Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Decorating infidelity

My dining room
I "finished" my dining room last April and was thrilled with the masculine, moody, and English country house feel.


view from the living room


 
About twelve minutes later, I saw this and wondered if I had done something horribly wrong.

Meg Braff
I'd love something this sunny and happy.


I chided myself for not doing something a bit more creative and sassy.


I missed out on a great opportunity for wallpaper and Chinoiserie heaven.

Bunny Williams
The truth is that the sunny, happy rooms are wonderful but I am far more drawn to this über-trad look. My dining room is mostly used at night and the chocolate brown walls and twinkly, antique chandelier lends itself to a cozy dinner party.


I have to remind myself that Christmas in Virginia would not look right in a white and coral, West Palm Beach looking space. I still occasionally want to stray.
Do you fantasize about cheating on your decorating style?

10 comments:

Linda {Calling it Home} said...

You can always add wallpaper later. I don't know if I would call it cheating on my style, or constantly changing my style. I am so drawn to the "all white" walls. Probably because winter can feel so dark.

Beth of designPOST Interiors said...

I am constantly cheating on my style! Sometimes it works out and sometimes not so much!

Kim said...

Every day ... the more I see the more I envision something different ... then I have to smack myself on the cheek to get back to reality!! I tend to go more trad/eclectic. But these clean white spaces are soooo appealing!! xo

Patty Day @Pattys Epiphanies said...

Kerry,
I find myself doing "this" all the time. I love so many different styles. I realized that I can "love" them, but I can't live in them, let alone afford to change with every whim!
I find the latest looks so pretty and I love the way the old fashioned WHITE kitchens are returning in all the high end homes....in EVERY magazine out there!
For weeks I have tried to figure out how to tweak our honey oak builder upgraded cabinets to become what those kitchens look like. Impossible without an entire kitchen redo...which is ridiculous and not affordable. Our home is 2 years old!
So...I can update and change some things, and that's great, and I do.
And...those kitchens....they really wouldn't fit the rest of our home!!! My kitchen flows perfectly with the house. I will appreciate other designs, but enjoy what we have.
Thanks so much for expressing your feelings...I think we all have this ....it's only human!!!

Elizabeth "Libby" Day said...

I can't really say that I do cheat on my decorating style. I find comfort and a sense of peace in my home when surrounded with those things that I love and that speak to me. I do see other rooms and think I may have missed the mark, yet, I look around and wouldn't change a thing.

Vel Criste said...

I love your dining room by the way, just the way it is. :-)

We all stray once in a while especially if we see that one object that will never go with anything in our house and it's style but you love it anyway?

Understand you dilemma but if you love what you have, just remember the first moment you had with it. also, I believe there is no such thing as "cheating" on your decorating style, just "swaying" from it! Have a wonderful day!

The Pink Pagoda said...

All the time! I'm dying to change things drastically in the front (formal) part of my house. I keep having to talk myself down from that.

An Urban Cottage said...

My decorating style and I have an open relationship. It reduces the guilt.

Love that uber trad dining room with the hunting scene mural. But where do you find a great mural like that that doesn't cost thousands of dollars? Surely that would be great for Christmas with garlands of magnolia, dried fruits and pheasant feathers.

Bethany [at] Powell Brower Home said...

that pic of you that mom put up today is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO cute! i cant wait to finally meet you one day too!

Unknown said...

The pictures you took of your dining room are fabulous! Great job! It looks fantastic, be happy with it! The whole rest of your entry and upstairs are sunny and happy. Lets do some chinoiserie panels in your foyer or somewhere!
xo Nancy
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