inspiration photos House Beautiful
Some people are summer house people. Some are fall or winter house people. Others of us are a mixture and like our homes to flow effortlessly from season to season. And sometimes, we prefer a particular season but our homes seems better suited to another.
It is interesting with me at my own home these days, I am still trying to find that balance of everything I love. I am enjoying the fun of lightening things up somewhat since moving from my English Tudor, but I am still trying to keep elements of “coziness.”
I don’t want a summer house but I am not wanting a fall or winter house either. I want an “all season house.”Is that too much to ask? I want it cozy in the winter, airy in the summer time. That last sentence made me think about that saying about mullets, “Business in the front, party in the back.” Not sure how that correlation popped into my head, but it is late as I am writing this and sometimes I get a little loopy when I write late at night.
Really there is no correlation to mullets, because I want rooms in my house to flow effortlessly from summer to fall, and mullets are kind of abrupt from one level to the next. Wow, I really shouldn’t write at night any more. I must need some sleep cause this is getting way off course.
{pause to refocus my thoughts}
{deep breath, moving on}
This home from House Beautiful has a really nice mix that could go from season to season quite easily. It is still beachy in style but not too light, delicate or feminine. You’ll notice that they have black railings like I do! But, my staircase will not look that classy until we remove our carpet. The black with the white definitely helps keep a balance in the home!
I think homes with lots of texture, a mix of painted and wood furniture, pops of color and seasonal accessories can easily flow from summer to fall to winter and spring. And those are just the layers that I am trying to have in my own home!
So which season is reflected in YOUR house?
And maybe equally as revealing, how do you feel about mullets?
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Twitter: forloveorfunny
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I confess – I love mullets. I had one for years, and I couldn’t believe it when my hairdresser said “NO MORE!” I’ve been searching for a new hairdresser ever since… My home, on the other hand, usually reflects the current season. In conclusion, my house is WAY more fashionable than my hair!
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HAAAA!!!!
I think I am like you – I want to let it flow! I am really trying to keep the majority of my big pieces neutral so that I can add in pops of color here and there and change it up with the season/my mood!
Jess recently posted..Eight Great Storage Ottomans
5 kids, 2 dogs, and homeschooling… my house is a reflection of tornado season.
I homeschooled 5 kids and then picked up a job in a daycare center too! I’ve used that same decorating theme, it is kid inspired! GOOD LUCK & God Bless!
I would have to say my house is a fall… but I am working on that whole ‘flow’ thing. We do have a mix of painted and wood furniture!
Mullets… they are abrupt to put it nicely. lol Don’t want the mullet, I am wanting effortlessly.
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Perfect timing with this post as we are all beginning to think about the new season and where we are headed with decor. I’m like you, wanting a cozy yet open and airy house – summer and winter.
As for mullets, I was never a fan, but they make for great conversation, no?
-Rene
Rene recently posted..Queen Annes Lace
I think mine may be more of an all season home, as I try to change my tablescapes, pillows and candles to reflect the seasons. It is definately a warm house lots of camels, and carmels, soft blues, and greens. I would love it to look effortless, but I am not effortless, I am a work in progress, thus my house it. By the way, my boys even have winter and summer bedding.
this is a perfect post for me! my house has always lended itself more to fall and winter…with fall as my FAVORITE season! but lately i’ve been needing more calm so i REALLY want an all season house..a house that is a blank white canvas that i can easily change it out!
Leah recently posted..A Tree
GAH! My house has to have seasons now??!? Just kidding. Kind of. In our house now, i guess you could say that it’s a summer house. Or a coastal house. Right now I’m wanting to purge EVERYTHING in my bedroom because it’s too heavy and it’s suffocating me. I blame it on the heat. I blame everything on the heat.
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Intersting post, just what I’ve been thinking about! My home is definitely a winter house. It’s really shines at Christmas. But while I love the coziness, I want to find a way to bring in more of the light and airyness of summer. I always tell my husband that I need multiple house so I can have a different style in each. Maybe I just need to find the flow to an all season house! … Definitely not a fan of mullets!
My house is a mix, and I feel like I’m constantly tweaking it, trying to get it where I want. One thing I would really love is to have summer and winter slipcovers for my family room sofa and chair. That way, I could switch them out for the seasons. It’s a work in progress, isn’t it?
After living in our cozy cottage on the shores of Lake Michigan for over a year, I’ve decided to decorate for both season. Summer definitely calls for a beach house look and after a coat of Heirloom White my thrifty Goodwill finds contributed nicely. I switch things out in the winter, pillows & accessories even wall decor for a warmer cozy look. Of course, my favorite season is Fall so I always like to add Autumn elements. I love decorating for the season, it mixes things up and makes the house so much more inviting. By the way, I am in love with your shuttered panels in the bedroom, absolutely dreamy!
