Defining Your Style (Plus Week Two Theme Revealed)

I love books, and this is a banner year for titles from my favorite authors. Gretchen Rubin's second happiness project Happier at Home is #2 on the NYTimes bestseller list; in two weeks J.K. Rowling's first novel for adults, The Casual Vacancy, will be released; and next month Nate Berkus publishes his second book, The Things That Matter, as well as debuts a collection of furnishings at Target. 

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As part of the lead-up to the book release, Nate is everywhere. Today he is interviewed in the Home & Garden section of the NYTimes where he discusses both the purpose of the new book and his design inspiration for the Target collection. 

 But it was his article for House of Style magazine that got me thinking. It opened with the line, "The first time I tried to envision what someone’s home ought to look like based on the person I perceived them to be, I was 12 years old and my little sister had just gotten a Barbie Dreamhouse." 

  

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Since I'm up to my eyeballs in Barbies that hooked me immediately. He goes on to talk about how our homes represent who we are on a soulful level. And, that we can make some educated guesses about what a person's home will look like based on their personal style: their clothing, their habits, their place in the world.

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Which is about the time I began to get uncomfortable. Are my decor choices really reflecting who I am? Or just helping with my bottom line? Worse yet, are they good??? Because the boring character in the article sounded a bit too much like me. Would Nate Berkus think I am boring??? Take note that my style icon above is wearing a beige sweater. Oh the horror!

The skirt in the forefront is the one I am wearing today.
Image from eBay.

I was redeemed on my way into work this morning, then, when an older woman I don't know complimented me on how nicely my orange moccasins match my abstract hibiscus-patterned orange & pink A-line skirt (from J.Crew). She even called me a fashionista! So I'm probably not boring. 

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But I do LOVE white and beige and other neutrals. They are soothing colors that allow wilder patterns to do their happy dance. Which also makes neutrals an excellent skeleton when you are decorating on a budget. 

Sofas are one example. A sofa is one of the single most expensive purchases in a home decor scheme so ideally you want the purchase to be one you will like for several years. With throw pillows and accessories, you can change the entire look and feel of a room. Here are a few of my favorites from vastly different rooms. 

Originally from Houzz

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To see more of the rooms I've pinned on Pinterest follow me there. Ninety percent of them have white sofas, I think. ;)

***The week two theme for next month's "31 Days to Lovely Little Spaces" is Tastes of Fall. I'll spend the week organizing and decorating our kitchen, and I made some exciting purchases yesterday to help with that task!***