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Get to Know You: Your Style

by | Feb 24, 2015 | Decorating Inspiration, Finding your style, Get to Know You

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Get to Know You: Your Style

Get to Know You: Your Style

Last November I decided to turn the tables on you so I could get to know you a little better! While I always appreciate hearing from you in the comments, emails and social media, the truth is I really want to get to know each of you a little bit better. You all get to read a lot about me and my house (and in my new book you’ll get to read even more of my many house stories! SO excited to share it with you) but I really do love hearing about you and your house stories, too!

I loved that so many of you joined the conversation and shared where you live and details about your home. It was so fun to read all of the comments (yes, I read every single one!) and even better, I loved that you all enjoyed each others’ stories! That just warmed my heart, you are all kindred spirits of the house loving kind! :). I appreciated that so many of you commented for the first time too.

So today, I wanted to strike up the conversation again with another get to know you question! Would you delurk and join in the conversation? I would love that and I know other readers enjoy it, too.

Here’s the question for today’s installment of “get to know you” … Now that you’ve shared where you live, let’s talk about this: how would you define your decorating style if you had to describe it in words? It can be tricky to define sometimes, I know. And if you are like me, you might have several favorite decorating styles but then you have one you actually go with because it suits your house or what you already have.

So, let’s discuss the style you decorate with now and whether you like your style currently or if you are evolving to a new look! This is just for fun :). You can share your favorite decorating colors, your style of furniture or whether you would describe your style with terms like cottage style, modern, farmhouse, traditional, mid-century modern, coastal, or even good ol’ hand-me-down or gathered over time eclectic. Is your style based on your style of house or simply what you love? And if you are evolving to a new look, tell me about it! Even if you don’t have a style yet or you are just starting out, you can share about that, too.

It’s so fun to hear from you. There are over 600,000 monthly readers at The Inspired Room (I know!, Crazy, right?) so I really do love getting to know more of you personally! :)

If you don’t know how to comment, it is really easy. There is a comment link at the end of the post. You just click it, it will open up a comment box. Then you can fill out your name and email address (that’s just a security feature) and then type in a comment! You do not have to fill out the “url” or “website” box unless you have one. You can leave it blank!

Ready, set, delurk!

PS. Thank you to those of you who are voting for your favorite blogs in the Better Homes & Gardens contest! You’ll notice that the Decorating nominees were moved to the last screen, so now when you click the link you have to scroll through to the end to find it. There is a skip this category button or you can vote in each. Vote here!

Sources (left to right, top to bottom): 1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6

182 Comments

  1. Laurie

    The Stuck-With-THAT So-NOT-ME style! But it leave a lot of room for creativity and a good upholsterer. LOL. What you end up with? Home … and a new style, Traditional Eclectic Farmhouse.

    Reply
  2. Tara@LehmanLane

    A Fresh and Cozy Modern Farmhouse:)…at least that is what I hope it will look like when we are all finished renovating and decorating our 100+ year old farmhouse:). I am also starting to LOVE the color white way more than I too!

    Reply
  3. Ms. Maggie

    I guess over the years, I have decluttered a bit since you have to spend more time dusting the more intricate items if they lay out. I also most importantly said goodbye to items that I had displayed that were given as gifts but really did not care for, especially wedding presents. Or castoffs from family that they thought were heirlooms. They were given to family members or charity. or stored them until we decide what to do (no rush really). What a relief it is to do that and create your own style and place! Or I thought they were trending at the time but really were not part of our active lifestyle (those metal objects d’ art or dried plant displays). I made sure to keep comfort as the most important reason to have something in the house but that does not mean boring or worn. I have added items from trips and from places that we love and we finally received some real heirlooms (sad). We got rid of generic prints and got real signed art including that our son who is an graphic artist. We put the art in better frames and updated the lighting to be more modern and classy. So lots of upgrades were made and will be continued to be made.

    Reply
  4. Karla@smalltownrambler

    I tend to have a mix of things mostly because I took what I could get when I lived in my own years ago. Which is why I have more hand-me-down decor…and because I cherish family pieces. I love decorating with things that have a story…

    Reply
  5. Seana Turner

    I usually go with “Beachy Modern,” but it doesn’t fit my whole house. I’m afraid I don’t have a unified style because my home is full of what I’ve acquired over man years.

    Reply
  6. Sallie

    I guess my style would be “personalized eclectic”? I like things that have a history, and I’m not really tied to a style at all. I have things ranging from a marble tea table with Queen Anne legs to an antique mahogany rocking chair to cheap modern cherry-veneer bookcases to reclaimed garbage pickings! I prefer function over just about anything, but I also like to make it look nice. I love antiques, especially when I know their provenance, and I have lots and LOTS of memorabilia from both sides of the family – pictures, WWII flight wings and dog tags, woodwork made by my dad and grandpa, tools, furniture – you name it. I like that historical connection to family. Most everything has a story.

    Reply
  7. Shannon [Our Home Notebook]

    I love light, neutral design with layers of texture and pattern. Which translates to a lot of white and wood and a little vintage, industrial thrown in. We’re still in the painting rooms and gathering furniture stage for a lot of our home so its exciting to see the style that we love take shape in the couple rooms that we’ve been able to pull together so far.

    Reply
  8. Suzanne Moncrief

    I own a 108 year old house that I love. I used to try to decorate the style of the house. I have now lived in Germany for 10 years and moving soon back to my house. I intend to decorate how I love. Eclectic is definetly my style. I love antiques. The Morrocan/Turkish style is a look I love as well. I have collected so many things while I have been in Europe and I want to use them all. Bright colors with oriental rugs and hardwood floors. Man, I can’t wait to get back into my house and start decorating!

    Reply
  9. Loni Tabor

    I believe I am evolving from cottage chic to modern farmhouse fresh! Loving my soft comfy couch and white ironstone collection on my antique hutch. I am loving whites and grays when I’ve always been into warm butters and beiges. I too have decluttered and given away the hand me downs and gifts that were not my style but I thought I had to keep! Im loving it!

    Reply
  10. Sharon

    Being at a new phase of my life, (retirement and empty nesters) I find my style changing. I have rid myself of much of what I call the clutter and yet I find I miss that feeling of “things” that make a home feel homey. I love color and most often deep color on the walls and white is now my color of choice for upholstered furniture. I am a fan of lots of throw pillows and want to bring back into the mix little interesting pieces. The #4 bedroom is interestingly not only my choice but also my husbands.

    Reply
  11. beck campbell

    Eclectic. Years ago I was more traditional…now I have fallen in love with mid-century. I have found that I love the mix of the two…with a little bit of “whatever” thrown in here and there! And I love a variety of different wood tones in a room. I am fortunate to have a home with high ceilings, lots of windows and light walls. It allows me to use more wood tones without it feeling dark or heavy.

    Reply
  12. Shelly

    Not sure my style is describable! Friends always compliment my home with statements like “I love how nothing matches!” I tend to love all sorts of things and feel I have a pretty good eye for making them all go together somehow. If I love it, I go with it. I have a mix of new items, thrifted items, diy’s and family treasures. Lots of pattern and color but enough neutral to keep it from going into crazy! I’m constantly house tweaking because it’s fun, not because I’m dissatisfied with my home at all. I’ve got three little ones also so storage, comfort and fun are a big part of my style too!

    Reply
  13. Michele Laramay

    My style is farmhouse country/colonial. I have Rowe Pottery that has a cobalt blue pattern, so this dictates and lot of my color choices. I have blue, gold, cranberry colors throughout the main floor. Big comfy chairs and sofa. Pine antiques. I love color on my walls. I do not like clutter, but do like texture in a room. It is -18 here now, so lots of cozy throws and afghans and candles. Outside I have lovely perennial gardens, a big front porch with rockers. etc… I have raised a houseful of boys (5) and their friends here and I think everyone would tell you that our home is cozy and peaceful. I enjoy decorating it and changing things now and then, but am overall quite content in my home.

    Reply
  14. Gail

    Almost anything EXCEPT mid-century modern !
    Yes to: coastal, British Colonial/West Indies, farm house, cottage. Even a touch of French country and Craftsman. I think all these create cozy and / or sensual environments.

    Reply
  15. Amy

    This coming Friday we will close on our newly-purchased “beach cottage” in Ocean Pines MD, which really consists of a 940 sq ft, 3 bedroom, 2 bath small ranch-style home with a back deck and shed. My goal is to transform this blank slate into a charming, unfussy, light filled space for us and our dogs to relax in when we are at the beach. We have 2 Great Danes and an English Labrador, so there is a lot of thought that goes into ease of upkeep on finishes, furnishings, and decorating decisions based on everyday life with such big dogs bumbling around. BIG DOG friendly decorating is at the top of my list! I have always dreamed of having a place of our own near the coast, and am so excited to finally be able to decorate the way I have always wanted.
    My “style” is a combination of beachy/modern/vintage/retro/Florida Keys/nautical/shabby cottage style. It will definitely be an eclectic mix, but everything will be carefully chosen with intention and purpose based on the way I know we live. What does that “comfy, lived in beach house vibe” mean, exactly? Well, to me, it means a lot of things. Such as…furnishings that the dogs can sit on alongside us, accessories that won’t break if a tail accidentally swipes them, and washable textiles. Bright, cheerful colors that remind me of tropical vacations and sunny islands. Flooring that only requires a quick vacuum and colorful rugs that soften the spaces. Artwork collected from places we have been or of things that evoke the intangible vibe of a well-loved beach house, including photography made by me ( Etsy shop name OnIslandTime).
    And then there’s that little matter of the budget. I am using this project to enhance my creativity and thrift shop hunting skills! I have purchased some thrift-store furniture and had fun painting it in bright cottage colors. I also have some things from our current home that will be re-purposed for the beach house. For example, I have a dresser that I refurbished with paint and decoupaged maps to the drawer fronts, and a plate rack and mirror that I re-painted at home. We have a Home Goods, Marshall’s and TJ Maxx within 30 minutes of our house so I have been shopping those locations frequently, stocking up on basics like towels, bath rugs, baskets, pillows, and bedding. Some new furniture was purchased from IKEA, such as a king sized bed in the master bedroom so the dogs can fit with us, just like at our regular house.
    The colors I plan to use are inspired by a dishtowel, of all things! It had just the right colors of turquoise, raspberry, mint, butter yellow and spring green. I also want to incorporate coral as well. I know it sounds a bit jumbled, but it will all work out great in the end. You’ll see! My “Future Beach House” Pinterest board has helped me corral all of the great ideas that I want to incorporate and I will be using those Pins to help keep me on track with the look I am going for. I will be blogging my progress so feel free to check it out starting in March. I am not a professional blogger, so you will just be getting “me”…I am just excited about it all and wanted to share!

    Reply
  16. Cheryl

    Our decorating style is Colonial Farmhouse.
    When we moved into our farmhouse (over thirty years ago!), we had an old house, no money, and “country” was cool. So we went with it. My husband is handy, and he made a lot of our furniture while we were renovating one room at a time (which took years!). While our look began as an affordable way to create a home, over time our house became “us.” Through the years we have honed and simplified the “country” look to make it more colonial.
    Trendy, we’re not. I love houses and so many decorating styles and I read a ton of decorating blogs. But when it comes to our own home sweet home, our style fits who we are and now I can’t imagine it any other way.

    Reply
  17. Linda

    My style has morphed to cottage. We have a modified bungalow and are doing some remodeling to open up some rooms. It is a very long and messy but I can already see the changes and am loving it.

