Decorating a space should always start with the answer to this very important question, "Who am I ?"truthfully, not the fantasy me, but the real me...
Make decorating choices based on how items make you feel, not what's available, "On Sale", or free from the in-laws. Everyone has a budget some big, some small, all can be worked with. Remember your home is not a show room, it's a place to nurture your emotions and your interest.
When you do not have the funds to start over, you just have to be smarter... So loosen up, you probably have more flare than you give yourself credit for.
Your home is the one place where you should be safe and free to live your life your way. It should reflect the people who live there. So, Who Am I ? Simplicity and unpretentious, as comfortable as a new pair of cashmere socks...Tell me , Who are YOU ?
Decorating a space should always start with the answer to this very important question, "Who am I ?"truthfully, not the fantasy me, but the real me...
Make decorating choices based on how items make you feel, not what's available, "On Sale", or free from the in-laws. Everyone has a budget some big, some small, all can be worked with. Remember your home is not a show room, it's a place to nurture your emotions and your interest.
When you do not have the funds to start over, you just have to be smarter... So loosen up, you probably have more flare than you give yourself credit for. 
Your home is the one place where you should be safe and free to live your life your way. It should reflect the people who live there. So, Who Am I ? Simplicity and unpretentious, as comfortable as a new pair of cashmere socks...Tell me , Who are YOU ?
Well, because I'm a Gemini, I change things constantly. I love light, open and airy, but as soon as I get it, I crave warmth, and want rich deep colors. As soon as I achieve sleek, contemporary look, my other side needs the soft, curvey, feminine feel. So, I guess, I'm still seeking my true self.
ReplyDeleteThanks for inviting me!
Kelly
Vicky, I have always loved your home and still do. I like that old fashioned phone on your night table. Who am I? I am who likes warmth in a home and I like to collect different beautiful things..Christine
ReplyDeletebEAUTIFUL AS USUAL.i REMEMBER WHEN YOU RE-DID YOUR KITCHEN....aNN
ReplyDeleteWho am I? Warm colors, comfortable furniture, sometimes cluttered with my favorite things and other times a more clean & spare look. My favorite dining room? Yours!
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting my blog, I really enjoy yours. I love the blue dining room chairs!
ReplyDeleteVicky, I'm like you. Simple and unpretentious. We love lots of natural light...lots of windows to watch the birds and squirrels...Our home is our haven...very simple, small and cozy! We built our dream (retirement) no fuss cottage at the lake. With 5 dogs and 3 grandchildren that means sand and lake water! Everything in our cottage is "washable" so we can live without fear of ruining anything. Handscraped hardwood floors which only get better with time, nicks & scratches add character. All furniture has machine washable slipcovers. I had my slips made custom to fit but my choice of fabrics were 100% cotton or linen -- each wash makes them softer. In the colder months, we use faux sisal rugs on the wood floors...the rugs are indoor/outdoor and can be washed out on the porch with the water hose...everything at Simplicity Cottage is simple!
ReplyDeleteHi Vicki! I prefer to think I'm sophisticated without being complicated - in reference to my interiors. If I were going to describe myself, I'd say personable and humble, so I think that plays into my interiors as well.
ReplyDeleteThank you Vicky, for stopping by the Back Porch and inviting me to answer this question.
ReplyDeleteWho am I?
Wife, Mother, Grandmother. My age, mid 60's. Married 2nd time for both of us, 25 years. Photography hobbyist, enjoying retirement.
I was 60 the year we, along with J's brothers and their families, sold the farm, their parents bought in 1944. We lived there around 20 years. J lived there most of his 63 years. We are basically farm folk. Once farm folk, always farm folk, at heart.
We built our present home, in 2003, using ideas in our heads and inspiration found online and in books. We looked at homes a couple of years, gleaning ideas. We found our lot after 2 or 3 years of searching. It had to have farmland in the back and that farmland had to be on the east. That goes back to farm folk always being farm folk. We wanted no more ground than an acre.
My style, in home decor; simple, hopefully elegant, functional, welcoming for family and friends. It's okay to sit in our living room with your feet up, reading a book and having a cup of tea. No off limits places anywhere, for our grandchildren. Traditional/Country/Uncluttered, at our main home. Very comfortable, lake style. Furnished with barefootin' in mind, at our condo. We are at the lake, as I type.
I'm a bit timid, when meeting someone new. J is an extrovert and energetic. He indulges me, any wild decorating idea, I come up with. We like to think we make a great team.
This is a great question. I'm looking forward to coming back by, to see how others answer.
