{what's your style?}

I found this southern home in New Orleans on the House Beautiful website and fell so deeply in love. Of course it's wayyyy over the top and not at all how I could live but I love the femininity, mix of textures, lush silks, and the gorgeous palette of purple and blue. It's so SOUTHERN, it's like all those plantation homes I remember touring as a kid on school field trips. I grew up in South Carolina so I spent lots of time studying all that Classic, Georgian, and Greek Revival architecture. Transom windows make me drool. I adore ceiling medallions, crown moldings, ornate fireplace mantels (esp. 19th century french limestone, oh la la) -- architectural details like that take my breath away. Chandeliers, wide original wood floors, tile floors or marble... I love, love, love it all. As southern as I am, living in New England since I was 17-years-old has certainly had an influence on my interiors style. So I'm a southern girl with a bit of a northern twist. Plus I've always lived either directly on the beach with the sand in my backyard, across the street, or within a few miles drive. Mix in with that all my frequent adventures in London and Paris as a single girl (I've been to both destinations 15 times or more) and you can start to understand my style influences and why this particular home in House Beautiful is one I 'feel' in my heart when I look at it. Funny thing is, that although I connect with this style I couldn't live like this. I'm way too laid back and not as fussy. I love lots of pure white, space around objects, and I don't like my windows dressed quite so heavily. Shades or drapes but not both. This home is the south, meets France, meets London, and then gives a hug and a kiss to New York. The only thing it needs is something to make it feel a bit more coastal and laid back. A little less posh. More clean lines and less ornate curvy pieces. A few more geometric prints, maybe even some ethic style. I guess my ideal style is Sydney meets LA meets Savannah with a touch of Paris, a London kiss, and a wink at Sweden. Maybe even a cocktail with India. Sounds like I need medication, huh? So ethno-euro-coastal. I just laughed as I typed that. Yeah, that sounds more like a Holly home. Let me ask you, when you look at the homes and apartments that fill magazines and books, do you ask yourself WHY certain images draw you in and try to figure out where your style and likes come from exactly? It's really fun and a good exercise to try this if you haven't before. It's also a really good way to figure out what your personal style is. For instance, if I were to ask you, "Describe your personal style" can you do it easily or does it take a really long pause and lots of thought? If you have to really think about it this could be a bit of an issue for you. How? Well if you're in a store and you see something you think you love, you may buy it only to go home and realize you don't really like it or that it doesn't work with what you already have. If you know your personal style really, really well you can go into a store and just immediately pick out things you love that you'll bring home and love too. It's really that easy, there is no magic to it. To know thyself. This is how shopping can become a really fun adventure instead of a boring task as well. So try it, next time you see rooms you love -- ask yourself why, pick the room apart object by object, what is it that you like? Everything, one thing, five things? REALLY think about it. You can even start taking notes and see what recurring words or themes start to surface. I have a busy, big weekend ahead so I'll let you think this over. If you'd like to comment below with your style - a few sentences or less as it shouldn't be complicated - please do so. (images from house beautiful)