I believe when we design and decorate our homes for our true selves and our real lives, we create the kind of home and atmosphere that soothes, nourishes and enriches us daily despite what happens outside our doors.
I've been thinking of merging my blogs and I did it. Just about an hour ago, I did all the technical stuff and Cheryl Wright - Perspectives was created. I imported all my posts from my other blogs.
Boy do I feel Internet savvy!
I needed some simplicity with this or overwhelm will be the order of the day where blogging is concerned. Cheryl Wright - Perspectives will be a one-stop shop for sharing my perspectives on my passions: life (self-improvement/inspiration for lifestyle choices/ finding and pursuing our dreams), writing, home and design (creating spaces to reflect our personalities and lifestyles and to nurture us on every level), and spiritual reflections.
I know, questions, questions, questions.... But look at it this way, we are getting to know one another better with respect to how we relate to our homes and how it helps to nurture us, our relationships, our lifestyles and our dreams.
Which is your favorite room in your home and why?
What activities do you engage in there, except maybe the obvious ones?
How does that room enhance those activities?
What is the most significant item in your room and why?
If you could add just one new item what would it be and why?
This new background from Aqua Poppy Designs suits my decorating style as I described it in a February 25th post. Read the full entry here.
Never one to follow the crowd, my home shouts that loud and clear. I can appreciate all the new and trendy design ideas I see on HGTV, in magazines and at the mall, but my heart belongs to a country/cottage style.
Nothing makes my heart sing like the look of a country cottage complete with wood, wrought iron, rattan, beautiful natural fabrics and lots of baskets.
My growing collection of teapots is evident as they sit on top of my kitchen cabinets. My fascination with aprons amuses my friends. They hang from picture hooks attached to a door. Baskets, another staple, serve decorative and functional purposes in every room.
Although travelers have always brought home treasures from their trips, the much-touted global village has helped give birth to the Global Style. Here’s a decorating style with attitude. It portrays the homeowner as knowledgeable, adventurous, and sophisticated.
The rich and colorful histories and cultures of the Caribbean, Mediterranean, European and Far East countries continue to fuel this trend. Their furniture, furnishings, textiles and accessories are finding their way into our homes. Even their cultures are influencing our design decisions.
Some homeowners scramble up the steps of a plane, while others are happy to scour local flea markets. Countless people travel the world by television, the Internet, or in the pages of books and magazines. Regardless of where and how we travel we are intrigued by a home that portrays the mystery and excitement of far away lands.
The challenge is how to integrate the treasures we acquire into our homes and maintain a personal space with international flavor.
So, what should be considered when planning to travel and purchase items for our homes?
Decorating style - When you travel and shop make choices that speak to your personality and design preferences.
You may not be able to articulate your decorating style in precise designer terms. However, you should attempt to describe your style in words that best convey who you are and what you love. Then look for furnishings and accessories that will enhance and color your home and your life.
If you like the mix and match look of an eclectic style, disparate furnishings could live happily with each other. Just be careful of clutter or over-dressing rooms in your home. Think twice, then buy or not.
Lifestyle - Always aim to fill your home with things that compliment the way you live.
Do you live in a tiny studio apartment, work sixteen-hour days, are gone most weekends, and rarely entertain? Expensive, high maintenance items may seem like a waste of time and money unless you plan to own a large home in the near future and decorate it in a style that will enhance the lifestyle you envision. Arrange to store your pieces in a manner that will preserve their quality and beauty.
Does your life revolve around rambunctious toddlers? Then delicate crystal pieces, large chunky furniture, rich silk fabrics, and wool rugs may not be suitable for your living or family room. Nevertheless you don’t have to deprive yourself of the things you love. You could still fulfill your design fantasy in your bedroom, which may be out of bounds for the children.
Access – Suppose you come across a large piece of furniture that you feel you must have. Would it fit through your front door? Could you carry it up the stairs or in the elevator to your apartment on the 12th floor?
Designers are famous for getting large items into a home even if they have to dismantle the piece and reassemble it in the room.
Space – Always remember you need walking space in your home for ease of movement from one room to another and between furniture. Will there be enough space to accommodate your new items and still prevent bumping into other furnishings?
Storage - Sometimes the treasures you bring home will be used occasionally. Where will they be stored?
Display - Some of the things you bring home from your travels will be just decorative. How will you display them? Are they more suited to being displayed on a tabletop or mantle? Or is it large enough to be placed on the floor or wall? If the piece is a delicate antique or a priceless treasure you may prefer to house it in a cabinet with other pieces that cater to a particular theme.
Function - Instead of storing or displaying the things you’ve collected consider using them.
·You may not want to use it everyday but your collection of teapots can turn a simple visit from a friend into a very special occasion. In fact, make it a ritual to serve coffee in one of your teapots on weekends, by yourself or with special people.
·Use dishes for special occasions like Thanksgiving, Christmas, Anniversaries etc.
·Throws are to be thrown. Bring them out of the closet in the colder months.
·Place a handful of real or dried flowers in the water carafe and use it to add some cheer to bedroom.
Get the look on a budget
-Duplicate the colors of Italy on your walls even if you have only a few Italian furnishings.
-Create the hot spicy look of Morocco with fabric. Drape them from your windows or on bedposts. Sew a comforter for your bed and a few throw pillows. Bundle them on your sofa or scatter them around the room.
-Bring the Zen experience to an unused spare room with a screen, a bamboo or bonsai plant, and a small water fountain. Introduce Chinese lacquer red paint as an accent color on one or two accessories and floor cushions along with simple low furniture to help authenticate the Zen-like calm.
-Build a beach wall to celebrate your love of vacationing in the Caribbean. Treat the wall to a paint technique to resemble a sunny sky or use wallpaper. Hang a fishing net and several overlapping coconut tree branches on the wall. At the base of the wall, assemble one or two large shells, a small umbrella, beach chair, ball and your surfboard on top of sand in a shallow box.
Whether you travel overseas, out of state or to the local flea market don’t be stymied by a small budget. There are always ways to get the “world traveler” look for less. Ensure that furnishings and accessories you buy suit your present lifestyle or the lifestyle you want to live. Make sure your have space to display and store them. But more importantly, think of ways to incorporate into your daily life the things you accumulate on your travels.
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