What’s Your Style?

Life has become very hectic. We work long hours and are plugged in 24/7 so we really need to find ways to relax. People “dress down” more; for many of us, long gone are the days of having to wear a suit to work every day. Living rooms which are never used and reserved for display purposes only have become an extinct breed.  Our homes are more than mortar and bricks; they are our sanctuaries – Sanctuaries which also reflect our personality and style. We want luxury but comfort at the same time. We also want value for the dollar. With styles changing at such a fast and furious pace it can be difficult, not to mention costly, to try to keep up with the trends.

Many of us have split design personalities – is your décor style American Classic, Old World, Modern or Contemporary or do you like elements from many styles. Do want to wear classic looking jacket with a fabulous skirt and high boots or are you more comfortable in a tunic sweater top with leggings, flat booties with a military jacket? Maybe you would wear both. We are exposed to many images and ideas throughout the day – Some we will embrace and some we won’t. Every person is different and so are their likes and dislikes. Why then do we feel the need to try to follow the trends so closely?  Just because something is a trend doesn’t mean it’s for everyone. I am certainly not rushing out to paint my walls pink after Pantone announced on December 9^th, 2010 that the “hot” colour for 2011 is Honeysuckle – Pantone-18-2120.

Courtesy of Pantone

 Don’t even get me started on this trend and the multitudes jumping on the freshly painted, pink bandwagon – I’ll save that for another post. The point here is we shouldn’t be trying to fit into a mould, but rather we should celebrate our individuality.

This is a trend I see represented in much of the style present in today’s fashion and décor and one trend I think we should all embrace. Instead of decorating a home in one style, I see people embracing their passions and reflecting that in their décor – a mash-up of the styles if you will, making a style of your own by combining elements from several genres. Combining these elements is also a lot easier on the wallet. It can be expensive trying to keep up with the latest trends, so rather than trying to do all the latest looks, try incorporating one or two with your existing décor or fashion style pieces.

Beware! You need to be careful how you combine these elements – you don’t want to look like you have a schizophrenic sense of style, flailing out of control in many directions. You need to find a balance. So create your own style, own it and if you need a little advice along the way, get it.