Love the dog!!! Rooms have diffrent feelings to them they will give you a hint at what they need just listen. If they don't talk to you , turn up the radiop! hehehe Kathy
ReplyDeleteHi Vikki...
ReplyDeleteSo happy to see you at my place today...thank you for your sweet comments, my friend!
Great question...who am I?
I'm loving this time in my life...recently retired so more time to play and persue my passions. I love to design and decorate, with that in mind...I love a good challenge, I could never hire someone to do this for me...I want to do it myself...hehe! I love creating a look with little money...I'd rather make something or refinish it, instead of buying it finished! I'm very meticulous and spend hours on little details (so this is a slow process for me, layer upon layer) I enjoy the finer things in life...elegance but at the same time want them comfortable and functional. I love color...deep, rich colors! I love old, antique, distressed stuff...no modern/contemporary for me! I'm very sentimental and like my things around me! It's a security issue, I think...hehe!
Well...this is getting pretty long so I'd better stop here! Thanks so much for inviting me over and asking...this was fun!!!
Warmest wishes...
Chari
The pooch adds such a nice touch to the "look",I think that you made it perfect!
ReplyDeleteWell it's that awful creature the "Heckifino" Lol! Related to the Rhino in that it is stubborn, thick skinned and unpredictable *winks* I'm afraid I'm a dichotomy. Complicated and basic, fancy and cheap...Ahem...I mean thrifty. Introverted and friendly. I love grandeur and opulence but don't want to spend much...Even if I could...which is NOT a possibility....I wouldn't. I think who I am? Is a hunter of treasure *winks* Vanna
ReplyDeleteHi Vicky, this is some good advice! Now I love your home! I remembe how I drooled over the photos on RMS and I'm not over it - I'm still drooling! lol I love the sweet little fuzzy face in the kitchen picture! Thanks for popping in to see me!
ReplyDeleteBe a sweetie,
Shelia :)
I almost forgot...who am I? I am 52,love to change things around the home.Old dishes and soft fabrics.Ralph Lauren,califonia laid back comfy look. With a bit of traditionals thrown in.Love it all.And then I went an married a matchy matchy man.ugh,but he is mine and I will love him and keep him.I am woman...hear me roar.
ReplyDeleteI've always loved your home Vicky :)
ReplyDeleteMe? I'm a girl with a lot of stuff (LOL). I love everything old and nothing new, except electronics which I think should be hidden ;)
Right now I'm in the midst of trying to figure out what furniture I love more and I'm struggling with it. If you come by the blog today (promise me you won't scream LOL) you'll see what I'm talking about. Right now I can't afford to do anything until the other house sells, so spending money is out of the question.
I am a mix of English country and cottage. I have had dark upholstered furniture forever and now I want light mixed with a little dark. What's a girl to do??
love,
rue
oh... and what Pat said ;)
ReplyDeleteThanks to everyone who has commented today. I have laughed and cried and gotten to know you all a bit more which was the goal.
ReplyDeleteHi Vicky, thank you for your gracious comment on my pantry over at Debbies blog. She was so kind to ask me to be a visitor and it has been a lot of fun. I came to your blog before but I am glad you invited us over here again. I like the way you think.Being in the design business I take great pride in bring out the best in my clients and that is one of the things I try to achieve with and for them.To find their,not my decorating style and taste.I always tell them I go home to the home that makes me smile I want you to smile when you come home to yours.Now for the question Who am I.I am a girl who loves prettiness around her but never at the cost of comfort to myself or others. I say I am romantic by nature but classic by choice. Understated elegance with a touc of whimsy.never contrived.I guess that is it.Thank you for the opportunity for self examination,it was fun.I will be back,now I am off to see you older post. Kathysue
ReplyDeleteHi Vicky...I love the little snippets of your home...I want to see more of your bedroom...the colors look so warm and cozy. Love the phone by the bed. Who am I? Confused! LOL I love the English Country look...always haved. Yet, I also love Charles Faudrees French country decorating. I visit Cindy at A Romantic Home, and I suddenly want to paint everything in my house, white. :-) I love the clean Swedish/Danish look with all the painted furniture and pastel colors. I love rustic paired with elegant. I love A Beach Cottage's beachy look. Some days I want lots of color...others I want neutrals with white and creams. So you see, I am confused! LOL Since I can't afford 10 homes...and who needs that many anyway, I just squish it all into one home...with a touch of each here and there. What is YOUR favorite look?
