Where do you shop?
I have a list of go-to places. Here are the ones I can think of:
- HomeGoods: When I can get to one--there's not one in my town! Good for lamps, mirrors, accessories, and bath rugs.
- Vineyards Antique Mall, Colleyville, TX (Website): When I'm in Texas, I get accessories, and I've gotten a few pieces of furniture here. I've gotten several pieces of unique art as well.
- Antique Mall of the South, Ridgeland, MS (Website): I got lots of chairs to reupholster, our breakfast room chairs (again, reupholstered--pictures coming soon), Evy's big-girl bed (a daybed), etc.
- Hobby (Heaven) Lobby: I get mostly lamps, accessories, frames, and seasonal decor here. I found my dining room curtain fabric here, and this is where I got my big letters that spell out LOVE and NOEL.
- Room to Room Furniture, Tupelo, MS (Website): Our sofas are coming from this store.
- Garden Gate Antique/Craft Mall, Cape Girardeau, MO: Antique furniture, breakfast area chandelier, accessories.
- Bloom, Cape Girardeau, MO (Blog): Accessories, decorative mantle sconces (picture soon!).
- Weir's Furniture, Southlake, TX (Website): Our dining room set came from this store, as well as a few decorative accessories.
- All curtains, drapes, and window treatments are made with love by Kurt's WONDERFUL mom! She makes my dreams come true and saves me so much money! :)
Here are some questions friends asked:
Where do you buy your artwork?
I actually don't have a lot of artwork in my house. I gravitate toward mirrors, large family photos, or something else decorative. I literally have a metal block when it comes to committing to artwork. However, I have found one or two pieces at antique places and have had them reframed. Also, Etsy is a good place to find original artwork by artists no one else will have.
I am always scared to commit. To large decorating purchases that is. :) I think I know what I like...I think...but I'm unsure enough that I'm worried if I make a big purchase I will end up not liking it. How do you know for sure? When I look in magazines, I don't feel like I adhere to a certain style. I like so many different kinds of things, and I feel like if I invested in them all, I would have a bunch of random stuff that would look crazy all in a room together. I'm lost! Help! :)
Argh, I am the SAME WAY!!!! When Kurt and I picked out our sofas a couple of weeks ago, I had a full-on panic attack in the furniture store. The guy helping us had to come and go five times because I would think I had made a decision on sofa fabric, and then I panicked. Seriously, true story. I was breaking out in hives and everything. So you're not alone!
Any MAJOR purchase--like a bed, sofa, etc., needs to be kept classic and simple. You can add in your personal style through artwork, bed linens, throw pillows, etc. I would also suggest a neutral color for upholstered items and a wood stain that isn't too light or too dark. Most of the time, if you stick to those rules, you won't be unhappy with your purchase.
I love a million different styles! However, once I looked at my inspiration binder (I'll talk more about that in a minute), I started to recognize trends in my taste, which helped so much! There's probably a common thread in everything you like. Once you find it, you can go from there. But again, as far as big purchases, TAKE YOUR TIME and stick with classics!
I am such a science/medically minded person that I feel like my creativity/design sense is lacking. What's the best way to develop it? I've been trying to read some books/magazines, but I'm not sure if that's working.
Hmmm. I would suggest going to museums and studying what you like about certain paintings or exhibits. Make yourself think like an artist. Watch HGTV here and there and just get a feel for how the designers' thought processes work (but don't take everything HGTV says as the truth or even what is normal...sometimes they can be off, in my opinion).
My best suggestion would be not to just read books or magazines---start tearing out every picture you see in a magazine that you like. Print pictures off the computer. Organize them by room in a binder (it can be really basic, like an accordian file). Then go through your pictures with Post-It notes and label what you like about each picture. Some of mine are, "Bedding," "Wall Color," "Accessory Styling," "Makes me feel good to look at this picture," and "Sofa shape." Literally, whatever you like about the picture, label it.
Then, go through and really look for what your trends are. For me, my pictures are usually neutral in color scheme, with airy, open spaces (but they're still cozy somehow), French-inspired, and the rooms look layered like they were built over time. Make sense?
I encourage you to take your binder with you when you shop. Once you use a fabric in a room, cut a swatch and put it in there. I highly suggest using your "manual"!
I know that you like neutrals but do you ever worry about them getting dirty? I fear that if I did a neutral room the first thing you would see would be a lot of dirt and stains.
Haha! Very good question. Although I love neutrals, I also am conscious of the fact that they need to be practical. I put a lot of my neutral where they can't be harmed: wall color, window treatments, etc. I do have a neutral fabric on our breakfast chairs, but they will be heavily Scotch-guarded. The sofas we bought are actually a darker fabric, although they're still in the neutral territory. The rug I buy for the living room won't be expensive. That way, if there is a spill that can't be cleaned up, I won't feel AS heartbroken. :) I would say that even though it looks like a lot of my house is light and bright, it's strategic where I've put the neutral colors.
Do you have a certain method to your decorating? I am a VERY visual person and I have to see something before I know if it "works" or not. Do you plan things out in advance or just "try it and see?"
In the binder I talked about above, I have pictures of each room, as well as measurements. That way, I can study the picture and make sure the piece even fits before I buy it. It's wise to carry a little tape measure with you. I usually have a good idea in my head of what I'm doing in a room before I make a big purchase. There are certain things though that I just "know it when I see it." I strongly advise getting samples of fabric and bringing them home. You can also ask to "check out" the fabric swatches from a furniture place before you purchase a sofa or chair (a lot of stores let you do this). Another big tip: Ask a store if you can take something out on approval. I've done this a lot! They let you take it home, and just write down your credit card number (you know, in case you plan to steal it). That way, if it doesn't work, there's no hassle in a return transaction. You just return the item and that's that!
PLEASE ask me anything else if you want to! I'm not anywhere near an expert, but I do love to decorate! :)
