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Do you ever feel that your own particular style of decorating does not translate well to the general run of questions asked here?

Or do you think how you choose to decorate does not matter as you can still have an opinion on any style?

Do you ever think that the style of home an owner is asking advice about is too different than anything you would be comfortable living in?

Does your own personal taste embrace all spaces, large, small, new, old, country, city, condo, trailer, single family, high rise apt, dorm room, plain, fancy etc?

Great questions Lady of Shallot. Mind if I join in? (with a professional opinion)

1.Sometimes I do feel that my personal style of decor doesn't translate that well with the general feel of questions here. Mostly because I have such reserved traditional long term thinking in my own home. I am not that interested in changing things, and I don't feel the need to update often. I sometimes feel that I like things to be more simple that many people would be comfortable with.

2.BUT, I think I can still have an opinion on any style. I think I know enough to understand different styles, and can relate to what people might want, even if it isn't what I would personally want in my home.

3.I am exposed to homes all the time that I could never live in. That doesn't mean that I don't like a certain architectural style. I like or appreciate all styles, but there are some that just are not me. For instance a period Victorian home with all the heavy fabrics and embellishments would make me quite claustrophobic. It isn't for me, but I appreciate the look, and respect that it can be perfect for some people.

4. That is a very interesting question. I think I could adapt my personal style to most spaces. The size of the space wouldn't be an issue. The location probably wouldn't be either. The ones you listed that gave me pause were country - my style is more formal so that could be at odds. Dorm room - it could be done, but a formal traditional dorm room might be out of context with it's environment and be kind of silly. And trailer. Trailer could be done with a total gut, but again, a different style might be more logical for that site.

LOS, when it comes to answering questions any poster poses on this board, I don't think whether their style relates to me or whether I have expertise re. the particular style question. Both are irrelevant to me. I basically think of each question as a way I hopefully might be able to assist w/ their given dilemma even if I have to do some searches re. the particular topic. I feel this not only helps to keep the board running smoothly (I dislike it when a post goes unresponded for a length of time), but is an opportunity for me to learn and grow.

On the flip side, I have often read posts that do directly relate to my eclectic style and I can be helped or inspired by them.

I have frequently posted new topics that don't necessarily relate to my home or style of decor in the hopes others might benefit from the links/sites/tips I discover along the way. I feel in doing so it keeps things interesting as well as enlightening and may even assist newbies who are more comfortable lurking than participating. Hopefully, they may even encourage a newbie to jump right into the topic.
We all can agree I'm sure, that new people participating adds to the richness of this board.

In closing, I certainly hope that no one feels like an odd-man/woman-out because they feel their style is so vastly different than the general population that they're fearful of participating here. The unique ideas they offer should be welcomed as a fresh new approach we may choose to embrace or not, but if not, do so respectfully. I feel it's the diversity of all who participate and the way imput and ideas are welcomed that makes this board special.

I mostly read here because I feel like my style of decorating-an eclectic mix of country, vintage, cottage, shabby-isn't really the norm. I don't feel like I have enough knowledge of the more popular, modern decorating styles to give much advice.

But, OTOH, if someone asks an opinion and I have a pretty strong one, most of the time I will give it. But that is usually about color, whether I like something-something simple like that.

I feel like I could incorporate my style into any type of dwelling I should have to move to. It's funny but a lot of times I will be in a home and imagine how I would decorate it in my style and with my things. That is why I have a hard time understanding why homes need to be staged in order to sell them.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Becky56,

Answer 1: NO. Despite differences in personal style, we have all probably faced one or more of the issues discussed here.

Answer 2: Of course.

Answer 3: I try not let my personal taste influence my opinions. My comfort factor is immaterial to the discussion at hand.

Answer 4: I have lived in all the spaces you cite at one time or another in my life, except for the "fancy" and the trailer.:>)

My personal taste has evolved over time and is influenced very much by the interior architecture of the particular home I inhabit and the surroundings. I lean towards clean, uncluttered spaces, not minimalistic, mind you, just serene, understated and airy.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: aychihuahua,

"Or do you think how you choose to decorate does not matter as you can still have an opinion on any style?"

DH and I decorate with "different and unusual" in mind, so I don't see many others with homes like ours. Obviously, that doesn't stop me from giving an opinion.

"Do you ever think that the style of home an owner is asking advice about is too different than anything you would be comfortable living in?
"
Some styles like Mid Century Modern, Contemporary and Minimalistic don't interest me as much so I usually pass on those threads and leave it for people that like that particular style.

"Does your own personal taste embrace all spaces, large, small, new, old, country, city, condo, trailer, single family, high rise apt, dorm room, plain, fancy etc"?

NOOOOO!
I've lived in places I would not want to embrace or even think about again! LOL!

I think the posters here who decide to comment on other people's styles do so because they have a different viewpoint.

Even in Design studio classes, the designs for the same floor plan of ONE room come out all different!

Designers, decorators, creative people of all walks of life are looking for solutions to more than just a look for their home, but for technical support as well. Without enough visual examples, one can get stuck 'in the box' and need a fresh viewpoint to see their way out. Problem solving is a major component of Interior Design, decorating or organizing the home. Someone may not have had the experience of first hand seeing hundreds, or even thousands of interiors to form a collection to draw from. Also the technical parts can be made less daunting by someone who has been in the field and learned how things are done.

We need exposure to other design solutions to figure out what might work for us other than the one or two ways we thought we found as resolutions but are not sure of or real happy with.