    Reply
  18. Mollyray

    My style is ‘allergy-free’ as I have asthma. According to what I’ve read this style is bare and minimalist, but find the recommended level of minimalism difficult to live with. It’s a question of balance, but achieving it in an aesthetically pleasing way is an ongoing challenge. Essentially I have no style as I’m frequently at war with myself!

    Reply
  19. Jen Smith

    coastal rustic cottage

    Reply
  20. Leslie

    My style is eclectic/comfy. I love lamps, throws and toss pillows as much as the next girl, but to me it’s much more about the *feeling* my home evokes. I have this quote framed on my wall and it captures my aspirations:
    “That house was a perfect house, whether you like food or sleep or storytelling or singing or just sitting and thinking best, or a pleasant mixture of them all. Merely to be there was a cure for weariness, fear and sadness.” J.R.R. Tolkien

    Reply
    • Tina

      Love this quote Leslie!

      Reply
    • Cassandra Egan

      Love this quote too!

      Reply
  21. Terri

    My house was eclectic because I inherited most of the things in it, like an antique Cherry Vanity that belonged to my great, great, great grandmother and an Ethan Allen Mahogany formal dining room set from my grandmother. I had prints from a famous southwestern artists in one room and prints of the water from Bermuda in the living room. I now rent and my personal taste runs along a beach/cottage style, with a little bit of rustic farm thrown in. The two dominant colors are shades of blue and grey.

    Reply
  22. Tina

    I currently live in a 112 year old Victorian house. Over the 23 years I have lived here we have collected many antiques and the house is decorated in the victorian style for the most part. However, we are now downsizing to a ranch and I am excited to explore a new style! It’s difficult though, moving away from one style to another. I’m pulled toward soft colors and a more eclectic look, Clean lines with some rustic wood thrown in. So fun to see where it all goes!

    Reply
  23. Liz

    I’m currently an “early relative” style with my acquisitions mixed in, so it is a warm mix of treasures. I really like the older pieces. However, I am entering the decluttering stage, having dealt with a couple of estates. It was an easier project when the relative had cleared things out vs the one who had 50+ years of treasures. So, I’m going to be nice to my relatives.

    It’s also time for me to update some aspects of my home, which I’ll do after the decluttering is complete. I’m leaning towards the warm white walls with dashes of color around.

    Reply
  24. Diane Amick

    I started off (over 40 years ago) with very traditional furniture…and it has morphed through the years to a more transitional style. Everything from passed down family antiques to auction finds, oriental pieces to artwork by relatives, traded rugs to homemade window treatments, IKEA pieces to consignment finds. We downsized three years ago and I had no problem culling so that every piece I now have is one that I lovelovelove. BUT, a new sofa will be necessary soon and I’m really considering a sectional in a much more contemporary style than I would have several years ago – fewer loose pillows to rearrange after the dog jumps down or my hubby decides to sleep in the bed rather than on the sofa. We’re always evolving and I love the thrill of finding something new that I just can’t live without!

    Reply
  25. Megan

    Fun question! I think, like many, my style preferences are one thing (or two, or three) and my house doesn’t seem to reflect much of it. ;-)

    I love antiques (quirky or meaningful ones; generally not “stuffy”) but also have a soft spot for mid-century and modern lines. I’d like to think I’m the “neutral walls with pops of color” type, although several of our rooms do, indeed, feature colorful walls. Hmm.

    Our small house is from the 1920s, so I love vintage, but also ogle farmhouse/cottage-style blogs and mags…and still seem to love modern art and furniture. So, I suppose that would fit under “eclectic.” ;-)

    Reply
  26. Judy C in NC

    What a cauldron of emotion about decorating .. having retired and moved from Colorado (Southwest style)to North Caolina, we bought a very traditional two story brick colonial and decorated in that style. After ten years we downsized and moved to a Mission-style cottage home on a double cul-de-sac with only 25 houses. After five garage sales and trying to maintain the craftsman style, it wasn’t working so well on the inside for me – too much wood and simplicity in design and no softness. I have been adding some French farmhouse things which were pleasing to my eye, when my husband reminded me that he had a permanent genetic marker within (he was born in England) and that I needed to remember to add English somewhere along the way. Well I continue to add my Stoneware and some galvanized items, within reason, and the French linens with pillows and pictures. I did buy an English wooden market basket for him. Hee, Hee , I want a French farmhouse table, but he is balking on that because of the size. I am really not sure how all of this will turn out, because the bottom line is we just want comfort and easy to live with things. Love your blog and how easily you seem to decorate. For me, it has become somewhat of a chore. Out of all of this may come a new style – ours alone. Love all the comments and finding that I am not alone. Thanks for the opportunity to comment on this subject. Judy C

    Reply
  27. vonda

    Mine is changing from traditional to French country now to almost modern. I’m updating living room with more modern prints and I’m loving it. I had no ideal your tastes could change over the years.

    Reply
  28. Lori Lubovich

    Mid century mod meets urban chic, with hints of artistry and nerd love. I love the slim, low-profile furniture from the 50s and 60s, but I can’t help loving me some contemporary furniture too. I have posters and collectibles interspersed throughout our living spaces, and I use artsy pieces to give it a splash of color!

    Reply
  29. Ashley

    Somewhere between shabby chic/non-fussy French country/eclectic. I want my house (condo) to feel like a home. The trick is going to be combining that style with my boyfriend’s modern/sleek tastes when we move things to the next stage with a home together.

    Reply
  30. Lindsay

    I think my style is a industrial farmhouse mix… but goodness it’s hard to pin a specific style down! P.S. Love the blog! I follow on instagram too :) @llonghauser
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    Reply
  31. Britt

    My husband and I have fused our decorative styles over the years, I would call our style ‘Rustic Traditional Minamal’ . We’re big on function, not a lot of clutter, bright white walls and antique wood furniture.

    Reply
  32. Nan, Odessa, DE

    Country, traditional. My husband has made many pieces of pine furniture and gadgets over our 50 yrs of making a home together. I buy what I like in furniture and DO NOT CHANGE. I have a sofa that is 25 yrs old, used by everyone on Sun and special occasions. We are now into the Great grandchildren. Recently, I sewed covers for the chairs using king size sheets from LL Bean that updated this space. I like change but it is with accessories! Love home making and living in Delaware where the seasons change. I like all shades of RED but use it with cream and black through out our cape code house built by my father-in-law.
    Thank you for asking me my style!

    Reply
  33. Chloe

    I love me an industrial farmhouse vibe with lots of neutrals. If I could just move into Restoration Hardware, that would be great. What’s not working for me is the tons of distressed shabby chic items that I purchased in college and early 20’s. I still love so many of the items, but they drag our house too far into that girly vibe. My husband was beyond annoyed with me when I spent 3 hours last night pulling everything off a bookcase and redecorating “because it needs to change.” He’d rather I leave things alone for at least 10 years and never change a thing. :)

    Reply
  34. Lani

    I’d describe my style as contemporary modern mixed with lots of natural/organic pieces. Sort of a hybrid of West Elm/Anthropologie. I love earth tones and all things bamboo along with big leafy palms. I feel like my style has evolved over the last few years so working with furniture I don’t love is tough, but at least I can really figure out what I like when it comes time to replace those big pieces.

    Reply
  35. Pamela

    Traditional-collected. As a designer, it’s assumed I’ve got the “perfect house” but the truth is I have years and years worth of treasures from loved ones, shopping forays and sometimes just a needed purchase. It’s a little random, but based in tradition and pulled together with colors we love.

    Reply
  36. erc

    My center-entrance colonial is coming up on its 200th birthday and while we have been here for almost a year, I find it nearly impossible to decorate b/c I think nothing does it justice so I can’t make any decisions. The floors and fireplaces are gorgeous, the character clearly apparent as no wall is the same length, no ceiling the same height. I have decorating ADD and end up pinning & tearing out pictures from so many places and then in review, I dislike it all and start from scratch. One day I like coral and navy, or did PB just tell me to like coral and navy b/c the cover has coral and navy pillows on it? One day I think red furniture in the dining room, because I found an old red buffet on craiglist – but I thought I wanted to paint the walls bright blue, will that work? White bedding and white decor in the bedroom is so beautiful on every website, yet I have 2 insanely active pointers that make it their personal goal to get every inch of my house dirty every day & won’t call it a day unless they have their head on a pillow and muddy, wet bodies under the covers each night, so no white happening in this house! This is my brain every day… I’m on overload and in the interim am getting very little accomplished. My ultimate style ideal is coming into some money and hiring a decorator :)

    Reply
    • kimBinAK

      You sound so much like me! Except I only have one, small pekeingese :) My brain works in a similar way and my dream is also to be able to afford a decorator!

      Reply
  37. Jenny

    I am definitely into the traditional style with a touch of country/farmhouse. I like warmth in a home, using paint colors and furniture. My sofa is a dark oversized leather camelback one finished with nailheads, a mix between formal and casual. I don’t like clutter and knick knacks. I like simple and sophisticated, but not stuffy.

    Reply
  38. Mandy Camus

    I’m trying to figure my style out. My husband is currently building our forever home and so I have this blank slate to start with. My last home the style was very “pottery barn” I would call it. This house, I’m am leaning towards an urban farmhouse feel. I love Joanna Gaines style from Fixer Upper. So hopefully I can stay focused and pull it all together.

    Reply
  39. Lorrie

    I would call my style “Swedish by the Sea with a touch of France” – I like clean, light-filled rooms, not a lot of clutter, pale walls. a mix of painted and natural wood, and artwork that means something to us. Not everything we have and use fits as I’d like it to, but decorating is a process and I enjoy small transformations along the way. Cool greys, pale blues, watery shades, and a white mantel over a black marble fireplace are juxtaposed against grey/brown upholstery, pillows with nature themes in blues and greens, brass lamps, and wicker trays. I love my home.

    Reply
    • Melissa @ The Inspired Room

      Lorrie, I adore the name of your style, how lovely that sounds even to just let it roll of the tongue! ;-) Beautiful!

      Reply
  40. Dawn B.

    I would say my decorating style is ‘gift shop’. I love to collect antiques,shabby chic, farmhouse style items and display them. Lots of garage sale items re-purposed. For example, saw an old 6 drawer dresser in a closet at a church. It was no longer in use so they let me have it, (for a small donation) put some new knobs on it and it is now in my bedroom. Have some antiques inherited from my grandmother also. Old rocking chair, picture frames, dishes. Love the old stuff!

    Reply
  41. Lynn W

    I just voted for you over at the BH&G website!!! I love your blog and congratulations on the book;)
    I think I would call my style Rustic Vintage Traditional……I just made it up but it sounds like me. I love to use our families antiques and newer traditional ish pieces that I have and also incorporate a rustic feel with use of wood pieces (driftwood/branches). Natural objects and plants are a must for me in every room. An item really has to speak to me! Then to keep it fresh, I am big on keeping things rotated in the house. I love to be creative inside and outside the house in our yard. Thank you for your inspiring blog!

    Reply
  42. Karla Huffman

    Upon posting pics of our former house, we received this most awesome comment and I owned it as my decorating style:

    “It looks like Pinterest, festivity, and whimsy threw up all over it.”
    “In the most inviting and pleasing way”

    I’ve carried some of that whimsy into our new home, but with a little dose of calm. As I get older, I find myself drawn to whites and neutrals to establish calm within the storm of our busy lives.