Haha, I love the mullets / seasons correlation!
I think my house is summer – I love white to a fault. It’s just so clean and airy. But like you said, one does crave the coziness of darker colors come fall and winter.
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My hope is probably Fall. But it’s a bit dark. I need to add a little spring and summer.
Gayle recently posted..One day we were eating dinner in the dining room
My house has always felt like a Lake House. One of the old ones, with lots of tree’s around it and the lake just an acre or two out the back yard. Only I have no lake, just sweet neighbors. But the house, it’s clearly meant to be on a lake somewhere. So inside it’s colorful and cluttered and a bit rustic(read, tatty) and is completely comfortable and there are few things about it that I don’t love. So that doesn’t answer your question as to season, but rather as to FEEL.
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In its current state…I would say my home is in a Hurricane season! However, my goal would be to have a home that transitioned through every season effortlessly.
Good question about what season(s) our homes reflect. I never thought about it before, but you’re right, some peoples’ homes reflect more of one season than any others.
In my home, I keep the main pieces the same throughout the year, but change the lines, vases, baskets to reflect the 4 seasons we’re blessed with here in Virginia.
Carolleegail
I definitely, without a doubt, have a fall house!! Fall is my favorite time of year, the thought of cozying up under a blanket, a fire, warm colors…it all relaxes me…and that’s what I want my home to reflect.
If I could have it be fall everyday…I would!
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Oh, I can’t tell you how you’ve encouraged me today on the state of my decor! I’m constantly wavering back and fourth on the ‘feel’ or season I’d like my home to have (I lean toward light/airy beachy, but also desire the cozy feel as well) – Reading what you’ve shared, I think I’ve very un-wittingly achieved that somewhat.
Though I’m totally drawn to the light/bright/white and summery coastal inspired rooms, I can’t fully portray that with the current furnishings we have in our home (purchased before I really defined my style) AND my husband most definately leans more toward fall in the home as well. Not to mention, that those type of furnishings just might not look quite right in the winter of our new residence in Minnesota! HA!
Anyhow, as I look around, I’m seeing a lot of the balance you spoke of and now see it as a good thing rather than a half-way to what I’d ‘really’ like.
Thanks!
~h
heidi recently posted..Finding My Smile Amidst the Struggles
my house is definitely a fall house! The colors are warm and rich. Fall is by far my favorite season and is reflected in the colors I have chosen. I am branching out a bit…but not too much. I love looking at summery homes, but can’t seem to embrace it in my own..now if only I had a beach house, that would be a whole different story!
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This is exactly how I feel. I think I really over-think it too much.
I’ve heard that mullets are making a comeback. That makes me shudder, I have to admit.
My house is probably all-season, although with a bent toward fall. I always think I want a summer house, and then I get to decorating and it comes out leaning toward autumn every time.
Deidra recently posted..Spilling Apart
Definitely a mix!
Now that is the most interesting question…I don’t know the answer! Perhaps it’s a November house…you know the rhyme…Dull November brings the blast then the leaves are whirling fast… Yup, probably better go with my first impression. The paneling is driving me nuts just as I knew it would. I never wanted all that wood without painting it, but now I’ve married the carpenter and he loves the wood and all his sisters echo him, “What?! You want to paint this gorgeous wood?!” Yes, well, that used to be the plan. It darkens by the day. Okay, well, thanks for bringing me all this clarity. :>
Vee recently posted..Quite a Ride
I try to bring each season into my home in smallish ways…but my home truly comes alive in the fall! That is it’s “glory season!”
I loved this post. I completely agree. I think I may have finally got my house to the point where I don’t feel like I have to change every single thing for the seasons. Maybe I won’t change anything at all. I like how the house flows already…and I hope people feel as cozy as I do in it.
I love to change with all the seasons. I am a nature/country girl and I just adore it when the inside of my home reflects the outside. I get really excited about decorating for the seasons. I love to drink deeply from the glories of every passing month and time. My house reflects that. What a show this lovely world puts on, whether it’s Winter, Spring, Summer or glorious Fall! I never let a season pass with celebrating it.
Season of discontent? Or maybe Fall, since everything just kinds falls to the floor or counter or corner and never gets raked, er picked up. Possibly Winter with the nice dusting of…well, dust.
I do imagine a home for myself that is just as you describe, cozy when it should be cozy and light & airy when it should be light & airy. Someday…
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OK I am laughing SO HARD right now! You KNOW I can’t let the mullet comment just go by!! LOLOLOL
The reason I can’t let it go by is this…….30 YEARS ago I was in a rock ban with Melissa’s husband, and my future husband. They sported lovely mullets and they were proud of them. There I said it! I do have a soft spot in my heart for mullets, not that I like them, but they represent an era when we were young. When we stayed up late and sang our hearts out just because we could. Such a carefree time.