Years gone by, most of us only had to please our family and neighbors and occasional guests for our public spaces to be seen. (The dreaded MIL with the white glove)

These days, we are showing the PUBLIC online how we live and how we treat our space creatively. This puts an enormous amount of pressure, where as years ago only 'movie star' status got your home published. We are all having our 15 minutes of fame posting online. So, this type of environment (more public) requires more confidence and more brave tries. That is where this board comes in.

Yes, this board serves as a bouncing board if you will to our ideas for that 15 minutes of fame. We all want to please, and be liked and helped to feel that our creativity matters.

I come here to post because I was helped over the years by the resident posters who were there to spark me forward, to make me think harder as to what I came up with for projects, and to get sharpened and honed in my way of public expression to such a private topic as my home.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Mary Ruth,

1) Sometimes, i think I have a different style than what I see or 'hear' in many poster's homes.
But then again, i'm surprised when i look critically at my own spaces and styles. It's pretty common afterall.

2) I usually have an opinion, but on color or paint color I am like blind and pretty much never respond to those threads. It's for the best.

3) I'd like to think i could live anywhere depending on the circumstances, but there are some popular design styles i strongly avoid.

4) like number 3, i'd like to think I could live anywhere, but there are some styles and spaces i refuse. Until i have no choice, that is. Like i'm on my last dollar or something. you never know what you can do or have to put up with until you do.

Wow, big, broad question, lol! Let me start by saying that I love, love, love your home LOS.I love looking at your pics. I would take your charming, cozy kitchen hands down over any modern, impersonal,cherry, granite, SS, HGTV kitchen out there.To me , they are sooo cookie cutter and yours just makes me want to sit at the table and have a cup of coffee all day, lol. I am not a trained designer, but I do think I have an eye for what looks great and what doesn't. My home is an eclectic mix, done over the years. My home is mostly rustic, western, country.I feel at home here, as does my Dh and it makes me feel great when family and friends ooh and aah over our home. I take it for granted so its nice when someone says "Wow, beautiful house". I love texture, earth tones, warm and homey. That is what my home is. I also love other styles such as cottage, shabby chic, beach themes and log home rustic themes. I do not care for modern, Asian or contemporary design, although I can appreciate looking at good examples of those designs. I just wouldn't choose to live in any of those.
I don't give advice on decor to anyone unless asked. I believe people should live with what they love.
LOS, your home is so wonderful, homey, artsy and inviting. I would love to have a visit in your guest room! You have done such a great job decorating your old house with treasured items. I say this because my inlaws live in a 110 yr. old house. They have been there for 50 yrs. It's a wonderful old house with a nice floor plan and great features like the wonderful woodwork and grand fireplaces. The sad thing is that they have not taken advantage of any of it's charm. My MIL has zero decor taste, not a thing that matters to her. The house just looks junky and old. She just doesn't care, and thats o.k, it's her house.But when I visit, I spend my time in my mind, decorating all the wonderful rooms that have been destroyed by the cheap panneling, accoustic drop ceilings, crappy carpet. They have a wonderful, claw foot bathtub that they encased in horrid panneling so that they could put their cleansing items on it. I'll stop now, but gee, that house could be carming and so much more.

1.I seriously doubt my decorating style is like many people on here and from the pics that are posted I am sure of it.

2.I still think someone can answer questions on another persons style even if it does not reflect their own.

3.Definitely!

4.No.

Well Janetaz, thank you very much for your complimentary remarks! They were very much appreciated. It is nice to meet a kindred spirit, online, as well as in IRL.

About your in-laws house. . . any chance you and your DH would someday inherit it? It would be wonderful for you to see it emerge into what it could so aptly be!

Here are my answers to my questions.

1) generally speaking I do not think that most people who participate on this forum yearn to decorate the way I do.

2) I feel most comfortable answering questions that have to do with technical matters rather than opinions. Things like how to sew a pillow or put up a shelf or upholster something or what paint finish to use. I do not like questions that have to do with paint colors as so many variables enter into what color would be best in a given space. I do though have an opinion on just about everything in life . . . if I know anything about it at all.

3) actually I do feel unprepared to answer questions if the space asked about is furnished and initially chosen is so different than anything I would choose.

4) this seems to contradict #3 but I have probably never been in a space; office, train, hotel, classroom, boat, garage, store etc. that I have not thought about the way it is decorated and/or meant to function.

Los, sadly my inlaws house is in a very old neighborhood that has become very rundown. It's in Ohio in a city that has really taken a hit by the recessions since the 80's. The neighborhood is very old and really isn't even safe to live in. The daughters have been trying to get them to move for the last 30 years. They pretty much live in a dilapitated, crack area. It's sad because some of the houses are so wonderful. I picture in my mind this neighborhood back in the day, before the 60's.Just a nice working class neighborhood. During the 80's re-hab fad people bought up these old houses and rehabed them, trying to revitalize the area. It just did not work.The drug people won out. I went on a home tour and many were just so beautiful. Sadly, most have fallen back into disrepair. My inlaws will never move as they are now into their 80s. I'm sure the 'kids' will inherit the house, but it is not worth much at all. I've always loved their house. It has a big eat in kitchen, farm style. The cabinets are original and beautiful. Like I said, beautiful, original moldings and woodwork thru out. I can picture in my mind what I would hope it could be, but it really makes no financial sense at all to do anything to it.The kids that remain in that city have no interest in it. I just have fun imaging that this old house could look like. It would look a lot like your's, Los.