    Reply
    • Melissa @ The Inspired Room

      Wow, that’s quite a comment but fun to own your style and that definitely sounds fun! But I totally get your need to establish a bit of calm, I think my ideal is a bit of calm mixed with that festive whimsy! Makes life interesting! :)

      Reply
  43. Sharilyn

    I would say our style is tropical modern with a bit of island & coastal!! I realized how different some of my decorating choices have been when one of my closest friends said, how many people do you know in south FLA who put green matte and glossy glass tile backsplash and bamboo cabinets when they redo their kitchen!! I could think of a single one!!! I still love my choice :) I also have light Bamboo floors, walnut, glass and teak furniture and pieces collected from places we love and beaches and oceans we visit!

    Reply
  44. Kathleen

    My style is unexpected, to me that is. I started out with shabby chic but when I look around I can’t quite figure out how I got where I am. I do love it though. I am also proud to say that aside from a leather couch set and a once in a lifetime splurge on a painting, everything is recycled, second hand, or something we recreated or re-purposed. It does help to have a handy husband.

    Reply
  45. Jenna

    Wow, every comment read? I’m impressed!
    As for style, I’m not sure! I know what colors I like: light blues, grey, toups, and creams. I love my bedroom! It’s light blue with grey patterned paneled curtains. In the day it floods with sunlight, at night it baskes in warm lamp lights.
    So I guess my style would be traditional/clean. Simple and light. I’m seeing for the first time how patterns, color, metals, and other mediums are all part of the process! I never understood it having gone without it. Now it’s opening a whole new world! Your blog is so encouraging!

    Reply
    • Melissa @ The Inspired Room

      Thank you Jenna, I’m glad it has encouraged you. Your home sounds lovely! And yes, I enjoy EVERY COMMENT! So fun to hear from people! :)

      Reply
  46. Anna

    I don’t have a house yet (we’re moved in with my parents to save money for a bit) but I love imaging how I’ll decorate once we do. My husband & I have very different styles, in fact he doesn’t have a “style” yet but is still very particular since it will be his house too. so it will be interesting (hopefully challenging in a good way versus stressful & frustrating) decorating a house together.
    I kind of have two styles. Up until recently I would have described my style as Updated Mid-Century Modern with a Bohemian/Eclectic mix; lots of white & pale gray walls with lots of pops of color & warm woods. Recently though I’ve been really drawn to styles similar to your’s & Joanna Gaines. So now I’m really liking a Modern Farmhouse style. White & pale gray walls, Mid-Century furniture pieces mixed in with other vintage pieces, some left in there beat-up wood state with others painted in a bit of a “shabby-chic” style. More neutrals than the first style but still with pops of jewel tones like mustard, teal & dark blue. I’m hoping this style with appeal more to my husband who likes comfort & function first & his style bounces around between traditional & super modern.

    Reply
  47. Anne

    I hope my home says welcome, come in and relax. I use to call it a mix of inheritance and IKEA. It is light and informal with a lot of plants and flowers and books (and tea and chocolate …). Some compromises have been involved since I do not live alone but I like it :-)

    Reply
  48. Marion

    My style has definitely changed over the years, but is leaning to more of a cottage feel. We are “renewlyweds”, (a more positive word for emptynesters) and downsized to a townhome on Lake Wylie, SC two years ago. We love the calmness and serenity of the water and want to carry that over into our home, which is still evolving.

    Reply
  49. Beth

    I struggled to recognize my style for awhile, because I love so many aspects of different styles, but wouldn’t want to commit wholeheartedly to any of them.

    We’ve moved around a lot {five homes, four of them owned, in the last 10 years}, and in each one my style grew more defined. In our first owned house, I felt the need to be grown up, but to have LOTS of color, because I COULD FINALLY PAINT. Every room was a different color, and they didn’t all go together. In our second house, I was better, but felt a need to be mature in my decorating – it was pretty formal. Our third house was a turning point for me. I found a colorful pillow I loved and chose colors from that for the entire first floor of the house! It was fun being able to move things around from one room to another the freshen things up, and they would still go.

    Finally, two years ago, we moved to our current house. It is my dream home. Not that it was pretty – does navy floral wallpaper and flesh colored trim seem pretty? But it had bones that were glorious, and a floor plan that couldn’t have been more perfect for our needs present and future. And I finally settled down in my decorating journey from a whirlwind of “I’ve got to make this perfect! I’ve got to prove myself!” to a more relaxed approach. I had to – when we moved, I had a broken ankle, and then a month later, our baby became really sick and life stopped for eight months. When he got better, and I wanted to start barreling through the decorating process the way I always have in the past, my husband did the best thing for me – he put on the brakes. He said I was going to burn out if I went too fast. Painting one room a month was my limit. I have many times thanked him for his wisdom – I can’t tell you how often I have changed my mind about a certain color as I had more time to think through the function of the space. In fact, I’ve waited longer than one month in several cases, wanting to be really sure. I know it’s just paint, but with three small kids at home, painting is a sacrificial time commitment.

    I now know that my style is clean and eclectic. I love to mix and match, but in a simple and clean way. Most of what we own is either from Craigslist or other bargain hunts that we have refinished to suit our taste. We would like to stay here, so for the first time, we are choosing pieces for quality and long term use more than price. It takes longer, but we’re enjoying the process. And because we’re going slowly, we’re making wiser decisions.

    Reply
  50. Diane | An Extraordinary Day

    Melissa… I’m so glad that you’re getting so many wonderful responses to your great question. Yay!!
    Do you remember the now discontinued magazine, “Country Home?” I have to say that I truly miss that magazine. It felt closer to my style than any. I loved it because it wasn’t really “country” in the style that was so popular. (My husband referred to that style as the faceless doll style.) In fact, I think today, they could restart the magazine and it would be very current. I enjoy a relaxed look, that’s bright, and incorporates a modern use for timeless and vintage styled furniture and home goods. As an “only” I have lots of hand-me-downs. Which don’t necessarily fit “my” style, but I want to use them for sentimental reasons, so I have a tendency to do what I can to work them in to my decor. Additionally, I want my home to harmonize with nature. I love having windows with minimal window treatments so that we can be connected to the beauty outside. There are always some natural elements in my hone decor as well. Okay… I could ramble on… But, I think you get the idea!! I look forward to popping back and reading through more of your reader’s home ideas. And BTW… when we first ‘met’ you were rocking 60K page views. Look how far you’ve come in the past 4 years!! I’m so excited for you!! :) Thanks for staying the course and sharing your inspired (room) home with us in such a friendly and inviting way. [[hugs]]

    Reply
    • Melissa @ The Inspired Room

      I do remember Country Home! I love that you harmonize your home with nature, Diane!! That’s wonderful. And yeah, things have grown here over the years (and everywhere, blog land is just huge!)! And incidentally, 600,000 is the actual number of PEOPLE in a month, not the page views! I can hardly wrap my mind around that. What a fun party that would be if we could all fit in one place, right? I love when people comment and share stories because it makes me feel a little more like the old days in blogging where you almost felt like you actually knew all the people. I adore blogging even though it has grown so much, it is just so nice to “hear” from readers!! Such a wonderful community of people all over the world.

      Reply
      • Diane | An Extraordinary Day

        600,00 PEOPLE!!! That IS incredible! That in itself speaks to the quality of your blog… not just in content… but in heart and spirit. Hang on! I have a hunch you’re going to see another surge of growth! I love seeing how you’re being blessed for your perseverance, hard work, and faithfulness. You always inspire me, Melissa!

        Reply
    • Margaret

      Hi, Diane. I just wanted to say that I too really, really miss Country Home! I thought it was by far the best decorating magazine out there (in terms of my style). I still have a stack of my favorite issues that I enjoy looking through with a cup of tea. There’s always something to inspire me. :)

      Reply
  51. Liz T

    Thank you for all the knowledge you share! My style is ever evolving and your bits of information are so helpful in my pursuit!

    Reply
  52. Suze

    I love overstuffed furniture, tapestry, deep, rich colors…very “great grandmother’s” home. Warm and cozy.

    Reply
  53. Sandi pitrelli

    Our home is a grey cape cod
    We painted the front door red and it fades and turns burgundy
    I am ready for a change and my vision board is covered with paint chips
    Any color suggestion?

    Reply
    • Christie

      A lively, happy yellow would be so beautiful with a grey cape cod. I have a white cape cod with black shutters and trim, and we painted our door a turquoise blue. We have had several neighbors copy it! It is happy and inviting. Good luck!

      Reply
  54. Victoria

    Right now my house is not what I would call my style. I call it ‘my husband doesn’t think we need furniture so to get some I let him pick…. all leather’ style’. Why don’t men think we need furniture? We did live for years (10) with just chairs, dinning room chairs to be exact as our living room furniture. Sad. So for a long time I had no idea what my personal style was. BUT I knew what I didn’t like – leather. Now when I take those on-line style quizzes I come up with several – French Country, Mid Century Modern, Industrial and Farmhouse. I question the French Country – I do like some things about it, the colors but I find the rest to be a bit too busy for me. I’d love to have my house full of things I’ve collected on travels with some hand me down pieces from family yet with a farmhouse industrial feel. I love the look of wood and pipe and the clean lines of Mid Century Modern. So I would say Mid Country Industrial Modern Farmhouse is my style. Now to just achieve it and get rid of all the leather…. it is everywhere!

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  55. kris with a k

    We finally moved (full-time) into my “dream” home in South Lake Tahoe, CA three years ago after owning it for about 4 years. I am really loving the mountain lifestyle and have evolved (in a decorating way) into more of a rustic/eclectic/globally interesting style (probably won’t find that category in any design school!). I think I have always been a mix of decorating styles, but have moved through Traditional, French County, and hand-me-downs to something I am having fun with :). My biggest challenge is living with a real minimalist who could live with one couch a chair and a table ane be happy, as long as he also had his 65 inch screen tv and all his audio equipment :). Sigh…..

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  56. Lynn

    I would describe my house as casual eclectic cottage. Most of what I own is secondhand and hand-me-downs, but through slipcovers and paint and careful editing, it had become cohesive. I love it when someone tells me my home is refreshing.

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  57. Angela Boone

    My house can be best described as modern farmhouse :) It’s still very much a work in progress, but we love it.

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  58. kathyhanson

    FICKLE ECLECTIC! I really do love a lot of different styles. One day I’ll love an all white room with touches of wood and burlap. Other days I’ll love an all white room with bright, colorful accents. And, even other days, I’ll love a modern look with chrome and white leather. I guess that’s why I have such a hard time decorating. I’m afraid the minute I commit to and complete the room with one look, I’ll wished I would have gone a different direction.

    Reply
    • Melissa @ The Inspired Room

      Oh yes, I’ve felt that too! Finally I just had to decide what THIS HOUSE is and go with it! It’s ok to love many styles, I think that’s why I still end up with some eclectic looks because I’m trying to keep all the different things I love!

      Reply
  59. Christina Rodriguez

    It is so important to know what your design style is before you decorate. I call it your design personality. I have even gone over some of the more popular decorating styles on my blog. Thank you for pointing this out. Knowing yourself and what you love makes decorating your home more personal and finding your style makes it easier to shop for your home too!

    Reply
  60. Robin

    I call my style “comfortably eclectic”. Everything is relaxed, informal and fun with lots of pattern, texture and color. I really wanted the space to feel youthful yet elegant. I break up the playfulness of the space with touches of sophistication and shine like silver picture frames and trays, a glass and silver coffee table, and mercury glass lamps and candle holders. It really is a mixed bag but really works for me. I also really enjoy owning pieces that have had a life before it got to me. Those pieces seem to really bring history and life to my living space. I also wanted to mention that I live in an apartment and not a house, just to let you know the variation in your readers.

