieces. I love vintage for its gently faded blues, floral-inspired periwinkles, and delicate silver accents. And then there’s romantic… a heartfelt Romeo and Juliet fairy tale of tea-party florals, Rodarte dresses, and pink pastels paired with their voluptuous color palette counterparts.
So when decorating my home, I looked to these themes to inspire the décor. I created these collages, which I call style files, to gather and organize my inspirations. I recommend creating one before designing a room, as it provides a visual interpretation of the motif, and allows you to judge its cohesiveness.
The picture below illustrates my thought process when decorating in the casual and romantic styles. See how this lovely lace pale pink dress influenced the textures and patterns in this design board, which inspired the room to the right.
Notice here how the elegant gold and cream shades translate from the runway to the room…
And the collage below, a visual interpretation of vintage and romantic styles inspired by their corresponding pieces in my wardrobe, influenced the pale pinks and gentle neutrals in this vintage inspired bedroom. Pink… it’s the perfect neutral.
All of these photos are from my book, The Well-Dressed Home. If you’d like to see more, visit our blog at www.annettetatum.com/blog, or purchase the book, The Well-Dressed Home, at www.annettetatum.com/book.
And exclusively for The Decorologist and The Well-Dressed Home blog readers, use the coupon code “home” to get $5 off the original price of a signed copy!”
Thank you, Annette, for sharing your vision and these lovely images with us! I encourage my readers to check out her blog and order her gorgeous book today.
That theory is all well and good if you have the finance to back up your ideal choices in life…I think my wardrobe and my decor is mainly compromise and make do all the way!
regardless of your budget, i think annette’s philosophy works well with a “use what you have” mindset. finding inspiration from something you already have, like your favorite clothing, can be a great way to figure out what kinds of things you want surrounding you!
I love this concept but I’m, unfortunately, in the same boat as Naturally Carol. I love her idea collages! So pretty.
you, my dear, are quite the fashionista, so i’m sure you can use your wardrobe as inspiration! even favorite jewelry or shoes can inspire how you decorate, don’t you think?
and yes, her collages are so gorgeous . . .
What beautiful photos. Thanks for making us aware of the book.
Warmly, Michelle
at first I was feeling sorry for myself (I didn’t even know what a Rodarte dress was and had to Google it) that I could never accomplish this level of style in my home because I don’t have a wardrobe budget, just whatever is on sale, but then I realized what she was saying – take anything you have that is beautiful for whatever personal reason you find it beautiful and use it as your inspiration. When left to my own devices I gravitate toward white ruffles and lace paired with denim jeans. An “aha!” moment – I need to get that same feeling into my home. 🙂 Is that right?
Exactly, Lee! Aha!
It sounds like an interesting book, and I totally agree that what’s in your closet can inspire your room designs!
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