Now back to the house question. My house doesn’t reflect a certain season at this point. BUT MY GOAL is to have a house that I change in the spring and the fall so that it goes from light and airy, to warmer cozier and textured. I have started with the bedding, so I do change my bedding (comforters, sheets, dust ruffle etc) seasonaly. But eventually when I have my hardwoood floors in this house, I would love to switch from oriental rugs in winter, to grass mats in the spring. From damask at the windows in the fall, to irish lace panels in the spring. From dark tapestry slipcovers in fall, to white ones in the spring.
That is what I dream of.
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I’m from North Georgia where mullets are alive and well.
half of my extended family still wears the hairstyle.
as for my home….i add seasonal accessories every time I get a chance
and on the whole…I’m really not sure…it’s an eclectic lump of everything we love…I have burnt reds…creamy whites, blues, blacks, greens…an eclectic mess!
Definitely a thumbs down on the mullet, although I have a cousin who still wears one and it fits his “living on a boat” lifestyle.
We moved in spring and I can’t decide what season this house is. Our previous home was more fall/winter, although it had lots of light and white. There was a cozy feel to it.
Our current home is mostly a mess as we’re in the midst of renovations. A real mess. And with our daughter’s wedding coming up in 2 1/2 weeks, yikes – it’s a good thing the wedding is 2 hours away and people won’t be stopping by. But we are having about 20 people drive up for lunch on the following day. I’ve had to just let it go. The golf course green carpet will still be here and the 90 boxes of hardwood still in the garage. Not all the rooms will be painted, there’s an unfinished wall in the kitchen, and well, I just have to let it all go. But the guest rooms are pretty!
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I couldnt agree more. I love when my home reflects the seasons but I also want that transition to be easy one the eye. The older I get the more I am drawn to neutral rooms with pops of color to reflect the season. For instance my formal (i hate that word) living room has a neutral couch and two leather chairs-the pillows are spa /sea blue, seashells and cream candles are on the coffee table. In the fall I will change out the pillows for rust & brown and add brown transferware and creamy white pumpkins. For christmas I will do lime green, shiny mercury glass ,and pops of black and white with lots of greenery.
Right now my new fave is the Ballard Designs catalog they just sent out. Its lots of creams with pops of soft colors & greenery. ahhh so soothing!
Amanda Eck-TheEckLife recently posted..My dream has come true!
SUMMER, SUMMER ,FOREVER SUMMER!
In my opinion, mullets are gross and should be illegal. As for my house, I think it is probably more fall than anything else, very warm. But it is also a work in progress…so lightening up, here I come!
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Hmmm….I’d have to say fall & winter in the house; spring/summer outside. Our family room has leather furniture & a big stone fireplace – perfect for winter nesting. We have a covered front porch and a large covered patio in the back, so we spend most of our summer time outside. We even wired our back patio for cable so we’re able to move the TV in and out – we love watching football games outside when it’s too nice to be inside!
You are good with the thought provoking questions and this post got me to thinking too. I can see that your home does lend itself to a summer home and it is easy to take it that direction considering where you live. My house is that all season house but the colors I love tend to make it prettiest in the spring. Yours is evolving into what is uniquely you and it is good.
Pam @ BeColorful
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I am definitely a winter house person but lately I’ve been thinking maybe I could make at least one room light and airy. I really agree with you, I guess ideally I’d like my house to seem season-less—a good fit for warm or cool temps! Thanks for making us think about this!
I would say my house is somewhat warm but easily lightened up for Spring and Fall. I keep the big pieces(sofa etc) neautral so I can change out pillows and accessories for the Seasons. My kitchen is painted a mossy green which “goes” with any season. After MANY years of copying a friend I finally found MY true colors, that I LOVE and am VERY happy with my choices! (AND, my friend has now copied ME:):):)
Well neutral is something my house is not. I personally love it though-works for us! Our couch is a bright coral colored sectional! Its awesome! Our main walls are a creamy yellow with accent walls of a dark celery green. We have pops of blue and raw woods (reclaimed woods) to kinda cool it down. Every room in the house is pretty consistent so it does flow! I would definitely say our home is like spring. I reminds me of pink tulips with the fresh green stems! Its cool I swear!
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Summer!! When I got my “Autumn Decorating” catalog from Pottery Barn in the mail yesterday, I was thinking that I am definitely not ready for fall decorating. I’m not ready for the oranges, browns, yellows, and greens. I have kept all of my Pottery Barn Summer catalogs cause the decorating reflects my most favorite season! I love watery colors, and I love the beach. My home is definitely a “Summer home”.
beth recently posted..August happenings
For year my home was definitely a “fall” home….but I’m starting to lean towards a summer home… but wait maybe winter…I think what I’m trying to say is I like them all. Lately I’ve started to paint everything light….and plan to add touches of bold color to go with the seasons.