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  61. dianne callahan

    I live in Redlands, CA … about an hour or so from Newport Beach and about 45 minutes to Big Bear mountain and 45 minutes to Palm Springs – the perfect locale if you ask me!!! I love my house so much! We moved in almost a year ago and it is has been so fun to decorate and make our own. We downsized a bit in square footage, but we still have 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. The best part is our amazing backyard with a covered patio and an uncovered patio and grass and lots of palm trees with the landscaping already done and fantastic! Our style is modern cottage with a beach flair.

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  62. Nan

    Our home decorating style is traditional country casual. I like bright, comfortable rooms. I, too, like the style of Joanna Gaines on “Fixer-Upper” because of the very clean, uncluttered look although I do like more color than she uses. Unfortunately, I’ve made many mistakes over the years and bought furniture that was not easily changeable when my taste changed (and it has really changed). I wish now that all of our sofas and upholstered chairs were in neutral colors, so I could change the look with throws, pillows, and accessories. I have been fortunate to travel a good bit as a child and also as an adult, so we have things from our travels that bring me joy. We also have a fair amount of things we have inherited, and I love looking at and using things that belonged to our ancestors. Changing the decor just a bit every season is fun for me. Thanks for asking. I’ve enjoyed reading everyone’s comments.

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  63. Kelly

    Industrial French Farmhouse.

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  64. Pam

    I am a Midwest girl with a southern heritage. I live in a 25 year old farmhouse style home, that we built. It has a wrap around porch. I love the modern farmhouse style, my style is casual and must have a a mix of new and old because we have a few family heirlooms I love and cherish. We just remodeled, keeping colors light and neutral so it feels fresh. That makes it easy to incorporate the seasons as they change in Indiana. I prefer fewer accessories and less clutter. The best things a home can have is laughter and peace.

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  65. Lynn

    I live in Huntsville, AL which is almost completely landlocked, but my style is coastal cottage. My colors are blue and white with accents of gray, lime and pink. Trust me, it looks better than it sounds. LOL I’m just completing an addition and remodel, in which we went from a 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath house to a 4 bedroom, 3 bath house. We completely redid the kitchen, added a family room and redid the master bathroom. So at this point, I’m intimately familiar with my style and pretty much every element that makes it up!

    Reply
  66. Sandy

    I live in Michigan. I love the airiness of Coastal. the fabrics and colors of Cottage, and the look of Casual Traditional – never stuffy. How mixed up is that?
    PS I LOVE your blog and voted for you!

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  67. Jeanell Green

    I think I would call my decorating style “Southern Comfort Style”. Our house is a Farmhouse variation style with many open windows across the back looking out on a Golf Course. There is a large ccovered front porch as well as a large covered back porch and both have seating and are used regularly. Inside I have many antiques handed down from grandparents and even greatgrandparents, but I’ve tried to mix some newer more modern pieces so the house doesn’t look stale or dated. We have an open floorplan, using a medium beige on walls and white on trim and cabinets. I use basic linen upholstery adding jewel tone print and solid pillows to change the season and the look. In the den I’ve used a large print red background rug (Pottery Barn) to tie it all together. The floors are much like yours only more golden since they are a light oak.
    I love your blog, have been a follower for less than a year and I’m diligently trying to follow the Year long cleaning of taking out a bag a day!! It ain’t easy……….

    Reply
  68. Amanda W

    I’m in the process of letting go of things I’ve collected over the years that don’t match my desired style. Which isn’t completely defined for my current home. It’s leaning toward “Retro/Farmhouse” with a touch of industrial.
    Just painted my laundry room ‘Hale Navy’ by Benjamin Moore and now I’m plotting where else I can use it.

    Reply
  69. Penny Birch-Williams

    I guess I could call it Eclectic Leftovers style in my house! We’ve been in our small 70’s Florida tract home for 27 years now (so much for ‘starter home’!) and I’ve lost track of how many changes we have made. We have antique hand-me-down furniture, mixed with inexpensive consignment finds, old dark green carpet we can’t afford to replace, butter-yellow walls, Waverly flower print curtains, dance trophies and loads of books. With five adults living here, three who are boomerang adult kids and all their stuff including two cats, plus our two dogs and cat, we are just trying to hang in there until everyone can finish college, find jobs and move on to their own places. We do have a very nice vaulted ceiling that provides lots of wall space to hang my paintings while they await new homes, and they provide a lot of color and interest, so a quieter palette of wall color and curtains and upholstery would be welcome too. Someday I hope to have the time, space and budget to make the changes I can only imagine right now. I have dreams of a fresh cottage casual, less cluttered style, with hickory wood floors and white built-in shelves around the fireplace, a really comfortable slipcovered couch… I love what you have shared about your home and style, and feel very inspired by it, Melissa. Thank you!

    Reply
  70. Lisa E

    I think I lean more towards traditional, but then I think I’m transitional because I like some contemporary thrown in, but then I have some antiques, too. I see cottage and farmhouse style and love them, too. If I lived on my own, I think I’d be more aware of my style, but I do have to keep the hubby happy, too. :) He’s definitely more practical and not willing to change things just because. ;)

    Reply
  71. Kari

    My style is traditional Southern with a little bit of country. My husbands style is very much more modern. I really struggle with how to blend the two!

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  72. Sandy

    I live in Oregon City, Oregon. We live in a 10 year old home with an open floor plan. It is light and bright with cream walls and white trim. We recently painted the oak cabinets white and updated the backsplash with white subway tile. Such a big improvement! We have light oak hardwood floors that I love. I would call my style “casual, comply, coastal with a touch of pretty”! White slipcovered upholstery, Aqua and apple green accents, an antique coffee table and a whitewashed buffet and lots of watercolor paintings. I love my home! Love your blog Melissa!

    Reply
  73. Lisa

    I would say my home is pretty eclectic. I don’t think I embrace one style over another. I get a lot of décor hand me downs from my mom so much of it is her style. But mostly I want my home to be tidy, comfortable and lovely.

    Reply
  74. Lynn

    we moved into a more contemporary style home that I am trying to transform into more of a beachy cottage style. I do find that I still gravitate towards the same types of things I loved 10 years ago. So my style has remained consistent. love white & grays, and definitely vintage style furniture. I love blue and yellow accents, and love collections. My favorite is my milk glass collection. I have learned that if I love it, I know it will remain in my home for years to come.

    Your blog is wonderful and your decorating style is very timeless!

    Reply
  75. J.Lee

    I’m a minimalist. I like dark traditional furniture, simple and heavy pieces and natural, soft textures. My husband likes black wood and chrome- ultra modern. I prefer spartan decor while he’s a pack rat. We have two children with their own ideas. So basically, there’s heaps of compromising and no continuity. lol

    Reply
  76. Erin

    My style is transitional. I like neutral walls, and I sew, so I like making colorful, patterned pillows and drapes. Pretty much every room in our house is done in greens, blues, greys and tans with black or white accents. I am also very into photography, so my walls are covered with black and white photos. I am about to make over my youngest son’s room, and I’m totally panicking because he has requested his favorite color…RED! I guess it is good to be pulled out of your comfort zone occasionally!!

    Reply
  77. Jennifer Sechrest

    Over the years my design tastes have evolved, so labeling my design style is a little difficult, since I’m sometimes kind of a chameleon. My style has gone from modern to shabby chic to farmhouse industrial….. it has taken awhile to figure out ‘me’, haha.
    I guess where I am in my life right now {40ish & embracing it}, I prefer to think of my ‘style’ as if Southern Living, Traditional Home, Restoration Hardware, House Beautiful and the HGTV Dream Home 2015 had a baby. :) What would you even call that? Traditional Southern Eclectic? Haha!

    I really love my southern heritage and really love the Traditional style seen in many southern homes, but not the stuffy feeling typically from that style. I’m all about comfortable & inviting spaces. I love a little glam here & there, love the ocean and everything that it evokes….ya know? that sense of calm and relaxation, that soothing color scheme. I’m not into anything that screams ‘beachy’, but more the ‘feeling’ of it…the tones, the relaxed fabrics and textures.

    My perfect room? I love a soft warm gray paint on the walls, white trim, dark or warm toned antique furniture like Chippendale, Queen Anne or Federal style pieces (I’m not afraid to paint or reupholster a great thrifted find or an heirloom piece either), warm hardwood floors covered with a sisal rug, a great classic shaped white or natural linen slip-covered sofa (washable since I have 2 toddler boys!) & a fantastic pair of pretty french style wood framed or wingback chairs covered in a great linen fabric (all set around the perfect focal point- a fabulous fireplace, painted white of course!). [Cuz in my world there’d be no tv in that room, Lol!] I also love blue & white chinoiserie vases, ginger jars or bowls, so those are a must have for me in any room. And flowers, preferably white or pale pink orchids or fresh cut old english garden roses or peonies. Mmmmm, I can smell them now! Only thing missing is me cuddled up in a soft chunky knit throw sipping a cup of Earl Gray….ahhhhh :)

    I’m the only female in a house full of boys/men (if you don’t count my fur babies-all gals, Lol!), so it’s important for me to have a little bit of ‘femininity’ in a room. So instead of typical ‘girly’ things, I like to bring in elements of metals (or ‘Mom’s bling’ as my hubby calls it)- like brass decorative pieces, gold leaf frames, chrome light fixtures, mercury glass or cut crystal vases to display cut flowers or just ‘because’.

    We’ve been renting a 70’s rancher for the past few years and finally found a fantastic house that we can envision raising our boys in (prayers please, we’re supposed to close sometime next week). It’s an 1891 Southern Craftsman Bungalow with everything you’d expect from a big ole southern beauty…deep front porch with swing, high ceilings, hardwood floors, tons of space & great features like 3 beautiful original fireplaces, awesome architectural details like big moldings & built-ins galore. It’s my dream home! We fell in love with the house, the town, the neighborhood-everything! the moment we saw it. We can’t wait to move in! We feel so blessed! I can picture everything I just described above in this house & am so excited to make it ours. Not only does it embrace my style, but it also honors this home’s relaxed elegant style too.

