Natural Refinement: Putting everything in a box

Sometimes I think we tend to want to "label" ourselves too much. We might say, "I'm a mother of three, a friend, a wife, an aunt, a neighbor, employee of such and such, a business owner, a designer, teacher,...the list can go on and on. The fact of the matter is we are not just ONE of these things; in many cases we are ALL of those things. The same is true when it comes to our homes.

So many designers or just "us ordinary folks;" want to put a label on what it is we like. For example, you might like French Country, and think you have to design your entire home in a French Country look, but then you hop on over to friends home and they have more of contemporary vibe going on- and you think, "hmm, maybe I like that better- so you turn your entire home upside down because you have now "found" your new look...until you thumb through House Beautiful. It's almost like "If You Give a House Wife Design Book." You can continue this pattern until it either breaks your bank or you.

http://www.housebeautiful.com/decorating/designer-living-rooms

Image from House Beautiful: Love all blues!

Designing a home can be fun, exciting, jittery, and yet very challenging and draining all at the same time. What you won't here is this: Stop trying to label your design!!! Everything you like and dislike does not have to fit nice and neatly in a wrapped up box of perfection.

Let's face it- we live in the real world.

Half of our days are spent chasing little ones, doing laundry, grocery shopping, carpool, mundane errands, and/or careers we are trying to hold on to. I guess what I am saying is this; it is OK if your home has crayons and markers on the floor, and last nights dinner is still in the sink waiting for you to clean up (yuck; but yes it has happened at our house). The beds don't have to be made everyday (although in a perfect world they would), and the laundry (if it is anything like our home) will ALWAYS be there!

(yes, Evelyn has done this!!! )

What DOES matter is that you are happy in your home; and that starts with you. So if you like a little of this and a little of that- go for it! You can make it all "mesh" beautifully; by keeping a common color scheme, shapes (like round objects- mirrors, tables, ext.), pillows- anything that can keep different styles coherent.

Our home is our home; not some idea a designer came up with...but ours.