=)
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I would say my house is a spring/summer house for I like light colors and simple window coverings if any. White wood. But when fall comes, I drag out all the Halloween stuff which instantly spookifies my house. All the sparkly pumpkins warms up the decor.
When Christmas comes…I do a pink and aqua and silver christmas mixed with vintage stuff so the colors in my home brighten and sparkle for Christmas.
So I’d say I change with the season by changing accessories. I have light butter colored walls in most rooms. They are light enough for spring summer but just warm enough for fall winter especially at night.
I am more about going with how I feel when I step outside. If it’s hot [Spring/Summer] then I want to come into a house that feels cool, fun and just cheery, because after-all when you think of Spring and Summer and you are outside, everything is in bloom and just overall ‘cheery’.
If I step outside and it’s cool/crisp/cold… Tree’s are bare and the breeze is blowing with a smell of wood fire’s burning [Fall/Winter] then I want to walk into my home and have it not only feel warm- Temperature wise, but just look warm. Blankets/throws, Autumn/Winter colors and the smell of soup on the stove.
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Such a great post- something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately. I currently live in a condo that is entirely decorated in earth tones. When I moved in 5 years ago those were my favorite colors so it seemed like a good idea at the time to paint my walls olive green! -Not so much. While I don’t mind it as much in the fall/winter months, I hate it during spring and summer. It just feels too heavy. I am currently picking colors and decor for a new home we are about to build and I’m trying to be so careful with my color choices. I really want to strike that balance- a palette that works year round and I think it will be possible if I use your advice; a good mix of dark and light infused with color(at least that’s what I got from it). I wasn’t sure if I was making a bad choice by taking a really nuetral palette and mixing it with black furniture – my fear, since I’m not an interior designer, is that my home would end up looking more like a mullett- completely disconnected!! Haha! I feel better now, like I’m on the right track so thank you so much for the post and advice! Your blog is the very first “home blog” as I call them, that I ever started looking at. Loved it then, love it now! Thanks!
Hi Melissa, I had to laugh at the mullet thing…we all know and remember that phase! I agree with most of your posters….neutral and then lighten things up for an airy look for spring…and then darker accents to cozy it up for fall and the holidays. Love all the looks in the photos!
Blessings,
Debbie
Debbie recently posted..Watermelonstitched- quilted- paintedand eaten!
Hi Melissa! I love that you are pondering which season your house is… because it means that you are really in-tune with how it “feels.” Although a house inherently has a it’s own style or character, it’s important to decorate in such a way that it’s easy to make changes each season to reflect the changing moods of you, the light, the temperatures, etc… like you said… cozy in the winter & airy in the summer. You can do that with accessories, artwork, rugs, etc. And a lot of it can be done inexpensively (or with big bucks for those so inclined & that have them!). I’m an interior designer & just started a new blog about this very topic, so the timing of your post is fun for me. I have followed your site for a while… we share an admiration for Alexandra Stoddard… she’s featured in my newest (only 2nd!) post… hope you visit! (http://design4seasons.blogspot.com/) No comment on the mullets (except no one did em better than Patrick Swayze!)
Kat recently posted..As Summer Floats By
No mullet, no thank you. But…they do seem practical LOL!
I would love for my house to look just like these beautiful pictures, but coming back to reality, it does not!
By virtue of compromise, meaning I have to consider my husband too, I would say my house is lost in time! I actually change flowers, bedspreads, towels, etc from summer to winter. By myself, I would have a summer house..mostly white with touches of blue, I think..but I’m not sure, I’m rather indecisive!
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I too am hoping for more of a seasonless room, but I think I may be leaning more to the summer. But I like summer, so I guess there is nothing wrong with that.
laurie recently posted..My kitchen at Its Great to be Home
My bedroom is definitely summer, my family room and living room winter…I’d like it to flow from season to season, but for now it will stay put. No time.
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So funny you wrote this post because I have been thinking about the same thing. I just painted the dining room the same color as the rest of the living spaces for more flow. I thought that would be easy since I have lived with the color for a few years. Not so, turns out that room needs something a bit warmer, like fall. It faces west so it can handle it.
Londen
Sixty Fifth Avenue recently posted..The Beginning
I have always been a fall person in the past. But over the past year my house has been transforming into a breezy spring retreat. I love the light and airy feeling these days. However, I just can’t seem to finish a room without a little red popping into it no matter how hard I try. I am just drawn to it. I think every room looks better with just a touch of red.