    Reply
  78. Jewell Halwachs

    Wow, that’s really a hard question to answer, IMO. We went from 23 years of moving all over the country w/the Navy to being empty nesters and haven’t moved in over 20 years. You will think I am crazy but it took me a long time to adjust to not moving every two or three years. I look around and am astounded by the amount of STUFF we have accumulated . Moving a lot meant having to sort through everything and get rid of what we didn’t use or no longer wanted.
    The point I am trying to get to is that we have finally lived somewhere long enough to redecorate and redo for US and not for perspective home buyers. Yay! I went through the blue and pink phase in the late 80’s. That got old almost immediately. Now I stay with what I really love and not necessarily the latest rage , which is traditional English, with a bit of traditional French and an even smaller touch of Asian. I love COLOR. I admire white and cream interiors but it is just not me. I collect blue and white everything. My kitchen walls are covered in blue and white plates. Some are semi valuable antiques, such a flow blue and some are brand new from Marshall’s and Home Goods….they are all beautiful to me. On an extended road trip one year, I bought Blue Willow bread plates in just about every town we stopped in. My husband kept asking me “Don’t you have enough blue plates now?” To which I would say NEVER! I look at those plates that now hang above a lighting fascia in the living room and remember what a wonderful time we had on that trip. I have several Chinese silk and wool rugs which are all very colorful, with the main colors being reds and blues. My living room table lamps and the lamps on my antique buffet are all blue and white Chinese import and all purchased at discount stores. I have a cream colored sort of silk sofa from a resale shop and two new navy and white Ikat wing chairs, and another chair and footstool from a thrift store that I had recovered in a multicolor sort of Jacobean print….red and blue on a cream background . The master bedroom bedding, drapes and upholstered chair are all blue and white, with the original wood dresser and chest of drawers we bought in 1971. I have since changed out the drawer hardware which has changed the look considerably. May I mention that I think those drawer pulls probably cost as much as the entire set of furniture did when we bought it! I have since given away the two drawer nightstands and the framed mirror. The night stands were way too short next to our new mattress set. My side is now a cloth covered round table purchased at a thrift store and hubby’s is a muted red sort of Bombay chest with one drawer from Marshall’s. The cream colored padded headboard in from Wall Mart. Yes, Wall Mart.com! The mirror has been replaced by an enormous flat screen TV that I admit…I LOVE. Mostly blue and white plates , with a few “red ware” plates that are actually dark pink on the walls. The upstairs guest room is black and cream toile w/ a bit of red in the artwork. Downstairs guest room and family room are done in shades of blue. All of the windows are covered in white Plantation shutters. One of the best decisions I have ever made when it came to decorating the house.
    My name is Jewell and I am a junk store junkie. I love, LOVE thrift stores, junk stores , resale shops and discount stores like Home Goods. I also haunt my local antique mall for bargains. SERIOUSLY. My husband bought me a pick up truck to haul my treasures home. I love the thrill of the hunt. I love a bargain. I tell my friends that it is against my religion to pay full price and my astrological sign is “Sale in Progress”.
    I am also a pretty good seamstress so I have made my own slipcovers, duvets, pillow shams, drapes, throw pillows, dust ruffles, etc. and have tried my hand at upholstering small pieces. I have recovered the seats to my Ethan Allen dining chairs no less than a dozen times. I am itching to change them again.
    I am also a very good copy catter (???) I love when bloggers or people on Pintrest share how to make whatever from places like Pottery Barn for pretty much pennies. I don’t come up w/too many original decorating ideas but I can make things I see in home decorating books and mags or on line, work for me in my home.
    I guess I have a traditional decorating style. It has to be comfy and colorful. I am not picky about where it comes from. New, used, junk store, hand me down, antique, home made or copied. It has to relate to my life and my style. Actually, I could move into any of the Nell Hill’s show rooms and be VERY happy. Are you reading this Mary Carol???

    Reply
  79. Erin

    I love farmhouse style, but my house is a mix of traditional and ecclectic, with an emphasis on ecclectic. I’ve a dining room surrounded by black bookcases, a chalk painted chandilier, a traditional table, and whimsical glit animal plates on the opposite wall next to a subway poster of local town hot spots. And I love it!

    Reply
  80. Morgan Lewis

    Hmm, tough one! I am sort of making what I have (my pieces mixed with hand-me-downs) and working to evolve. We currently have more of a traditional style going on, but I’m trying to evolve slowly into a move cottage-meets-craftsman style. One day I’d love to have a big farmhouse, but that’s my love of changing decor talking. :)

    Reply
  81. Kathleen

    Have you watched Fixer Upper with Chip and Joanna Gaines? I love her! I have never seen a house that she has decorated that I don’t like. That’s my style. Now .. how to get her to my house. : )

    Reply
    • Barb

      I loooove her style. I study every episode as that is so my style too!

      Reply
  82. Meg D

    I moved from a cape cod in Kansas City to a single story in Chicago recently. I’ve always leaned towards traditional and have some nice pieces of furniture including poster beds which I still love but freshen but I’m freshening up the new the house by getting rid of all doilies, (remember those everybody?), and buying modern lamps (fun), mirrors and various tables to display treasures. My house has a large living room and I needed to float the furniture. Since this won’t be our forever house, I didn’t want to invest in built ins so I bought a large mahogany bookcase with glass pane doors , (I think its kind of craftsman style) and a nice painting of the sea (another water lover here). It has a dark frame to tie in with bookcase and contrasts nicely with the white fireplace and all of the white woodwork throughout the house (also matching a dark wood railing in the foyer). I have a sweet skirted sofa, and a wing chair my son and I once fit into at the same time to read books. I too shop flee markets, estate sales for treasures to tuck into lonely corners that creates a bit of an eclectic mix. I’m a Midwesterner that appreciates several styles but the most important thing for me is to have a warm home that welcomes my family in from the cold temperatures and stresses of everyday life.

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  83. Bonnie

    First of all, I love your site Melissa! I would say that my style is “tropical”. Being that I’m from Hawaii and now living in Florida, I have decorated my two bedroom apartment primarily in greens, cranberry and white. I have a soft green sofa in the living area with an accent chair in a palm tree/pineapple print and bamboo and glass top tables. My tropical theme follows throughout the apartment with plants and also shells that I have collected from beaches in Hawaii, Tahiti, New Zealand, Mexico and New England finding their place in every room. My greatest compliment was when a friend saw the apartment for the first time after I had decorated and said “oh, it’s soooo you”.

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  84. Heather

    I like clean lines & traditional pieces. Neutrals, blues & grays. I have two elementary school age boys and a dog, so every piece needs to be family friendly. Nothing precious. I don’t want to worry about telling kids they can’t sit on something.

    Reply
  85. Meg D

    Post comment. Since I moved from a house I loved to a house that has a good layout but doesn’t have much character, I’m looking forward to your book Melissa! Love your blog, read every link.

    Reply
  86. Donna

    I am a very organized, everything in its perfect place kind of homeowner. My grandmother who lived in the farmhouse her husband grew up in gave me many old household items. I have the pitcher and bowl, she used to bath my dad sitting in special corner in my bathroom. I also have the old pot with cover sitting
    on a small stool nearby. Throughout my home I have added the pieces gram gave me. I would say she started me on the decorate my home with found objects. Even though I have a contemporaty home the antique pieces have all found a home. I love seeing the pillow that was on gram’s rocking chair on the guest room bed and her crazy quilt at the end of the bed, made from dresses my sister, gram and I wore. Cozy with love. Everwhere I am in my home are pieces of the past.

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  87. Danielle

    I’ve been wondering this about myself lately- far too often I try to emulate another person’s style or try to like other styles to appease my well meaning husband :) But lately I’mt trying to embrace my true style- the look that makes my heart smile and feel warm. I would describe it as cheerful, vintage, modern farmhouse. But since I’m on the east coast I also appreciate well balanced Colonial homes- symmetry in structural details makes me feel grounded but whimsical, “off” touches in decor make me smile. I love the balance. Love your blog, Melissa, and I already pre-ordered your book. Your blog “home” is so welcoming and I love visiting you when I get a minute of quiet from my 8 month little boy :) Best to you!

    Reply
  88. Donnamae

    I have lived in my home for 31 years in Madison, Wisconsin. My style started out with whatever we were handed down! And with three young boys to raise, our budget didn’t allow new buys at first. Our style today is traditional, with about half as inherited pieces, some 60’s, and some new as of 8 years ago. It’s a nice mix, comfortable and welcoming, and sprinkled with indoor plants. I’m a bit of a pottery collector, so I have some blue and white porcelain, some Brastoff, and some Asian. It’s pretty much all vintage. If I have a strong desire for something new…I might splurge on a pillow or two…but I’m most likely to hit up an antique mall or thrift store. I love things with a story…like my mom’s large Brastoff vāse, that all three of my sons stuck their heads in at one time or another! Despite my parent’s immediate horror….they heads didn’t get stuck…and no vāse was harmed! There are other stories to be told…and lots of memories, and it’s home! ;)

    Reply
  89. Joann

    I would call my style Tropical, Traditional…but cozy and casual.

    Reply
  90. Tammy

    Just wanted to let you know how much I enjoy your emails.what beautiful ideas.I live in a small town in Ontario,Canada. My decorating is very eclectic I love mixing old with new. Keep up the great work thanks for the inspiration

    Reply
  91. Gabi M

    Vintage eclectic industrial steampunk nautical. Globes, ships, antique brass, moody color, vintage travel posters, and I love gnomes. Did that paint a good picture? Hehe :)

    Reply
  92. Katee Lee

    Hi, So love all the ideas here! I live in mid-central Ohio in an apartment. I guess you could say my style is A.D.D. lol each room is totally different! My living room is cozy modern/eclectic, the master bedroom is O’World Italian, that is half burgundy and half deep plum. The bathroom is the only room without eggshell walls ’cause I couldn’t stand it another second (landlords have no fashion sense at all!) its a lime-light green with white tile and decorated with a bamboo/pond theme. The hall and stairwell is done in SC/Hook (the movie) beach theme and the kitchen… well, it changes all the time…happens when you work retail lol. One thing you will see through out the house is a real watercolor painting hanging here and there and some framed photography. That is one of my passions, I love to paint and since I have a tiny budget I make a lot of my own decor. :) keep up the great posts, love reading everyone’s comments too!

    Reply
  93. Linda

    My style is very eclectic, I am in my early 60’s so I’ve already changed styles several times! Now I have a good collection of things I love combined with new. My colors are bright, kitchen is lime, dining turquoise and living room was south Western now becoming Oriental red and black again. I live in Eastern Washington state small country community so my gypsy colors stand out!! I love your page and ideas, to redo and move around works for me.

    Reply
  94. Dori

    I think my style has devolved to “all-over-the-place” the last few years. There are so many styles that I like certain elements of, I wish I could decorate each room in my house totally differntly. My husband is a diehard traditionalist. and, while I used to share this aesthetic, I would really prefer to add more (slightly) modern things. I also love, love, love coastal style but don’t feel my house or location lend themselves to it. I compensate by decorating my bathroom with a coastal flair. I do still love my antiques but could really use advice on how to marry all of my styles together without it becoming total chaos. I really enjoy your blog and look forward to getting your book(s)!

    Reply
    • Melissa @ The Inspired Room

      Thank you Dori! :-) I hope you enjoy the books, I’m so excited to share them this year. I know what you mean about being all over the place, ha, I have felt that a lot too!

      Reply
  95. Kristina

    Lazy, mostly. I find a lot of ratty stuff around barn, left from past generations, that I clean up and bring into the yard or house (thank goodness for the ascendency of galvanized everything. This place is lousy with it, as long as you don’t mind holes in the bottoms of pails….). I’m far more likely to make something, rather than go to town. I’ve painted things red for lack of black paint, for instance, and been much happier with the results than if I’d been a more enterprising sort. Which is nice, because I’m not. What’s new is sort of clean-lined and modern — not too many angles but no frills, either. I do consciously decorate with instruments, as we play them more when they’re hanging right out there on the wall (not the piano, though that *would* be a conversation starter). Soft goods run toward white pillowcases and sheets and towels, simple, inexpensively had cotton covers in solid colors. I swap stuff from room to room as the mood strikes, layer, etc. I can’t think of anything else to label this style but “lazy”, but it feels like home to this lazy woman.

