Personal Style

Making Decorating Personal

By the time I came along, my great grandmother was going through her "purple phase" - her entire house was decorated in shades of purple. No, this wasn't just the eccentricities of an old woman. It was her vision, one in a long line of many. If there is a decorating gene, I believe I inherited it from her.
However, while she loved to decorate, she seemed much less interested in what was "in" than her own creative vision.  While everyone else I knew during this time period had brown and gold plaid sofas and orange shag carpeting, my grandmother forged her own path. Her decor was a reflection of HER.

 Outside of that purple house my world of interior design consisted almost entirely of fake stone fireplaces, fake wood paneling, Naugahyde, brown appliances and plaid lazy-boys (is it any wonder I refuse to use artificial materials?). And as bad as it was, the worst part was each house was the same!

.Home decor for the masses, in rural North Carolina, was dispensed from places like Heilig-Meyers and Roses.
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Of course, now a days decorating for the masses is dished out from the Pottery Barn and West Elm catalogs.
A huge improvement from my youth, but, there is so much more!

The wonderful thing about making a space your own, stamped with your personal style, is that it need not cost a fortune. 
That strange chair you inherited from Great Aunt Susie, which you can't bear to part with... what a great jumping off point! Or what about the interesting rug you purchased on a trip overseas? A room, or home, can be built around all kinds of things.
 The important thing is that it is a reflection of you
Personal Style is all about YOU!