birch & lily

A while ago I posted about my fabric considerations for a sweet vintage (antique?) curvy settee I scored online.  I explained what I wanted:

• Bold and playful
• Wide range of colours
• Not geometric/symmetrical (i.e. hard to line up on the curves)
• Not old-fashioned
• Feminine

Now, insert loud game-show buzzer sound here.  I ordered my fabric and it goes against every one of the above requirements.  Ya see, I ordered all of the fabric samples - some I loved just weren’t sturdy enough for my liking.  Others had colours that weren’t quite right.  And some got weirded-out stares from my husband.  But I had ordered another swatch for a completely different project - a black on ivory ticking stripe:

It was exactly opposite of my requirements, but I was finding myself drawn to it, and here’s why:

While the other fabrics were beautiful and fun, I was concerned that in time I’d grow tired of them.  And after further inspection of my settee I’m pretty sure it’s going to be a doozy to reupholster - and I don’t want to redo it in only a few years.  

Also, over the last year or so I’ve been seriously assessing my personal style.  On this blog I curate a collection of images of what I consider great design - and there’s a pretty wide range there.  I’m smitten with organic minimalism.  I have a growing affinity for midcentury-modern.  I appreciate over-the-top eclecticism.  I enjoy sparkly glam.  I adore rustic industrialism.  But as we move towards building our house I find myself needing to reign myself in from all of that inspiration and seriously narrow down the style I really love and want to present in my home.  And part of that is using some restraint in some of my choices.  The rooms I like best save their colour and pattern for thoughtfully considered pieces.  For this settee I want it to be a more flexible, classic piece.  Nothing’s as flexible as neutral black and cream.  And a ticking stripe is totally classic.  It speaks to the humble country vibe I want, but is still elegant and restrained.  AND I can dress it up with a vibrant throw or wildly patterned throw pillows that suit my evolving tastes.

Nowadays design styles are not so formally categorized as they once were - traditional, modern, country… Most design melds a few different styles in an eclectic (but not chaotic) mix.  So I don’t have to fit into one category.  Tonight I did the quiz in the August issue of House & Home, and I think it nailed it:

I’m “Refined Country” with a dose of “Playful Traditional” in the mix.

Country but sophisticated.  Rustic, but clean.  Traditional but whimsical.  Preppy but relaxed.  Coastal on the prairies.  Detailed but simple.

How about you?  In a world (and internet) with an overwhelming variety of inspiration, have you figured out your personal design style?