Posted on May 15 2016
We are currently renovating our house. When I say currently I mean still. Because we've been renovating for over 3 years.
We live in a little old weatherboard. It was cute (small) cosy (squashy) and had character (ugly). After unexpectedly finding out we were expecting baby no. 3, we finally bit the bullet and did what we had been talking about for years. We built an extension. There was no way our family of 5 was was going to fit in an 11sq house. 1 living area and 4 different TV tastes was quite frankly killing me. Anyway, long, expensive story short, we did it. We doubled the size of the house. While my husband concerned himself with boring shit like plumbing and structural trivialities, I spent my days with colour swatches, kitchen bench samples and would spend hours on Pinterest trying to find my 'style'. My husband I were planets apart at this time. 'Love, I don't know why you are looking at tiles, the frame isn't even up', he would say, but nothing deterred me. I'd picked a new dinner set to complement my benchtop and cut pictures from catalogues like a kindergarten kid for 'inspo'.
Fast forward 3 years.
The building is finished. It's great! We are living in it and loving it. But my house looks like it is occupied by Uni students who bought their shit at Vinnies and are running an illegal Childcare centre to pay their rent. There is no style. No personality. This is where I'm stuck!
I've always struggled with what my style is. What 'look' I like. I'm a bit like it with clothes, but decorating our home is becoming a real problem. One day I'm into Scandi, fresh white walls with light timber. Next day I want a cluttered New York apartment look, with a gazillion lamps and side tables. I love a bit of hippy. Love a minimalist space. What I don't want is a Fantastic furniture package deal look, even though I think that might be easier.
I go to people's houses and get serious house envy. They know themselves. They have prints, vases, photos on their walls. I have the 2013 City of Whittlesea calendar and Nutella smears. I get a glimpse of their bedrooms and see their king size suite stylishly adorned with glorious Adairs doona covers, cushions and throws. I have a Kmart doona cover on my queen size pine and lead-light ensemble. No cushions. But that's cos I'm lazy and I rarely make my bed. I don't like to make extra work for myself. Same goes with the New York apartment thing. If I have heaps of 'bits' then I'm gunna need to clean them. Not happening.
Is this something that will come eventually? Will I one day wake up and be that woman that makes her bed every day and arranges her cushions? Will I be the woman that takes photos of her kids and actually gets them printed and framed? Will I pay my bills on time, move my couch when I vacuum? Will I change my handbag depending on what outfit I'm wearing? When I have guests, will I pour the chips into a bowl rather than serving them straight from the bag? Doubt it.
I come from a family of stylish women. My sister and mum ooze style. They have the magic touch when it comes to decoration. That gene clearly skipped me.
I just want my home to reflect my personality. I want to go to Kmart and stare in wondrous joy at the amazing (and cheap) items on offer and pop them in my wonky wheeled trolley. I want to put them on my hall stand (that I'm yet to buy) and artfully and effortlessly display them. I want to throw a throw and have it drape majestically, not look like its chucked there. I want my cushions to scream 'this chick knows her shit!' I want to be Alisa and Lysandra.
Where do you go to for inspo? Do you like to follow trends and change it up according to what is 'hot right now'? Or do you have a style and stick to it?
Yours truly,
Claire
Stylistically challenged and not afraid to admit it
X
P.S next Saturday night I will be MCing an event in Doreen called 'Chicks that Business'.
This is going to be an amazing event that will showcase the fabulous female talent we have in Doreen, Mernda and surrounds. Not only will you get to check out all the local 'chicks that business' you can have a night out, a couple of drinks, and dance the night away! All we ask is for $5 entry and a donation of women's sanitary items, to donate to Share the Dignity. There will be mini fashion parades from Intimo and That Shop In Doreen. Would love to see you there - Laurimar footy club, 7.30pm May 21. Contact me if you are interested in attending for catering purposes!
https://www.facebook.com/events/450587101803659/k
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Lol…. I can relate to every feeling you’ve mentioned right down to the well decorated Mother and sister..
Great read!
Omg all your blogs are so me lol
But this my house I try to deveope styles, but the problem is the kids mess doesn’t suit it.. And what happens when your red couch couches are no longer the in thing ?
Time to stop looking at other people’s homes and just make my home a happy and comfortable place xx
I used to feel the same way, as my style just didn’t seem to be in or fit into a neat box. But I finally know what it is! YaY Rustic Industrial with a splash of Modern. Now I just need to find the money to afford it…. hahaha
A friend that is a stylist said don’t worry about fitting into a style, choose a colour palette you love, 3 or 4 textures you love and just make sure everything fits into that. For me Pinterest is a huge help, so is watching lots of reno shows. I love DIYing which makes it alot more afordable.
We have only just started our renovations so our house is a mismatched work site right now but I have a clear vision of the end result, hopefully it becomes reality.
Ive had people ask me to help them with styling their houses, but in all honesty its hard to do it for somone else. Im a very mixed style (half scandi half industrial i guess ud call it)
I tend to see one thing I LOVE for a room and must have and then try and work everything else around that.
Pinterest is a great help too!!!!
Ive also decided that life is way too short to not have out and use ur expensive/good stuff! Why save it for a special occasion?
GOLD! I too am waiting for my style to miraculously appear-until then my house is bare
Claire I’m so enjoying your blogs – this is by far my fav !!! Homes are created because they are filled with the things you love. I am certainly no home decorator but I style my home with stuff I really love. I don’t even know what my style is (industrial hamptons if that even exists). All I do is buy pieces I love and work around them with cheap items from Kmart. Most of the items I have chosen are up cycled from eBay or gumtree.