Personal Style, Defined.

David Jimenez's living room is one of my favorite spaces ever. I think it is very "me" because of the subdued colors, mixture of styles, and hints of glamour. I think it encompasses my style the most out of any of the rooms featured in this post.

I recently came across the most interesting topic on Decorum. If someone asked you to define your personal decorating style in three words, what would they be? This may be a no-brainer for some, but a challenge for others. Whether you know it or not, your sense of style is probably very well-defined, but if you are like me, it may be easier for your friends to come up with three words to define your style than it is for you to describe it yourself. Because I have a design blog and the type of personality that analyzes everything, it is hard for me to take my own home and say "this fits precisely in this category", especially when my home is a work in progress. For that reason, I have gathered some of my absolute favorite pictures that are completely in line with my design sensibility.


1. I suppose the first word to describe my personal design style would be "glamour". I hesitate to say that because I am not one of those people who believes their own hype and goes around thinking they are just "fabulous, dahling". That is not who I am. I shop at Target! Despite the fact that I tend to like more masculine styles in décor, I do like hints of glamour here and there, especially when paired with a dark, subdued color, like in both of these rooms. I love beautiful mirrors and chandeliers and believe in having beautiful lighting in every room.

A nook in Lisa Epley's Home

Molly Sims' SoHo apartment is one of my favorite homes ever.

2. My second adjective would be "subdued". I tend to choose neutrals for most furnishings and then build the overall look through accessories and textile like pillows. The subdued look really applies to the bedrooms and bathrooms in my home. I like white linens. I just love how crisp and clean they look. My bed has a a white duvet and pillows, but I add color through throw pillows. I love how both of the rooms pictured below feature very simple bedding, but incorporate color, texture, and patterns through the other elements in the room.

A Bedroom by Mary McGee

Jennifer Alpeter's Beautiful Bedroom

3. My last adjective would definitely be "eclectic". I really love when a home looks and feels layered and collected. These rooms all feel very put together, but they feature a variety of design styles, as well as new and vintage or antique items. I think it is super important to have some vintage and antique items in your home in order to add character and personality. Otherwise, no matter how beautiful, rooms can look sterile if they resemble a showroom. I am constantly looking for ways to achieve this in my home.


Tori Mellott's Living Room

Katie Lee Joel's gorgeous home is another personal favorite.


I love Ron Marvin's apartment. He packs so much style into that little space! I really like his use of neutral colors and the fact that he adds interest through patterns, like the zebra rug and pops of color through accessories. Given my husband's profession and our love of lighting, I definitely see eye to eye with Ron, the self-professed "lamp tramp".

I also have an exciting announcement! Over the next few weeks, I will be featuring profiels of some of my favorite bloggers as they describe their personal style. They will be sharing their favorite room and describing how it personifies their personal design aesthetic. Look for the feature entitled "Personal Style" beginning early next week!

Now, I would love to hear from you. What three words would you use to describe your personal design style?