My Style Has Been Confirmed!!

Phoebe Howard for Mrs. Howard

I was browsing through one of my favorite blogs the other day and went to Zhush a really fun blog that I love to visit. She had a great post on a fun style quiz at Sproost.  I thought my readers might be interested in taking it also. I asked her if she would mind if I did a post on it and she was so kind to let me. I love my generous blogging buddies. We sure have a great community of people in blogland, don't we?

Since I did yesterdays post on the "Like and Dislike," list I thought this quiz would be a nice addition to the list we made . I like having it all documented like this so I thought it might be helpful to all of you also.

I always love to take style or design quizzes of any kind. What I like about this particular one is that it gives you more than one style which I think is more accurate in most of our lives. I think most of us are eclectic. I was surprised at how accurate it was for me. The other thing I love is that they provide you with pictures to look back at what they say about your style. You can also see furniture that will fit your style and even purchase it if you wish. They have a place for room layouts also. All in all,it's a really fun site. The only drawback is it is a very slow site so be patient and allow a little bit of time to take full advantage of all the site has to offer.

I took the style test  and here are my results:

Your specific style combines three more general styles:
36% Nantucket Style
36% Cottage Chic

28% French Eclectic

NANTUCKET STYLE

In this room I love all the light coming in the beautiful paned windows.  The wall color and trim is perfection to me. I like the use of the green plants. Notice the casual and rough texture of the table. I love the touch of formality in the little french bench in front of the window. This is just a very comfortable room to me.

This room has great light! The black glass topped coffee table is so interesting to me. Having 4 chairs in a room facing eachother seems so inviting and cozy.  This is the exact configuration I would love to have in my living room someday. I love the white woodwork and wainscotting. Notice the texture brought in by the shells and basket. This is one way I like to bring texture in a room.

I love everything about this room. The only thing I would change is add a bit of color on the wall in a nice vanilla paint. The two blue pillows are a bit contrived . I would probably only have a pillow in one chair and it would be something a little more interesting in design.

I find this room quite interesting. It has a bit too many accessories for me. I tend to like a little more editing in a room. I absolutely love the oversized lamps and the end tables are so interesting. This room just has a lot of character and a bit of whimsy. Notice the parrasol, too cute!!

I love the woodwork and the comfortable feel of this room.

I really like this room a lot!! The interesting use of the architectural pieces is done so well in this room. Each piece in this room looks as if it could tell a story.

Another great room with lots of light and plenty of comforable seating. I would probably add some color on the wall in the yellow family something nice and buttery.

COTTAGE CHIC

This room has so many interesting pieces. I love the use of black and white here. I would do a little editing but not too much. I think it would lose it's interest.

I think I would reverse the paint treatment and put the color on the upper portion of the wall. Notice how many interesting tables are in this room. I always love a room with live plants. I have a bit of painted furniture and wood funiture. Some with straight legs and some with curved. Very nice!

This room is almost perfect. Again, I would add a nice vanilla color on the walls.

FRENCH  ECLECTIC

What is not to like. This is a gorgeous room to me.

I really love the interesting furniture pieces here. I would have a darker coffee table and the windows would be less covered. Those blinds would have to be pulled up to let the view be seen and to have the maximum amount of light.

This was actually one of my favorite rooms pictured.

I think by looking at the pictures you can tell that this little quiz was pretty accurate for my style preferences.

From looking at yesterdays post on my Like/Dislike list you can see that all of these rooms have the elements that I would require in my home to make it my own personal taste.

"Enjoy the Process" OF: Finding your own personal Style Preference.

Kathysue

LIKE or DIS-LIKE That is the Question???

LET'S MAKE A LIST

 This is not going to be like most lists, because you don't have TO DO anything or even shop. You are going to have to be reallllly honest with yourself about what you put on this list. I do not even want you to think of the home or a room you live in right now. This list needs to consist of what you honestly love. At the top of the page I would like you to put LIKES and DISLIKES. Under the likes I want you to put down what you like to see in a room, you know the things you seem to just gravitate towards. Here are a few questions to help you make your list:


LIKES

1. What colors do you like?
2. Are the colors you chose warm or cool (think of warm as being fire,red,yellows,orange and cool as the water in the ocean,blues and greens)?
3. Do you like for your colors to have a clear quality (no grayed undertones)?
4. Do you like light ,medium value or dark colors?
5. Do you like your colors to be a little muddy? Now don't be afraid of that word. It just means they do have grayed down tones in them, thats all.
6. What textures do you prefer?
7. Would you paint mouldings in a room? Would they be white or a color? Or, would you leave them natural wood?
8. Do you prefer light wood,dark or painted?
9. What choice of metals do you like?  Nickel, bronze,brass, or stainless?
10. Do you prefer casual or elegant looking pieces?
11. New pieces or Antiques?
12. Simple lines or ornate?
13. Curvy legs or straight on your furniture?

