One thing in every room

I recently had a conversation with a fellow blogger about the way blogging has helped us pin down our own style. She said she had come to realize that she really must have "pretty". I wondered what was my "must have" in any given room. It could be something shiny, textural, something of a particular color or any number of things. It is that one element that makes the room feel like it belongs to you.

 I gave it quite a bit of thought and looked around. I grudgingly came to admit that the one element that I strive for, consciously or not, is " something weird with history".

Take this example...

In my family room I have a lamp that is made from an antique general store coffee grinder. If I saw it for sale somewhere I would deem it "tacky" but it has been in my family  longer than me and it certainly ups the eclectic factor.

Another example is this antique carved elephant tusk now in my dining room. I found examples in most rooms in my house and these strange old things with a story are priceless to me and I can't imagine not displaying them.

Neither an antique or a simple oddity will do for me it needs both

Vignettes like these really do it for me.

 

For me the "must have" element is in the form of accessories but I wish I had the guts to include some truly unusual furniture. Maybe like this...

Look around and tell me, what's your "one thing" for every room?