    Reply
  96. Rose L

    After reading 101 comments my laptop said enough is enough and threw me out of your page, lol! Wow what great heart-felt posts!
    So my style…it has evolved over time as much as I have. I guess I’d call it English Country/Farmhouse. I love antique furniture and I’m reupholstering many of my pieces to lighter and whiter. I love floral fabrics though I’m trying to update the cottage-y look and colors to something a little more modern feeling. I used to have to have to worry about dung being tracked in and had sick calves in my living room by the wood stove to warm them during calving season. So now that that is no longer necessary I’m looking for a little more femininity but not frills. I’m way past clutter. I still love folk art. And though we’ve taken myself ourselves off the farm, I still can’t live without critters around so spend a lot of my decor planning thinking about my pets and how we can all live in this 150 year old “house in town” together. Still a work in progress, always evolving ;)

    Reply
    • Melissa @ The Inspired Room

      Oh, no on getting kicked off the page but I’m glad you got to read 101 comments! Aren’t they fun? I love reading them too. Enjoy updating your home! :-)

      Reply
  97. Robin

    I’m still trying to figure out my style since becoming a home owner for the first time. Most of my things are still the college dorm, first apartment, hand-me-downs, etc that I’ve kept because I can’t decide on a style. :) I have discovered that white walls are not for me! The whole house has white walls and it feels to cold and uninviting. I like farmhouse, traditional, craftsman and mission style but lean towards mid-century modern for this house because of the small rooms. My favorite dishes are from the late 40’s/early 50’s. I have original paintings from three generations of artists on my walls and stacks of books everywhere.

    Reply
    • Melissa @ The Inspired Room

      Congratulations on buying your first home! That’s exciting! Enjoy the process, having original paintings and books sounds like a wonderful start to me!

      Reply
  98. Susan Totten

    Well, last March we lost our home of 15 years in foreclosure due to big changes in my husbands job. But God is so good and we were able to rent a Craftsman style home in our same neighborhood. The circumstances of how this came about are for another time, but it was truly a miracle! The home hasn’t been updated in quite some time, so I have what you may call a blank slate! My former style was more country/ farmhouse, but now is evolving into cottage/ farmhouse with some trendy touches! I’m having fun in all this…the best part is we have a huge front porch which I didn’t have before and we just love it! I really love your blog and can’t wait for your book! Thank you Melissa!!

    Reply
  99. Susan

    My current style is what I would call “Napa style”, kind of vineyard farmhouse. I live in a vineyard community and the outside of my home is “Provence style”. I am very casual, so I like lots of wood and metal. The walls are venetian plaster, but I am trying to bring in lots of white accents to lighten things up. enjoy how you style your home, and try to twist the ideas just a little to fit in mine. Thanks for asking…

    Reply
  100. Christie

    I would say I have a collected modern traditional style. I like to mix a touch of modern ino a casual traditional room. I want people to come over and think that it looks exactly like “me”. My house tells all about me from my pictures to my books, and even my lamps. I have a dog lamp, and that speaks to my love of animals. I don’t feel like a room is finished in a day. I feel like it is an ever evolving statement. I know what I like, and I know that items will work because of that. No special theme or rule to follow. I just trust my instinct. If you love it, you can’t go wrong. My favorite thing about my home is that I have my kids’ artwork framed in every room.

    Reply
  101. Sharon Adams

    I would describe my style as a combination of a little farmhouse and vintage with a lot of traditional style as well. We just moved into a brand new home and my favorite pieces are a pottery vase on my mantle I found at my local Goodwill, the tufted chair handed down from my Grandmother to my mother and then to me, (which I recovered in a navy and white print with nailhead trim), and the peacock pillow I found at Pier 1. I love family photos and displaying them, a lit fireplace on a cold night, and spending time at home with family and friends. I am in the process of staining and painting a round coffee table I found at Goodwill as well. I love your blog Melissa and it’s a treat to read it.

    Reply
  102. Alyssa

    I like to describe my decorating style as fun and folksy. My husband and I are currently renting a small apartment and while I don’t love the paint colours, lighting and countertops, I’ve really enjoyed making our place feel like home. I like decorating with lots of different textures, colour and anything outdoorsy. We’ve been amassing artwork and other pieces from our travels as well as antiques and a number of interesting hand-me-downs for an eclectic mix. I’ve been working on adding texture in our bedroom and making it more cozy, so I recently added vintage snowshoes and a buffalo check throw. I’m hoping to replace our ikea bedroom furniture with something sturdier and more interesting when we find a place of our own.

    Reply
  103. teresa

    I would like to say my style is country french with a little of anything else that plays nice with that. I like to mix different styles….I mainly watch out for color tones and textures. I’m kind of weird in the fact that if it feels right…I go for it…
    Happy Day

    Reply
  104. Ginger

    My style is a.d.d I think. A bit of farmhouse/industrial/modern. I always pick texture first and then what feeling I want to accomplish when people are there. I guess it’s working because people are either around our large island laughing or curled up on the couch with my million throw pillows, blankets and a movie. This is usually all at the same time. When it starts to feel too stuffy I will clear all surfaces and leave them empty or throw in an acrylic chair to break up all the traditional. Just making it up as I go. Lol

    Reply
  105. Lynn Marie

    I will have to go with eclectic traditional with some cottage thrown in. I love color on the walls. My intent is always to have the “home” draw you in. I want people to feel cozy and comfortable and taken care of. I have stenciled sign in my living room that is made from an old cupboard door and it says, “my SANCTUARY”. That is what my home is to me—-my refuge.

    Reply
  106. Deanna

    I love a mix of cottage, farmhouse, and English Country style. I have a lot of used or hand me downs, and pull it all together. I love using everyday things in my decor – I display my platters and also use them! To me it beauty and function!
    I love to use warm colors, but we do have a few cool colors in our house. And we do have color! No neutrals here!

    Reply
  107. Margaret

    My style is a mix of farmhouse, lodge and southwest, mainly because I’m a transplanted Texan who now lives in the northeast and I also have lots of family pieces and antiques purchased years ago when they were affordable. :) So my house is a bit of a mixed bag! I do wish there were more decorating articles about southwest and lodge inspired houses, but those styles seem to be gaining a bit in popularity, so here’s hoping! love the warmth, coziness and nature-inspired decor that those styles have. Also, I really don’t like clutter, so I’m like you in that I enjoy changing out accents periodically and editing them carefully. I’d say my three main goals for my home are that it be cozy, welcoming and calming. I love your blog and its sensible approach to decorating while encouraging us to be content with what we have.

    Reply
  108. Jeannie

    Over the past 12 years, I’ve used my “creativity” and time homeschooling my kids. Now, off to college and I have more time on my hands. So I’m exploring the world of home decorating. Since the vocabulary is foreign, I’ll say my style is “Pottery Barn” but Target and Home Goods budget. :) Pastel colors once adorned my house, but now I’d say more neutral but I like greens and blues, but combing colors scares me. Then all the “texture” talk is new territory too! Diving in thanks to your website. I’ve enjoyed your emails and your book is on the “to do” list. Thank you!

    Reply
  109. Karsyn

    I’m a little confused with my style! I love a lot of modern looks but I also like vintage! I like using muted colors with bright pops of color here and there. But i’m trying to figure out how to combine my girly, vintage style with my boyfriends very modern style! Tips?

    Reply
  110. Nancy @ Slightly Coastal

    I was soooo traditional, until we bought this island home. It is a Craftsman. I’m moving toward coastal and really thought it would be a neutral coastal with creams and beiges. But I am finding more and more that I am attracted to light, bright, happy interiors. I am striving for every single piece in my home to be functional and on its own it must be absolutely beautiful. Like the kind of beautiful that you just love looking at it from every angle but I’m not married to any particular style. If “stunning” could be a style, that is what I am striving for. I’ve been decorating my kids rooms which are not coastal and have been having a blast trying to capture their personality in their rooms.

    Reply
  111. Jody

    My home is in Richmond and is a center hall colonial so it has really traditional bones. My taste is pretty masculine with neutral colors of camel, charcoal, brown, black with every wood tone under the sun and as much patina as I can find. And although my color palette is pretty tight, I love fabric so I have lots of patterns and texture (sisal rugs, grass cloth, knit blankets and baskets). I like a collected look (think Nate Berkus) with family pieces, found objects, antique and thrift stores as well as new more modern stuff. If I could shop at any store on the planet, it would be Jayson Home and Garden in Chicago, IL. I could bring my toothbrush and live in that store. I am also a basket hoarder and very proud of that!

    Reply
  112. Lisa V.

    Our style is comfortable and cheerful. We turned the formal dining room into a library and office because it was a way more purposeful use of the space. We still have a dining area off the kitchen that can accommodate up to 8 plus overflow into other rooms. Our more formal living room has been turned into a studio for music and art and projects and homework. Our finishes (bamboo floors, gloss white trims, quartz countertops, etc) are as durable and worry free as possible. Almost every item of decor has a personal story behind it or a functional purpose. We mostly just want to make good use of our space and for people to feel welcome and loved when they walk in the door.

    Reply
  113. Cassandra Egan

    Oh this! I call my style Grandmother chic. I love so many things: cottage/farmhouse/Bohemican/French Country…and it all plays out in my odd little home. I think I’ve mentioned before, the last time we visited, I live in a converted gameroom/house. It was once a great long/narrow room, that has since had a bed/bath added. There is a front door right in the middle of the front wall, and a door to the bed/bath on the back wall. An old potbellyish stove in front dictates a bit of the decor. The fact that all my furniture is inherited, save a bookcase and dainty couch, that also dictates my style. I am fortunate my Great-grandfather owned a furniture store and my Grandparents were fastidiously clean. Sometimes, I think of my house as a barge, for it’s long rectangular shape, and other times I think it is the dearest cottage in the woods for its shingles, red shutters and oak trees all around. (Northern California paradise.) I am a lover of books, so shelving them is part of my style. I am a lover of nature, so bits of outside come inside. I have to work with the tapestry of the dining room chairs, and the color of my bedroom walls I boldly painted a blue green that reminded me of the colors in Ang Lee’s Sense and Sensibility. I try and corral all my knick knacks to Gramma’s China Cabinet, or the fireplace mantel. I try and purge on a regular basis. I read all your organizing/purging posts with great enthusiasm. If I don’t love it, if it is not functional, it goes.
    My neighbors, who live in a spacious 4,000 ft home often joke that I probably have more (functional/purposeful/useful stuff) in my 700 ft home than they in theirs. One thing my home serves is a place where people always feel welcome, where I can entertain and feed people. I have squirreled away in this tiny home china, silver, cloth napkins etc…I also use family photos as decor and most of my art is original or old landscapes from the grans. I need more wall space. Can you tell I am ultra sentimental? Incidentally, my husband and I both run businesses from home, so our dining area also serves as an office. I’ve managed a system where when we want to entertain, I can tuck all away, and no one is the wiser. My dream? Not sure. Whites/greys, crown molding, large white kitchen with wood accents, linen, pinks, reds, blues, greens and yellow. I waffle between a cozy cottage with low ceilings or a bright white farmhouse with spacious rooms. A wrap around porch would be a dream come true. One large enough for a table for 8. But for now, I love my little cottage. And word on the street is, my guests love it too.

    Reply
    • kimBinAK

      Your home sounds wonderful! Are you willing to share a photo or two?

      Reply
  114. dawn@joyfulscribblings

    I would say my style looks like the Pottery Barn catalog. My home is full of warm and dark colors. However, I’m evolving into a more updated look and introducing warm grays and a mix of modern elements with my accessories. I recently redid my office area and can’t wait to share it on my blog. The feather pillow you shared from World Market was my inspiration piece. I love your style and the cozy yet decluttered look of your home. I live in the Midwest, but one day hope to own a beach home. I already have my coastal living mood board started on Pinterest :)

    Reply
  115. Karen on Bainbridge Island

    Mmmmm…..a very tough question. The best description I can arrive at is Maine Coast Eclectic. My base is traditional and from there it branches out to a mix of new and old, a touch of seaside, light and dark and always more casual than formal. My mother was a habitual re-arranger and I have inherited that trait. I can redo an entire room from shopping my own house and love to do it. It freshens things up, but remains familiar.