ReplyDeleteHi Vicky, Thank you for stopping by and visiting me. My home is my sanctuary. I love my space to evoke a mood and a feeling. Home is so much more than four walls and a roof. Spending time surrounded by things that I love brings me comfort and joy. I enjoy curling up in my favorite chair to read, work on needlework or just sit and daydream. I have recently begun an art journal where I write my thoughts along with painting or collage. I enjoy walking on the beach and gathering shells. My husband and I will often take our coffee and have breakfast on the beach. We enjoy the simple things that life has to offer and taking time to smell the roses.
ReplyDeleteKathleen
Looks gorgeous! ok, who am I? I would say (in terms of style/ decorating) natural, simple, pure, textural... I love a mix of nature & man-made prettiness. (like a piece of coral next to a glass dish)
ReplyDeleteI loved your home on RMS ( and gardens) and I love them today. I feel right at home looking at the pictures.
ReplyDeleteWho am I? I am a 45 year old single Mom - who moved away from my custom built house - hand-picked and decorated - because it wasn't a home. My ex-husband wasn't Dad material. (He's still not...). I moved closer to my family and jacob and I haven't looked back since.
I am a homebody. I love my home. I love cottage, because I love checks and plaids and cabbage roses, I love homemade furniture with a chunky substance. Painted, stained - it doesn't matter. I am a bit traditional because I like things to somewhat match. I like my stuff and sometimes it's hard for me to change. However, I like things to be up-to-date.
Thanks for the invite - it was fun to read everyone's responses! ~ Robyn
I absolutely love your blog, thanks so much for sharing and i hope you dont mind me inviting myself in. I really love your ideas about home and home decor. When i turned to tv and design magazines, i really lost myself as i began to get so wrapped up in what i thought our home should look like and not what i really loved, not that i think tv or magazines are a bad thing, i have learned so much and the inspiration is amazing. I just needed to realize our home isnt a showroom nor do i really want it to be. As for a style, im much like kelly, i love vibrant colors in other homes but when i try them in our home they are not emotionally relaxing for me, but when i add soft colors in our home i find it peaceful and calm. I dont think i really have a set style, but if i stay completely true to myself i would say its some sort of country (i know it when i see pictures but not sure what the real name is, french, cottage etc.) with a twist of contemporary.
ReplyDeletethanks for sharing
hugs
janet
As Popeye would say, "I yam what I yam"! I choose comfortable and practical over stylish, if a choice is necessary. I search for things that meet all three criteria whenever possible.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely love your blog. Yes, I try to make our home reflective of my family and beautiful at the same time. I painted the dining room chili red this summer...Love your tile back splash and flooring.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the nice comment you left on my blog.... Fay
I am practicality, duality, comfort, and simplicity with a dash of opulence.
ReplyDeleteAnother super post Vicky!
Such an interesting post and such a question! I am heartfelt, sentimental, and a bit more dramatic than I like to admit. I love my colors to be complex and moody and moving in and out like waves. Textures cry out to me to be touched and visually enjoyed. Things, although not perfect have a perfect reason to be here because of family and life ties. My surroundings have to evoke emotion, no matter the style, and I love all styles. Romantic, no doubt but pratical with the need for my family and guests to always feel comfortable and welcome. Above all, a sense of rest and shelter seems to reveal itself in every corner, I think we all need that... Great post, Vicky and very thought provoking!
ReplyDeleteWell Vickster, I know I am late to the party! It's been a really busy week and I'm just getting around to 'puter visiting! Who am I? Ohhhh that is the question! I love so many styles! I am the sophisticated and contemporary look of a Manhatten penthouse...and the soft, feminine look of the Romantic home...and the quaint and beautiful look of French Country! Soooo...maybe I would say I'm Girly Glamour...who sometimes feels very confused living in a cabin! Hahaha! :-)) L~
ReplyDeletewait - is this your house? wow - it has such interesting character to it!!! I love the posts and those different levels - and is that the bedroom door???? show more!!!!!!!!!!!! it's wonderful!
ReplyDeleteVicky,
ReplyDeleteI love your home.......it's very beautiful, and very warm and inviting.
Thank you so much for the best wishes you left for me on my blog!!!
My style......I love books, plants, and lamps...I'm not sure I have a style... I buy what I like.
Thanks again for visiting my blog...
Dolores
Thanks for stoping and looking at my site.
ReplyDeleteI am a chameleon; the color deep bluish-purple; a gemini; warm colors, laid back and tranquil; sometimes hot kinetic fiery red-orange with a blue base; likes to say that life is moving at just right pace;
love everything new and modern; have a place in my heart for stable and traditional; liberal, conservative, skeptical christian, respect for my elders and venerate my relatives and family;
always wishing for more and wanting a simple life
likes to invite the unexpected and maintain restrained control
like being in a place that makes me feel warm, relaxed and uninhibited