DISLIKES
Now, in this column you can answer all of these same questions with what you do not like.


Look at this list very closely. What have you identified as your personal likes and dislikes?  Keep this list and see if you can find pictures that meet the qualities you have described. You have just made up a list of what you need to have in a room in order for you to be happy living in it. Stay true to yourself. You are unique and no one is like you, therefore, no one will have the same taste as you. I am going to use myself as an example just so you can see how this can work. Here we go. Readddddy???

LIKES :

1. I love spring colors: green, pinks, blues, yellows and black and white for contrast.
2. I like warm colors with a contrast of cool blue.
3. I like clear colors, crisp and fresh with a touch of softness.
4. I like medium value colors.
5. I prefer pastel colors or lighter valued colors to be a little muddy, I think it gives a more sophisticated look.
6. I like all textures but prefer smoother, fine textures over a nubbier texture.
7. All my mouldings need to be white.
8. I actually like light, painted and dark woods.  I like a mix.
9. If I had to choose one metal it would be shiney nickel - nothing prettier but I also like the warmth of brass.
10. I prefer what I like to call, Understated Elegance, comfortable but a little special.
11. I love antiques or, at least older pieces with character.
12. I like simple lines.
13. I like a little simple curve in my legs (my real legs included, sorry I could not resist).

DISLIKES

1. Two colors you will never see in my life are orange or burgundy - just not for me. I know that for sure. Earthtones (Sorry ladies! I love them in your homes, I just can not live with them and this is My list).
2. Not a big fan of colors with a cool undertone, I like my pinks to lean towards watermelon not a blue base pink. I like my yellows to be a warm undertone not with any cool green base to them.
3. I can not live with a lot of muddy or grayed tones in a room.
4. I don't like jewel tones or dark values of most colors to live with except for touches of black.
5. I don't like too much dark wood in a room, it suffocates me.
6. I do not like a room filled with too many rough textures,I prefer smooth and shine with a little bit of rough,it feels more balanced to me.
7. I don't like too many natural wood mouldings, too heavy of a feel for me.
8. I don't like overly red or yellow toned woods.
9. Not a big fan of oil rubbed bronze in faucets, but I don't mind it in lamps and chandeliers. I really don't like a room that is overly formal or overly casual. I like a mix.
10. Not a big fan of modern, but love to see it done well in others homes - just not in mine.
11. Nothing too ornate in furniture or overly curved and carvy legs. (this answer covers #12 and #13.

I will attempt to find just a few pictures of my likes and to show you what I mean. (I won't show my dis-likes because I think the list explains them pretty well and I would feel badly if I showed someones home and offended them)

This room shows the lighter value in some of the colors that I enjoy - soft blue-greens, creams, whites and yellows. Notice the painted pieces mixed with the natural wood of the table and the floor. The textures in this room are on the smoother side. I find this room to be understated elegance.

This picture shows a good selection of the colors that I like. You can see the white architectural details. This room has painted pieces and natural wood in the side table. This room also shows the smoother, shinier side of textures that I enjoy, although look at the texture in the lamp.  This keeps the room interesting. There are some older pieces and some newer ones.

Here we have more blue/green.  The white mouldings add the architectural interest that I love. The painted console is an older piece and a little more elaborate than I usually like.  However, the white finish makes it more casual and light. The lamps are a newer shape almost on the comtemporary side, but on this console they become more transitional.  The old world print is just the right touch for me.

All the above rooms were designed by  my design idle Phoebe Howard.  These rooms are a good representation of what  feeling I would like my living room to someday have.

I love the use of the black chairs here with the warm wood. This room shows some texture that I do enjoy in plants and baskets as represented in the tray and matchstick blinds.  I absolutely love the dark metal hanging light fixture and the simplicity of the window treatments.  Also, notice the live green plants in the time-worn pots. I think this picture shows the textures I do enjoy.