    Reply
    • kimBinAK

      That’s sort of what I’d like to do in my home — find ways to “shop” my current items and arrange them in a pleasing way. Not necessarily interested in obtaining ‘new” things…

      Reply
  116. Kerry

    I’ve been struggling a lot lately with how to define my style, partly because I feel like I change my mind ALL THE TIME. Our house is an 1890 registered historic site and we have tried to stick mostly with what we call an “urban farmhouse” style that feels appropriate to the house. Basically it’s a mix of heirloom antiques, industrial pieces and midcentury. It’s taken me and my husband a lot of tweaking to come to a style that’s working for us in this house. However, if I could design a house from the ground up and buy all new everything to furnish it, I think my style would be a modern version of coastal midcentury… clean lines and a touch of nautical.

    Reply
  117. Kerry F

    Not sure of my style – but my townhome is very lived in and cozy. Our budget is tight with one in college about to get married and the other preparing for the mission field – so any redecorating happens when it becomes necessity rather than desire or luxury. Our hope is to install laminate hardwood floors (two dogs prevent me from going with true hardwood). Almost eight years in our current home, we are still working on colors for each room and what to put on the walls. I love all the pictures and ideas, just struggle to implement in my own home.

    Reply
  118. Lou Ann Keiser

    De lurking, here! (Love that idea!) My style is eclectic and colorful. I like a warm feel to a room, like you can sit down and talk and be cozy. Right now, we live in a cottage in Europe, so we’re trying to go with the cottage’s natural features and add some homey touches. Downstairs has ochre walls and natural brown marble tile floors. I have a Persian rug in the living room and both natural and painted woods throughout the open layout. The kitchen has natural pine cabinets with black wrought iron pulls, and I have black wrought iron-looking light fixtures and other things. My china is in a plate rack and is blue and white. All the kitchen is blue and white, natural pine, and cream. Love our home!

    Reply
    • Melissa @ The Inspired Room

      I love your home, too and I haven’t even seen it!! That sounds lovely. :-) I’m glad you delurked!!

      Reply
  119. Amber Muro

    I would say coastal farmhouse. I love the beach and my favorite colors are blue, gray and white, but wire baskets, stoneware, dried lavender, plank walls (which I’ve done in my home) distressed furniture etc. are things i love as well! Thanks for your blog :)

    Reply
  120. Fiona

    I live in rural Victoria, Australia. My style is Australian country (I think it differs a bit from what Americans call country), modern, with art deco touches. I like neutral backgrounds with colour pops. However I am about to be brave a paint a room that has only one small window a hunter green or ochre yellow (I can’t make up my mind!).

    Reply
  121. Sarah

    Tough to decide! I guess I’m more to eclectic and artistry.

    Reply
  122. Marcia

    I’ve recently been trying to figure this out. I like almost every style, but I think an updated and relaxed Hollywood regency is what makes my smile the biggest. It’s already eclectic and incorporates many things I already had and loved before I knew what Hollywood regency is! I plan to pull it all together with lots of light neutrals and pops of bright color–mostly aqua/turquoise and lime green. No “stuffy” feeling, just little bits of shine and glam.

    Reply
  123. Diane

    I wish I knew my style! I like so many styles that I can’t get a consistent look that I am happy with. I feel like my home does not flow. It feels kind of disjointed. I can’t even decide what colors I like best! Sounds silly but my lack of confidence in this area weighs on me and makes me feel a discontent with my surroundings. I have taken a few of those style tests, but don’t feel like I learned much about my style.

    Reply
  124. Stephanie

    Definitely eclectic! I love curating disparate things together. I live in a mid-century modern, but it’s decorated with mod stuff from today, vintage mid-century, farmhouse antiques from the family farm, thrift store finds, dumpster dives, and art from friends & Etsy. I don’t have many items I purchased new — nearly everything is thrift or hand-me-down, from the designer sofa I got for a steal off Craig’s List, to the c.1925 player piano my grandma taught me to play on. My mismatched house will never be blog-worthy, but I love having a house full of meaning!

    Reply
  125. Velda

    My style has evolved to transitional/eclectic/thrifty. I’m a retired empty-nester, who has relocated from Pennsylvania to Virginia. Since I went from a house to an apartment, I left a lot of furniture behind and started over. My new style consists of some old treasures combined with new pieces and Craigslist/ Thrift-store finds. I want my home to reflect me and my guests to feel comfortable and welcomed. I’m open to new ideas and enjoy reading your blog for inspiration along with Pinterest.

    Reply
  126. The Office Stylist

    I love to combine fun and chic pieces to make super stylish office spaces! I’m loving the pictures at the top by the way. Obsessing over the dining room in the far right. :)

    The Office Stylist
    http://www.theofficestylist.com

    Reply
  127. kimBinAK

    For all my adult life my style has been eclectic – meaning, hand-me-downs/garage sale/thrift store/freebies. Not so much because I purposely obtained these pieces to fit an eclectic style, but because they were cheap and all I could afford. Now that I am living in my very first home-of-my-own, I want to finally have a “style” or a combination of styles that best expresses my heart and my personality. I don’t have to please anyone other than myself, but I do want others to feel happy, peaceful and welcome in my home.

    From what I’ve seen online and in magazines, I love the beachy/coastal look and the country style. But I also love Alaskana and the rugged outdoorsy or lodge look. Then again, I’m drawn to light, airy rooms with comfy seating and plenty of storage. And I also want to showcase personal artwork and things my children and grandchildren have made. Oh – and I also enjoy fun, whimsical, funky colors and accessories.

    Obviously, I’m still evolving and trying to find what works best for me. Ideally, I’d like to incorporate each of these styles/looks in such a way that everything looks like it fits together well and cohesively. Currently, my rooms are mostly just a hodge-podge jumble of items (and boxes) that are functional but not attractive.

    Reply
  128. Missy

    Rustic Luxe…with red, rustic brick walls in two of the main rooms and shiplap in the other it makes for a tricky design challenge. In every room you will see glimpses of both rustic (brick, cowhide, leather, natural wood, barn door, etc.) and luxe (gold and silver metal finishes, faceted mirrors, shiny finishes, etc.). I am loving the industrial design movement too and I find myself drawn to the open shelving built with pipe and wood. Although my house is an old ranch style with a quirky layout I often close my eyes and picture what I want it to feel like and develop my design with that in mind. I take a slow and steady approach to designing my house and functionality is foremost in every major purchase. I also believe that it is all “just stuff” so everything is livable and touchable.
    Keep up the great work on the blog and I’m looking forward to your new book!

    Reply
  129. Lisa in Seattle

    My style in our main “public space” (living/dining room) is transitional, which is a fancy way of saying “uncommitted.” Neither contemporary nor traditional, neither fish nor fowl, with clean-lined but comfortable furniture, and a Persian rug and (repro) Japanese antique casegoods for interest. My heart lives in the Gamble House, but the rest of me and my bank account live in a modest, unremarkable 60s bi-level in suburbia about 25 miles south of the city. I’m not fooling anybody with the Arts and Crafts/Mission style in the downstairs family room, but if I take off my glasses and squint, I can pretend a little, right?

    Reply
  130. Allison

    I actually commented on the house thread – what kind of house/where/size/style. I checked a few days later, and my comment was still in moderation. And I just checked again now, and it never did get posted.

    Not sure if anyone will see this either, but am trying just in case:) I am don’t know if you were able to read all your comments, then, as you said?

    Reply
    • Melissa @ The Inspired Room

      Hi Allison! I’ve been out of town the past few days but just did a search for your comment on that previous post and was able to find it! It was a bit buried between spam comments so I must have missed it while approving. Sorry about that! Your home sounds lovely, I love Victorian homes! :)

      Reply
  131. Sarah

    Traditonal, personal, warm and welcoming is my aim, I cannot say if I have achieved it, that’s for my visitors to say!

    Reply
  132. sandyc

    Melissa, just realized ’cause I went looking, I never got this post, not even in my Junk folder, so I’m late in responding but hope you’ll still read it. And I’ll spend the weekend reading all the other delightful responses you got. When you posed your first question before, I realized that what I craved was a country cottage home. My forever home is not a cottage and it’s not in the country but it is on a beautiful greenbelt and, interiorly at least, it’s a sort so Spanish bungalow style with some big dark-framed with sliders, a vaulted ceiling and an arch. My style is a refined country combined with a “my house doesn’t feel comfortable with that” sensibility. Even though I’ve still got a lot to do, I must be doing okay because I smile every morning when I get up and walk through my house opening all the curtains. I live on Blue Sky Drive in sunny Sun City West, Arizona and I play Willie Nelson’s “Blue Skies” every morning as I make my coffee. And I owe a lot of gratitude to you as for so much inspiration and being one of the big players in helping me get here.

    Reply
  133. Elin

    Eclectic acquired over time…lots of time

    Reply
  134. Fiona's Mosaic

    I would call my decorating style “Romantic Farmhouse”. Lots of hand me downs and no money has made it really challenging. To be honest there has been a lot of things to fix, so some if those things have to come first. I have learned SO much though, and some of the repairs I have learned to do by myself. But little by little we are making it more our own……..and I love US, so I love this place.

    Reply
  135. windy rodriguez

    I’d say I’m a mix of cottage, farmhouse, traditional with tuscan accents. My favorite color palette to use in a room falls in a range of cream as the lightest color and espresso as the darkest color with honey, wheat, and khaki type colors in between. Subtle florals, wrought iron wall decor and topiaries are among my favorite accent pieces. The style of house that best describes mine is probably a bungalow. It’s cozy, comfy and cute. I’ve lived in 800 sq. ft. for 8 years and have grown to love a smaller home. It’s easy to maintain, every part of it gets daily use and it has kept us close as a family. And though I’d swap out the neighborhood for another one, I love the house; it’s home.

    Reply
  136. Fiona McKinna

    French inspired, with a touch of Nordic simplicity

    Reply
  137. Sherry

    Right now it is, “I’ve had kids for years” look. Hoping to make some changes. I love a clean look.

    Reply
  138. nanne

    “southern eclectic” is the best i can come up with as my 1935 era (midwestern :)) i’m a transplant!) home is furnished with family treasures (i.e. a bunch of things that no one wanted to be caught getting rid of) tables, chairs, chandeliers, family portraits, etc.. mixed with newer, more modern pieces.

    Reply
  139. Tammi

    I love this post! I just started following your blog and enjoy it very much. Style in my home has changed over the years (decades lol!). Currently I’m loving a rustic, chic look with southern-living and farmhouse elements. I really do love modern design but it doesn’t work in my home with the family. I really love the room examples above — they are beautiful spaces.

    Reply
  140. Mitzi

    My home is an unfortunate suburban Nashville 90s McMansion with a 2-story living room that I’m trying to make interesting. Id like it to seem more like an old Southern small town, main street, been-in-the-family for-generations house. Most of my furniture is hand-me-down, but I try to break up all the brown with blue and white throw pillows, Blue Willow china, lots of books, and old family portraits from 1900-present. I’ll get to remodel my dining room this year thanks to last week’s ice storm damage which caused leaks in the ceiling. A happy problem.

