When I moved in to this house almost 7 years ago, I was going for “Cathedral of Cool,” or “Sanctuary of Style” in the living room. It was always a sanctuary for me. Much worship has reverberated around the walls and off the ceiling in that room. I filled it with crosses and artifacts from more formal religious backgrounds than mine and dozens and dozens of candles on weighty stands, a la Tuscany. We lit enough candles to heat the whole house, regularly! No one I knew had that at the time.
Then everyone did. So, I have scaled waaaaaay back, but still love the symbols of my faith in there.
I had also swiped a quote about a house in some magazine that I wanted to adopt, but really haven’t: “the house is an exhuberant mix of fantasy and tradition“. So that remains. Traditional, I can do. But I am going to have to let myself get a little crazy for the fantasy part (I have always wanted the courage to have tangerine walls). And it seems enough of a project to take me through the next decade.
Early marriage was Asian-influenced. Then a brief bout with country blue and mauve (like a brief bout with the flu). Then I went bold, traditional. Then there were the Victorian days – that consumed a bunch of me. Then I settled for Suburban Chic (which isn’t) and then I realized I am traditional in many ways, but loooooove the modern lines, too. Especially the vintage modern like Thomas O’Brien does for Target, sort of the 30s, 40s modern, aerospace, smoking jacket, cool…?
But recently, I took the HGTV What’s My Style? online e-quiz and this is what they said:
“Your style is Classic Casual
AKA Transitional. A mix of contemporary and traditional. Usually updated, graceful, enduring.”
And that seems good to me and I think they are lovely for saying so.
Home…Abode…House…Residence…Dwelling…Habitat…Domicile…Palace…Place…Paradise…what do you call it?…Jeanie
Our home nossa casa-Portugese oh boogers, the symbols won’t stay -Japanese vores hjem -Danish náš domov-Checzk ons huis-Dutch la nostra casa-Italian nuestro hogar-Spanish notre maison-Frenchpictured: from the HGTV website. I could never pull this off and not sure I’d want to, but I surely cheer on the people who could!
Don’t let Pearl see this I’ll be painting again!
Too late Bry, I even saved the pic! I love this! Maybe when we enclose the garage….hmmmmm….yes….
My house is typically a mixture of all kinds of styles–late 4th grade, some early Middle School, 9-year-old boy, heavy on the tween girl… a little bit of dropped here and there, a lot of just blew in, and a pinch of just didn’t bother to pick it up. Most days I love it. Some days it makes me crazy.
Whatever the style (and we’ve been through a lot), my favorite is the magic couch, the one that sucks me in, gives me just the right support, the best rest when I need it–the one that took us days and days of furniture stores to find and fits our whole family on it with a little bit of elbowing for good measure. :)
This comment reminds me of WHY you are one of my favorite writers EVER!!