Behind The Blogger: This Thing Called Home Design

It’s taken a while for me to really embrace a design style that made our family feel at home.  I’ve played around with transitional decor, modern, full on traditional, and even farmhouse style.  Yet, I continued to feel that something was missing.  After many attempts and style switches, I ended with a mix of different styles that centered on an appreciation of global accents.  So, I ended up calling the style Global Eclectic.  Eclectic (meaning derived from several sources) and Global in that my style infused design elements of several cultures.

For this month’s Behind the Blogger post,  Jess asked us home design related questions.  If you haven’t seen the other Behind the Blogger series posts hosted by Jess of Domicile 37, be sure to catch up.

Behind the Blogger:

So, let’s get to Jess’s questions shall we?
What is your biggest home decor pet peeve?Hmmm, I’m not sure if it would be considered a pet peeve or more like a irritating trait.  I am big on straight lines, especially when it comes to hanging photos and art.  I can’t stand seeing crooked frames!  It’s like a little festering, annoying feeling that drives me crazy until I fix it. Hahaha.

I’ve fixed frames in my home, friends’ homes, and even in hotel rooms!  What can I say?  I have a thing about lines.  It does extend to other things, but crooked frames is probably the biggest annoyance.

What is the one design item you cannot live without? 

I think you know this by now, but I adore blue and white chinoiserie pottery.  Whether ginger jars, vases, or pitchers I just need them in my home.  I recently have added a new blue and white item in my home, which you will see Wednesday!  I’m really excited about it.

What is the one DIY item you cannot live without? 

This is a tough question.  I love making new things and DIY projects are super fun for me.  I’m not sure that there is one item that I can’t live without, though I do have a bunch of favorites like my repurposed cassette tape holder, the tribal wooden key bowl, birch tree art, and my Lilly Pulitzer plates.

Your favorite project to date?

My favorite project is the the Indian Inlay chair makeover.  I found a chair for less than $10 and gave it a complete makeover.  I recently decided to add a bit more detailing to the chair, which I will reveal soon enough.

Your least favorite project to date?

It is extremely rare that I share a project that I am not 100% sure I love.  Though, there have been several ew moments that I’ve fixed before sharing.   However, I would say that the Washi tape plug ins would be my least.

What is your favorite color to design with?

Definitely blue!  I love different shades of blue mixed with accent colors like green and orange.  This color combination just so happens to be my colors of the year for 2016.   My husband doesn’t prefer blue, but I can’t help but to sneak it in here and there.  My recent family room refresh incorporated a lot of shades of blue.

What are 3 no-fail design tips that have worked for you?

1.  If at first you dont succeed, try another style!
Keep trying different design styles until you feel comfortable with one

2. Don’t like it?  Don’t keep it!
If you are unsure of any home accents/accessories, keep the tags on and try it out for a few day to see if it grows on you.  If it does not, return it!  I don’t recommend keeping items longer than a week and frankly, if you used any items extensively then it wouldn’t really be ethical to return it.

3. Decorate with your family in mind, but no need to sacrifice style.
You don’t need to skip on decorating just because you have small children.  I’ll be talking more about this topic, specifically in regards to coffee tables, tomorrow.  However, I have had decor showing even with small children.  You don’t have to sacrifice style just because you have children.  As a matter of fact, I have found that my kids love seeing a well decorated space and my 4 year old son even tells me when I’ve done a great job at decorating!

Thanks so much to Jess for hosting this fun series.  Be sure to visit my friends blogs as they share a bit about their thoughts on design.

Adios!