global farmhouse goes to the carnival

For years, we’ve always had a hard time defining our style.

Not with what we were actually doing, but with words to define it.

You see, we’ve never really fit into one category, {earthy, modern, farmhouse, mid century, global, country ???} and I like it that way. For someone who has always loved writing, using actual words to define our style frustrated me. They were lacking and didn’t really showcase what I felt we were expressing visually.

Every time someone tried to label us, it just felt so limiting. We’ve been labeled as just about everything, from shabby chic {NOPE} to country {EHHHHH-that was a giant Operation-esque buzzer that just went off because the word conjures up images of country blue and duck wallpaper in hues of hunter green} to farmhouse {we think they’re getting warmer but I’m still hissing at you with a cross sign}. There was something intimidating about labeling ourselves, and we found the words failing us.

Your style and your home and everything in it, will grow and evolve with you over time. But one of the best ways to learn more about yourself and the direction your want your home to take, is by figuring out what exactly, it is.

We were doing an interview a-la phone the other day, when the interviewer asked us the dreaded question. Did you know that I still have a hard time explaining it? Interviews make me nervous anyway, of the whole sweat-in-awkward-places-and-overexplain-myself variety… I’m working on it. But I should have seen the question coming. I should have had something clever waiting in the wings. And instead, I kind of blurted something about eclectic, and then mumbled a string of unintelligible words under my breath… good times.

And awkward. Always awkward.

What if we decided we liked vintage mid century one week, and then the antique armoire from my grandmother’s house the next? I mean, we like to keep our options open. From classical to global to modern, why is this so hard?

And then we realized we were doing it wrong. Because rather than letting it limit us, what if we let it help us refine what we really loved?

I’ll come back to the idea of wordsmithing in a moment, but if you have the opposite problem and just aren’t sure what you love, struggle with honing in on a style for your dwelling place, or what you want your home to say, {let alone a word to define it… I mean the pressure!} here’s a few of our favorite places to start.

Start small. 

Overwhelmed with where to begin? We get it. But Rome wasn’t built in a day, and insert other generic clichés to make us all feel better, here. It doesn’t have to be big and scary changes. Choose something that inspires you… a key element that you want to build on, or a small space that’s totally doable in just a few days, and go with what you love.

It’s easier to start in the place you feel the most inspired, rather than the place that feels like a chore. We say just go with it.

Did you know the whole shebang started with our children’s rooms? They moved and inspired us, and we found that we were bolder in those areas with where to begin. We were eager to “break the rules” in those spaces. And if we did it there, why were we obsessively adhering to what we thought our sister’s grandmother’s cousin would want, everywhere else?

Start with a simple idea that inspires you, and let it grow for your space. Then you can’t help but love your style, and make wiser choices that help you express yourself, one element at a time.

You are a sponge. 

People ask us often where we get our inspiration. We find ourselves giving vague answers, because there is no concrete, magical cure all for ideas. Last week I was oogling over the pomegranates in the grocery store aisle, and how beautiful their colors were right next to the green avocados. Yes, I am the nerd who garners color inspiration for the impending holidays in the grocery produce aisle. The week before that its our daughter’s outfit she’d pieced together all on her own. Tangerine and coral and a lemony yellow with aqua were rocking it. From texture to color to sounds and music, soak it all in, and think of it in ways you can apply it to your home.

From magazines, to antique finds at the flea market, color swatches you love, and anything on the www. {And yes, even the local grocery and children’s clothes.} Scoop it up, and save it for later. You’ll be surprised at what you pull out of your little collection when you need it for your home.

Find a style that resonates with you, and hold on to it.

Grow your vision

It’s so easy, in what we refer to as the ‘early years’, so search for a quick fix. {See our first apartment} We were just having fun, after all. Our home was our canvas, and for the first time we could use our unbridled creativity to express who we were on a small budget. We think its necessary to be a little free to figure it all out. To play around until you find what you love.

Over time though, it’s also a good thing to hone in on what you love, so you’re not distracted by all the things. And over time, you’ll find your voice, as you settle into who you are. It’s easier to be intentional with that voice over time when you know what you’re saying. And give yourself the permission to say it.

It’s easier to stay honed in on that ultimate goal, if you’re focused on what you want your home to communicate. It’s telling a story. Enjoy the process of developing your vision.

Like a moth to a flame 

While trends and the seasons of your life will influence your taste and its changes to a degree, you’ll find that over time you’re drawn to the very same things. The same staple elements, over and over and over again will hold a timeless appeal.

You may not even realize it at first, but keep up with what you love. Revisit old Pins and magazines. Look through what once inspired you and lit a fire. Does it still?

For instance, we’re constantly drawn to the idea of contrast: to natural wood + simple whites, along with classic pieces with a touch of modern. We love anything with a story, and want our home to speak for itself. Old inspirational photos that we’re drawn to with shots of style tell us we adore the timeless farmhouse feel with a touch of eclectic fun. Over and over and over again, bright color, comfy pieces and classic lines. That may evolve and become more refined over time, but it’s always the same reassuring staple for us. A lived in, well-loved space.

Figure out what you love, by visiting old photos. Pull from them as your staple pieces in your spaces, and build from there.

Do you

In a world where everything whirls together in giant pinterest boards curated to a tee with fiddle leaf figs and fluffy sheep skin, it all starts to look the same. While those are pretty and trends will come and go, you should just do you.

Do your home, your family, your take on life. Your loves and passions should reflect who you are. In reality, it’s all been done before. But you can put a spin on it all, to create something you love… just for you.

And if you’re doing you… that’s all that matters.

Ask a friend

Nothing gives fresh perspective quite like a friend’s take on it all. Karianne’s answer came in the middle of a phone conversation, and sent me into fits of laughter: “Midcentury modern goes to the carnival.” While I didn’t completely agree, it made me realize she had something there. It gave me a fresh take on it all.

Jamin and I began to play around with defining ourselves again, and realized that we’d been seeing it wrong the entire time. We’d viewed it as limiting, when in reality, it can help us hone in on our continued vision for personal style. When it comes to your style, it doesn’t have to be a traditional word. It can be a fun sentence that keeps you focused and intentional with what you choose for your spaces.

What better person to do that than a friend who’s seen your style in action, and knows you well? Never underestimate the power of a fresh set of eyes.

_________

While I laughed on the phone that day, I decided to refine it a little to what felt like more of us: A home focused on fun, comfy surroundings, that tell a little bit of a story. And always with a side of color.

We whittled it down to “Global farmhouse goes to the carnival.”

And that is what I shall answer with every ounce of confidence, the next time someone pops that question. Probably. ;}

So now it’s your turn… what sentence would you use to refine what you’re going for in your home? We’d love to hear!