I have read more than once that Gen X values experiences over things. They would rather spend time and money on trips and adventures than building a house and making it a home. I would agree to a point. This is a philosophy that all generations can embrace as we all know that looking back it is the memories of our experiences that stick with us and bring the most pleasure.
Being a baby boomer who has lived through many changes, I now have a perspective that allows me to appreciate this philosophy while also sensing that this generation, too, will eventually crave a place they call home. But what makes a house a home? As we explore that question it becomes evident that authenticity plays a strong role. Ironically, those travel experiences are key to crafting a home that reflects the sum of our experiences and brings us joy on another level long after the wanderlust has subsided. Along with our regular life experiences they shape who we become and ultimately how we develop our own unique style.
Where Does Style Come From?
Your style comes from listening to the things that bring you pure joy. If you do this, some things will require saving until you can manage to include them into your design scheme because you know deep down that nothing else will do. Other things that make your heart sing will find their way into your home that have nothing to do with expense. Growing up I was gifted with a need to create something fabulous on a shoestring budget. This need helped me to look for innovative ways to develop a style that I could feel good about without breaking the bank. It included many things that cost nothing.
Example? Fresh cut flowers in a vase. Etched into my memory is a large rose bush that grew behind our home. The large branches gently bent over our detached garage with endless glorious blooms. We would cut fresh flowers and bring them inside and place them in the center of the dining table. The smell would permeate the room. It felt like such a luxury. It still does.
I would fetch tools for my father while he was working in that same garage. He kept a very large pine cone on a shelf and would tell me stories of walking the streets of Paris, how beautiful it was, and things he saw there while serving in the Army. He brought that pine cone home as a keepsake. I have since traveled to Paris on my own. It is beautiful beyond words. The ambient light, the colorful cafes, the graceful architecture, and floral gardens all have influenced my own style. I still have a thing for pine cones too.
Early in my career, I also worked many years in hospitality for a large restaurant chain. I learned the ropes, as the buyer, under the guidance of a talented design department that seemed to have the Midas touch building and developing a dozen new wildly successful restaurants each year, for many years. It was here that I learned so much about what goes into the art of making a space feel like a home away from home where people gather to enjoy food and drink with exceptional hospitality. This included selecting the silverware, tabletop decor, furniture, carpet, artifacts, and even the construction of the lively patterned patchwork skirts that the waitresses wore. The owner was a gifted designer driving his vision with an eclectic sense of style. I embraced a lot of that easy and casual sense of style which eventually found it’s way into my own style.
In doing so I learned some of the best lessons about following the rules but also breaking the rules of style.
- Can you host a gathering of mismatched silverware and linens? Permission granted and even encouraged.
- Place a chic abstract painting in the same room as a portrait of your beloved and faithful pet? You bet.
- Place a zebra print pillow next to a red Persian carpet? Absolutely.
- Transition to a checkerboard floor with floral and striped upholstery? Yes.
The point is, all of this showed me that sometimes breaking the rules of design is just the right thing if it speaks to your own authenticity. Going with your gut instinct can yield the best results, if you let it.
Embracing Change
What is more, style is a breathing, living thing that changes over time. I have always thought of my own style as an eclectic mix of traditional with a little bohemian. I find lately that I am drawn to some elements that are contemporary too. There is no doubt that my life experience along with my travel experiences have influenced my style. I believe as we live and build more experiences to draw from and enter various stages of life, it is inevitable that our needs, our taste, and our style changes too. There may always be a foundation that rings true for you but if we are to remain authentic it gets interpreted differently over time. Creating a home is not static. It involves embracing the changing landscape of your house to reflect where you are in time. Giving some thought to what makes your heart take a leap along with considerations about what needs to change to fit your current lifestyle are key elements to consider when you are ready to make some design changes. This is what will make your house a home and make you happy in your space.
Reflecting Your Authentic Style
So now that you know what style is and some of the things that contribute to your authentic style how do you go about creating a home that reflects your uniqueness?
I have collected a piece of pottery from many of my travels. Each piece reminds me of the people, places, and things experienced and I love having them displayed as a visual reminder. That is a piece of my authenticity.
The photo above shows how a collection of pottery from world travels can be displayed in a way that reflects your own unique style.
Collections are a great way to trigger the memories of your travel experiences too, much like photographs. They represent who you are and surrounding yourself with pieces of your life experiences can be a great step toward authentic style.
Another way to express your authenticity is with special pieces of furniture. It does not necessarily need to be grand so long as it speaks to you. I have a very simple dresser that has traveled with me from every home since the first one I could call my own. I love it and would never part with it. It represents where I started and is maybe he only piece of furniture I still have that was in my first home. I bought it at a really shabby used furniture store/ appliance store in the 70s. It was hidden underneath layers and layers of junk and in desperate need of repair. I refinished it and it has found it’s way into some space of every home I have lived in since then.
Fabric, paint, wallpaper, wall hangings and upholstery all provide opportunities to express your own unique style. Today there are so many great boutique shops featuring not only well known artists but small, individual artists, who have been given a level playing field for exposure and offer many more options for you to find just the right look.
Are you a biologist? or just love plants? Here is one of my newest designs showing the microscopic beauty of moss.
Spoonflower Badalucco Design Studio Moss Design
Do you love a certain breed of dog or cat? There are some really great pet prints on Spoonflower. Here are a couple of them.
Spoonflower Happy Dogs Catching Waves Selma Cardoso
Spoonflower Neutral Pop Doodle Dogs by Cooper & Craft
is there a happy place from your travels that you would love to look at every day? There is a print for that!
Spoonflower Travel Wallhangings
Conclusion
By now I hope that it is evident that what makes a house a home is the result of a million little things. But it isn’t hard if you are true to yourself and trust your own style. Following trends is fun and even smart if you are wanting to coordinate colors and patterns for your next home project. I have mentioned this before in previous articles. Designers design based upon trend forecasts and manufacturers produce colors and patterns that follow those trends. This ensures that colors and design products will all be available in coordinating options at the same time.
Having said that though, following trends will do nothing to keep your choices authentic. That comes from a place deep inside each of us. So whether you are settled in your own home or a traveling nomad, keep in mind that one day you may decide to put down roots and when you do, a house filled with meaningful design choices will serve you well in turning that house into a home.