Seattle Sun Newspaper - Vol. 7, Issue 4, April 2003

Copyright 2003 Seattle Sun. Please feel free to use the article and photos below in your research. Be sure to quote the Seattle Sun as your source.

DECORATING DILEMMAS:

What style best suits you?

By ROBIN DALY

How do you define your design style? "Early College"? "Lack-De-Style"? "Just Like Mother"?

Or do you simply panic, and ignore those thoughts in the back of your mind telling you that you need to settle on a plan and find a clear definition of what you like?

Don't worry, you actually know more than you might think! Plus, I promise that defining your style does not mean committing to a "look," like a "Southwest" look or "French Country" look. Who wants that?

Most of us do not define our lives by how we decorate, but we want our surroundings to give clues to who we are. So defining your style can be a fun journey of rediscovering and expressing yourself. That's a pretty neat idea.

Finding your style has nothing to do with how much you spend on decorating. Have you ever bought the wrong thing for your home and had to live with it until it was old enough to get rid of it without feeling guilty? If you have a good sense of style, you make fewer of these costly mistakes. Let me tell you about the two loveseats we had to live with.

I'm going to share with you my process to get anyone who is stylistically challenged going down the right path. And it doesn't even hurt! Just follow these three simple steps:

1. Find three words that spark your passions. Here are some images to get your creativity rolling, remember you can use your own words, too; Old World, Elegant, Earthy, Breezy Beach, Exotic, Soft, Feminine, Uptown, Bold, Glam, Simple Clean, Voluptuous, Whimsical, Historical, Retro Hip, Revival, Warmth, Friendly, Sleek, Tranquil,Timeless, Airy, Primitive, Eclectic, Cozy, Warm, Trendy, Moderne, Garden, Moody, Medieval, Dramatic, Chic, Tropics, Fresh, Southern Comfort, Honest, Spare, Tailored, Intimate.

(Notice that these words do not lock you into any particular look, rather they evoke specific feelings.)

2. Write these three words (write them big and bold) at the top of a large piece of poster board.

3. Gather together all those home improvement and decorating magazines that are gathering dust. It's time to start ripping and tearing! Spend time flipping through these magazines to find images that speak to you. It could be a feeling that an image evokes, or it could be a specific item in the photo. Whatever it is, make sure to cut it out and paste it on your board.

You'll find you will be attracted to the same types of images over and over again. Or maybe a specific color keeps popping up. Whatever it is, the picture should relate to the three-word definition that you created at the top of your board this is where that style stuff comes into play.

After working on your style board, it will be so much easier to make the right design choices for your home. I promise!

Finally, I want to leave you with this thought: Homes are filled with memories; so think about the backdrop to those memories you are creating every day. I just stumbled upon some old photos dating back to my high school days, and seeing the artwork and paint colors on the walls really triggered thoughts of those times. What do your memories look like?

***

Robin Daly is a third-generation co-owner of Daly's Paint and Decorating in the Fremont neighborhood. You can e-mail her via the Seattle Sun at news@theseattlesun.com. She looks forward to solving your Decorating Dilemmas, however, relationship dilemmas are extra! b