    Reply
  141. Lee

    Modern Country/Cottage.

    We make a lot of our furniture that look like west elm pieces. Mixed with dark woods, golds, greys and whites. We mix some new furniture in with antiques that have been updated. Maybe Pottery Barnish style but with more color and poppyness. :)

    Reply
  142. Judy

    I live in a rental, small 1950’s ranch style, which is not my style, but am able to paint and do small updates (like adding a beadboard backsplash in the kitchen). My style is farmhouse cottage with a touch of European country and coastal. I used to love traditional warm tones, but I now find my taste changing to some cooler colors, blues, greens, and I am really liking white as well. It’s fun and interesting to try new things and see how they evolve!

    Reply
  143. Annette

    I live in a 80 year old house overlooking the Monterey Bay. I would have never chosen this house when I was younger because it needed so much work but as I got older I realized it was all about location and charm. So when we went to move at age 40, we chose the house with ivy growing up the walls and old stone gates. Thankfully my husband agreed! Now almost 20 years later, the kids have finished college and it is just the 2 of us with our labs. So my house is a cross between English country, a little French , with a modern updated twist. Over the past few years I have gone to more neutrals and love that the accessories now stand out.

    Reply
  144. SandyL

    Wow, this is a great question and I’ve enjoyed reading up on everyone’s style. Many of the comments resonated with me. My first home I would call the style “what was I thinking?!” Luckily, we were there only two years before buying a classic Cape Cod style home where I completely embraced the country look. Think country blue and mauve and way too many cutesy accessories. Yes, it was the early 80s. I cringe thinking about it now. Eventually, being leaving that house, I had thankfully updated to a more traditional style of decorating by then. It was better but not great. How far I’ve come! We’ve been in our current home, center-entrance colonial, for ten years (it was new construction). My look now is somewhere on the Pottery Barn meets Ballard Designs meets Pier 1 spectrum. I am itching to refresh many rooms and lighten up some of the decor and add in more texture and layers. I still love green but I want to change it up — instead of olive green, I’d like to go with a sea glass/beach glass green. I still love browns and creams and think the cool colors I’m craving can play nice with some of the warm tones I still love. At this point in our lives, we don’t need a home our size – nor do we really want its upkeep – so we are looking to downsize. I’m dreaming of decorating the next house – I’m not sure the name of the style I want but the vibe is something along the lines of comfortable/fresh/farmhouse/coastal/french country//layered but not clutter-y. I want something lighter, fresher, with a few farmhouse elements thrown in the mix, especially a farmhouse table and farmhouse sink. I’m thinking lanterns over an island or farmhouse table. Love that. Your blog and Joanne Gaines style in Fixer Upper are truly inspiring!!

    Reply
  145. Debby

    Hi, Melissa! Our style is apparently a Pottery Barn look (not intentional, but that’s what our guests always say) mixed with artisan. I think it’s because of the Oriental rugs everywhere and a mix of of new furniture and family heirlooms. My favorite part of our home is the many original pieces of artwork–paintings, black and white photographs, and pottery by my husband, my mother, my son, and several other members of my family. I’ve been so inspired by your blog to strive for things that symbolize comfort–cozy throws and pillows, plants, and books. One of my favorite things is creating tabletop groupings mixing lamps, pottery, plants, and/or candles, and then tweaking them until they feel right. Right now I like white or gray walls, mostly dark wood, and neutral upholstery. Then I use the colors from our Oriental rugs as accent colors–currently warm red, ochre, a little blue, and green to bring in the view from outdoors. I love our home, but I have a history of wanting to change paint colors all the time–even to different shades of white. In our last house, we changed the kitchen wall color five times in 12 years! I love the lightness, coziness, and “family-ness” of your home–I can picture you all gathered around playing board games. And although I’m not generally a “blue” person, your decor is beckoning me over to the aqua/blue side for some accessories!

    Reply
  146. Ann Ruggles

    I’m all over the place! I like aspects of nearly every style, except perhaps the Shabby Chic look or MCM. I love traditional with clean, tailored lines, mixed with some Palm Beach Regency and Chinoisorie. I need light and bright but color in accessories and beautiful fabrics. Mostly, I want my home to be comfortable and welcoming, casual but pretty and not too serious. I love when my rooms make me happy to be in them. Thanks for the question; I love thinking about and looking at beautiful homes.

    Reply
  147. Julie

    Hi Melissa! I don’t actually call my style this to others but in repsonse to this Q I’m thinking “Ballard Barn” :)…neutral different yet complementary gray toned walls throughout our open concept home downstairs…darker wood floors…leather sofas…newly remodeled white kitchen…white cabinets on perimeter with gray Quartz counters…large Old world mahogany island with creamy granite that looks like marble with more colors with chrome pulls on both…lots of textures throughout (grain sack pillows, chunky handmade by my mom throws)…artwork from my talented teenage daughter (straight knock off of Ballard styles of 3 horses. One piece of a huge cow I just asked her to do and I love it in our laundry room). Antique armoires and dressers (heirloom pieces)…fresh white hydrangeas whenever I can find them at trader joes…my favorite candle of all time (hot maple toddy from Candleberry Candle Co….I order them from Amazon since I can’t find a store locally). We’re in Northern CA…transplants from Ohio a few years ago…we no longer have a basement so had to purge about 1500 sq feet of stuff…which ended up being ok although stressful at the time. Little rustic…little traditional…little transitional…little farmhouse…little contemporary (Moroccan cream rug in my office…black and white trellis curtains in the media room with a huge sectional and lots of fun accent pillows…gray and white houndstooth…black and white stripes.). I did the kids bathroom with a beach vibe…sand and Aqua…soft Aqua walls (blue shamrock from Olympic paints) nautical light fixture (Pullman chrome 3 light from Shades of Light)…beige and cream starfish towels from Kohl’s. Our bedroom is a favorite…creams and Browns and a little grayish greenish Aqua walls..ticking stripes bedding, paisley curtains…I even have a cream and brown zebra pillow on an antique heirloom rocker that works all together….again neutral palette is the key with heirlooms and new finds. So yes…Ballard Barn it is! This was really fun. Thank you for asking the question and for sharing your home. I adore your blog!!

    Reply
    • SandyL

      Julie – I just have to say – I love how you’ve described your home! It’s clear you love it and that’s a beautiful thing!

      Reply
      • Julie

        Thank you for sharing that SandyL. It made my day!:) I think the readers of this blog are so kind and supportive. It’s my happy place at the end of the day for many reasons!

        Reply
  148. Wendy

    Not really sure what my style is at the moment. My daughter is currently in the process of moving out and is taking all her lovely colourful kitchen utensils,Kitchen Aid and baking books with her. Suddenly my home seems devoid of colour and personality. I love blues, anything silver and a cosy feel, so I’m going to start there. Finally I would love a hutch,so hopefully I can find one that will fit a small space behind a door and incorporate the colours I like and give my home back it’s personality again.

    Reply
  149. Wendy Sievers

    This is a tough one! My style has evolved over many years. I have acquired furniture and decorative items over the course of many years and am now on the brink of being an empty nester and downsizing, so the true test is what I decide to keep. I have a very formal mahogany dining room set that was a gift from my parents 25 years ago. It’s beautiful, but just not me anymore. I’d prefer a french farmhouse table that’s slightly distressed, something I can use every day. I tend to be mixing my collection of blue and white china with light baskets, shells, succulents, and much more casual elements. I like that I can have some of my fine decorative items out to enjoy, while toning down the formality with some fun, less fussy stuff. I have elements that are traditional-french-british-California-beachy style mixed together. It sounds like a mish-mosh, but I love it! I

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  150. Jamie S.

    My style is modern and simple, somebody could say it is rather cold. Little bit of Scandinavian inspiration, mostly grey, white and black but to make it more cozy and personal, there are many special decorations, paintings, photographs.

    Reply
  151. Diane

    I’m a little late to this post but I’ll comment anyway. My personal style could be described as Swedish Cottage with global influences especially Persian and Islamic patterns. I have to balance my love of white and light light blue with my love of mixed patterns and deep colors.

    Reply
    • Melissa @ The Inspired Room

      That sounds absolutely LOVELY! I’m glad you shared! It’s never too late, I love reading the comments!!! Thanks Diane!

      Reply
  152. Marissa W.

    I like to think of my style as vintage + contemporary + quirky. I think its essentially a direct reflection of my current program in school and my future career path: museums. Museums are old and new; they are young and seasoned; they offer something for everyone but at the same time have an underlying theme that ties all their contents together. I like to think that my house will be some wonderful and fantastically put-together reflection of that.

    I am a new reader of your blog because currently, I am redecorating essentially my entire house at the request of my boyfriend, with whom I live. He enjoyed my hand-me-down knick-knacks to a point, but finally helped me realize that just because it was my grandparents’ doesn’t mean I need it to me mine forever. Much of the items I have purged so far were display pieces in their homes, and had happy memories attached to them, but I simply couldn’t continue to decorate our new home together with him without letting some of that go. Don’t worry, I have kept most of the VERY special stuff, and luckily, it fits quite well into a few boxes in storage until we move into a house that can accommodate more display surfaces. We are already getting really excited to change the look of our spaces based on some of your recent posts! Keep it up, you are super helpful for home decor inspiration.

    Reply
  153. Lyzz Pickle

    Hi there! I just ordered my second through fifth pre-irder of your book today. As you may guess, I’m a devoted reader.

    As to your question, I’m definitely Eclectic-Eclectic. As long as something has the colors I love, and the “look” I love – it will be mine. For years I was devoted to blue and green and Traditional. After my husband died (42 years of joy!), I opened my mind to new possibilities and fell in love with two more colors that I previously thought were “garish” – orange and turquoise. Now I use all 4 colors, and I love to mix mid-century modern into the traditional mix. I have downsized into a smaller house built in the 60’s, and I can’t tell you how much fun it’s been to go from Traditional to Modern and from safely gorgeous blue and green to melanges that allow me to have one orange wall in a room, covered with a giant collage of art and objects of green, blue, and turquoise, and another wall in gray covered with black and white photography, art, objects. My favorite is the guest suite done in a combination of NYC and beach art with Navy and Orange. It’s so amazing.

    I never buy furniture in safe Browns, etc – it’s high color, the more saturated the better – all the way. Not just a torquoise rug, but a torquoise shag rug with a little shine in it. Not just a velvet headboard, but an orange velvet tufted headboard.

    My mantra for all things is, “if not now, when?” My house is happy. And me? I’m getting there.

    Thanks again – more than you know.
    Lyzz

    Reply
  154. Debbie Huntley

    I would say my style is a mix which started out as tropical, with some rooms having Mediterranean elements which developed when living in the Pacific Northwest. Now that I live in the South, I seem to be reverting back to a stronger beachy theme with casual elegance as my goal. I love oversized furniture, artwork and accessories used in a minimal fashion.

    Reply
  155. Lisa

    I was totally a “live-with-what-you’ve-got” decorator who always tried to keep it traditional for my husband. I don’t know that I had any particular style-I think I just let my husband decide what he liked. Recently though, I’ve found my style and I’d say its rustic-modern with a slight French country twist :). I’m currently redoing every room in the house, and for the first time I’m decorating for me. I tend to feel happiest with grays, blues and whites, + a bit of industrial metal + wood pieces. I’m having so much fun experimenting with different fabrics and textures trying to create a serene home base for myself and my family. Though I’m relatively new to all this, listening to my own wants and needs has given me a clear picture of how I want my house to feel.

    Reply

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