(Or: My Path to Finding a Style)
I took this photo years ago and really loved the colors and the lines.
When we finally began our remodel this year I was totally overwhelmed with options. After 8 years of living in our house I knew exactly the layout I wanted. I also knew I wanted the house lighter and brighter, and began saving images accordingly. But I didn’t have an overall color scheme or style in mind. My saved images quickly all began to drift to pale, almost white floors, white cabinets, white furniture…white, white, white. My husband pleaded practicality on the cabinets, and suggested we use something that wouldn’t show the inevitable grime as easily. A friend of mine, whose ability to style her home I’ve always envied, somewhat accidentally gave me advice that guided the rest of our remodel when I showed her some photos of our cabinet options. She immediately said that the gray ones seemed to match my aesthetic. I had never thought of myself as even having an aesthetic. But she was right. I thought about it, thought about things I loved: artwork, clothing, etc. I did have an aesthetic, even if I had never noticed it before.
I started to think more strategically about the colors I would use and the feeling I wanted for our home. We had a 41×42 opening above our gas fireplace that we needed to decide how to fill. We considered tiling over it, but decided to keep it accessible in case it ever needed to be serviced. We decided to get a piece of art printed to fill it. This ocean print immediately came to mind. It’s colorful, soft, natural, and clean-lined. The colors would blend perfectly with the other colors I love. From that point on, we had a vision. Rugs, paint, floors – even other artwork seemed to fall into place.
The simple but powerful permission to have an aesthetic and follow it – not just follow trends – gave me permission to bring in what I loved.
As we finished, my husband noted that our house reminded him of how I dressed: Mostly neutral with pops of bright accessories. My mom remarked that our house really felt like us. And when I come home now, it finally feels like coming to our house. Not just the house we bought, but the one we created.
Fifty-two Daring 