This room has it all for me. The natural woods in the chairs, floor and table. Notice the painted cabinets and my pop of black and white in the checked curtains, which is one of my favorite patterns. The texture here is in the natural linen on the bench and the rough hewn bowl on the table.  I get my shine with the glass fronted cabinets and the beautiful counter tops.  The legs on the chairs are straight, but the bench has a lovel gentle curved barley twist leg which is repeated in the lamps on the counter.  Again an understated elegant room to me.

In this room I have my light and dark woods. I have a slight curve to the bed leg and a straight leg on the settee.  The look of old in the bed and new in the lamps.  This room feels light and airy and inviting to me.

By now, I am sure you can name all the things I love in this room. The gentle curve of the legs on all the pieces. The older painted piece mixed with the newer look of the light fixture. The texture in the pot on the table and the bamboo curtain rods. Love the creaminess of this room mixed with the whites. The interest in the chairs with their monogrammed backs. Notice the elaborate mirrored made to look more casual by making it a chalkboard, that gives this room a little whimsy, I really like a little whimsy. One last thing I like is natural living green plants in my rooms. Also, it is a bright and airy room.

It is just as important for you to know what you dislike as well as what you truly honestly like.  The reason is, styles and trends are changing constantly. Some of the things on your dislike list will be a new trend and you just might try to talk yourself into buying it. Don't do it!! Look at your list and stay true to yourself.  Have you ever bought something that you just thought you loved and it was the latest trend?  Or, you  saw it in a friend’s home and you loved hers, so you talked yourself into buying it.  Lo and behold, two weeks later, you hated it, but lived with it for the next three years because there was no way hubby would understand this dilema.  By knowing what you really LIKE and DISLIKE you will always stay true to who you are! That is what I call good design.

I would love to see your list, it might be fun to do a post where you show your list. Let me know if you decide to make a list on a post. I would love to come and see it. I am sure other readers would love to read it so feel free to leave it in the comments.

"Enjoy the Process " Of: Discovering what you truly Like and Dislike.

Kathysue

BTW: Tomorrow's post has some information that you can add to the information you are putting down on your Like and Dislike List.  Be sure and come back. I know you are really going to like this, promise!!

PILLOW ADDICTION

Hello, My name is Kathysue and I am a "Pillow Addict!"

Don't laugh I know I am not alone in this somewhat harmless addiction. I have to confess I bought 3 new pillows this week. Two for the play room re-do, so those were almost a NEED, right? I got one from TJMaxx for my backyard that is to die-for. You know how I love little birds and black and white. This pillow has both. It has a bird embroidered no-less, and it has a black embroidered number and a letter. How could I resist it? Here I will show you and you be the judge........

Can you believe this pillow!! All the detailing is embroidered! Just look at the wonderful colors! How could I pass this up.  Here is a little background. I actually saw this on Monday and I did not purchase it , trying so hard to resist the urge to buy yet again another pillow. I went to bed thinking about it and I woke up thinking about it. I could resist NO MORE!! I ran to TJ Maxx holding my breath(Now, I didn't really run and I really didn't hold my breath, just a little drama for effect)! They only had two and I just knew someone else saw the beauty in this wonderful pillow, Would it still be there? It was and now it is MINE!!!(evil laugh)!

So my dear blogging friends, can you understand why I had to get it?

I am showing you this picture to show you the beauty BEHIND the lovely, perfect bird pillow. This is actually a dog pillow for the floor,but my kiddo's love laying on these to watch TV. How could I possibly pass up this extra-large pillow with wonderful detailed stitching that goes in line with the quilt and, it is the perfect shade of green. It gets even better! it was on clearance for $15.00 Unbelieveable, right?

 I did not stop there. I had a fun shopping day with a dear friend looking for sheets for the playroom girl's bed. I already told you I went into Tarjay. Well, there it was the perfect pillow to go with the Boy's bedding. I could not have designed it any better myself. This pillow was also embroidered with just the hint of black and white. Here it is in all it's glory..........

Can you believe how perfect this pillow is?! The touch of the black welt and the blanket stitching in black around the white embroidery of the design, well I rest my case. It is just too perfect for words. Look at a close-up of the detailing..........

So dear readers do you agree? Don't you think I did what I had to do and that was to buy all three perfect pillows for my home?

Please agree and leave a comment! I am going to use this to prove to Hubby that you all agreed with me. They say there is safety in numbers.

"Enjoy the Process" Of : Admitting to an addiction and doing absolutely nothing to prevent it from happening.

Kathysue

Btw: I think I might have a problem with mirrors and lamps too. More on that later.