Step One, Step Two and Step Three of Real Simple‘s “What’s Your Decorating Style?” are complete.  Ah, now for the hard part in loosely defining my decorating style:  What are the common threads among all the things I love?  Let’s see, from the little style quiz I discovered I lean toward modern mid-century designs with classy and casual traits thrown into the mix.  (Think starburst mirrors, simple furniture, clean lines and geometric prints tossed in with slipcovers, rustic wood tones and small pops of bling.)  Which is why all those “LOVE IT” items were on my list:  the mid-century chair with a geometric print, the traditional pedestal table circled by modern chairs, the glass-front cabinet showcasing light wood tones and sculptural pieces, the shiny capiz dining chandelier, the rippled rustic side table, etc. 

That’s also probably why all of my “WISH I COULD REPLACE IT” items were builder-grade finishes and intricate furniture:  orange oak wood tones, vinyl flooring, fuzzy carpeting, laminate countertops, feminine bed frame, etc. 

By studying my Little Lovies Stash, I found that I’m drawn to simple items that remind me of nature or special people in my life.  Cue the succulents, porcelain artichoke, textured table runner, star fish, kid photos, wooden airplane and my Grandma’s crystal earrings.  Another geometric print popped up here.  I like to keep materials (denim jeans, cotton shirt) and color palettes simple/comfortable.  I’m definitely drawn toward neutrals.  I even squinted my eyes a little to blur the objects and see them as a whole.  I saw lots of white with dashes of green, black, blue and even pink.  (Sounds like the colors of an awful bruise!)

In the midst of my daydreaming, it’s pretty clear that I prefer wide open spaces over bustling cities.  Every one of my favorite places is deeply linked to nature, lots of greenery and even rocky shores.  (Can you smell the fresh air?)  My dream homes sport those clean, straight lines I talked about earlier and have lots of windows linking them to the outdoors.  My favorite books/movies/paintings suggest quirky and spiritual traits.  My Oscar dresses point to neutrals once again along with easy elegance.  No frills.

What can I take away from all of this?  Nature is my primary source of inspiration:  its textures, colors and breathable open feeling.  But not in a country style, more of a modern take on nature.  Furniture with clean lines, straight legs and boxy upholstery coaxes me to sit down.  Neutrals (grays, whites, browns and taupes) with pops of greens, blues and small doses of pink is my color palette.  A little bit of contrast with black is acceptable too.  Modern floral or geometric patterns are quirky additions to an otherwise serene style.  Of course, surrounding myself with items that remind me of Handy Hubby and our boys makes me smile inside and out.  Overall, it’s a natural, modern, comfy, easy and soothing atmosphere that I want to live in.  Not too natural to the point of country yet not too modern that it’s sterile.  What shall I call this?  The best wordage I can come up with is Modern Cottage.  Out of pure curiosity, I googled “modern cottage” images.  This is what I found…kind of on the right track.

So, how does this help me?  I’m going to remember the overall feel I want my home to evoke when shopping/DIYing anything.  If it doesn’t fit into my loosely defined Modern Cottage vibe, I’ll think twice about buying/doing it.  That doesn’t mean I don’t like other styles or that other styles won’t work.  From the get-go, my only goal was to establish a general style guideline to direct me when I get overwhlemed by all the choices of home decor/furniture out there.  Hopefully, the results of this little self-help style search will aid me in doing that.  But enough about me.  What about you?  Were you able to come up with a generalized design style?  Do you prefer a style totally different than mine?  Bold colors?  Intricate furniture?  Did you find a common thread in my style that I missed?  Spill it.