home trends ~ or not

Home decor trends come and go...some cool and inspiring (open shelving on kitchen walls, statement bathroom mirrors, tech-less living rooms, mismatched dining chairs) and others; well, we'll probably be glad to see them fade out (brass bathroom fixtures, taxidermy, messy beds, burlap and chevron). Though in my humble opinion, if you still fancy any of those things, that's just fine and dandy. I still have a chevron rug because I like it. I don't give a rat's hiney that someone (who decides these things?) says it's now outdated.

I have never decorated my home because of a trend. I don't even necessarily have a particular style. I decorate with what I like and what fits our budget. Obviously has to be cat-friendly, too. ;-)

  

When someone compliments my home, it makes me feel good ~ because I love decorating and take great pride in how my home looks and feels.

This past July when we had Tim's graduation party here, one of Tim's female friends came up to me and told me that she loved how I decorated my house. She said, "When I get my own apartment, I want you to come and help me decorate it!" 

And, just yesterday I had a friend over and she texted me when she got home and said, "I love your house!" Do you think she noticed that my kitchen is outdated? What would the Trend Police think of that? I hope the main reason my friend said she loved my house was because she felt welcome and comfortable here.

My outdated kitchen and living room are actually going to be undergoing a little bit of a transformation soon. The wainscoting will be gone (not because of a trend; simply because after 26+ years of living with it, I'm tired of it) and the walls painted a creamy off-white. The 1980's range hood over the stove will be taken out and a microwave put in its place. Most dramatic of all, an eight foot pass-thru will be cut out in the main supporting wall from the kitchen into the living room.

 Thinking of a conversation Brian and I had just the other day, he had said, "Our house feels very peaceful." That's always a good thing - and never out-of-date. It reminds me of when Tim was about eight years old and he told me that he loved our house because it was "so comfy". That's how I came up with the name of this blog, by the way. 

 Oh, look ~ there's that chevron rug!

Maybe you can tell by looking at some of these photos that I mix different styles...classic, modern, vintage. Heck, I even like mid-century modern ~ though I haven't incorporated any of that into my decor. Yet.

You can flip through any popular home decorating magazine or blog and find beautiful designs and ideas, but to me, a house is not a home without personal items: photographs, a dish of seashells from your beach vacation, your kid's artwork, heirlooms, a collection you started simply because that first item "spoke" to you, gifts from loved ones, something quirky that made you smile, your own artwork. I use the top of this bookcase as a memorial to Phil. There's a shelf above it that has more photographs, Phil's keychain and wallet, and a few of his favorite Stephen King books.

What it boils down to is that your home should be an expression - and yes, even an extension - of yourself. Your style might not be someone else's cup of tea, but it's not supposed to be. 

 "Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."