Finding your own style: part one, updated.

This post has been updated because I'm discovering new ways of Finding my own style, so I thought I would share them with you.

Do you struggle to find a style for your home that you are happy with? Have you bought something for the home, only to live with it for 6 months or so, then realise that you hate it, and it does not go with anything else in the room, or may be you are one of those people who are drawn to the pretty shinny, brightly coloured this or that at every corner, and end up with a whole host of missed matched things that no matter how many times you tell your self it falls into the eclectic bracket of interior style, you just cant make it work and look like the magazines shoots do.

Did you answer yes to any of the above? then join me in Finding your own style, over the the next few weeks/months we will do some simple exercise that I hope will help us, together find a style that we like, and are happy with, a style that works with our home and family. This is as much an exercise for me as I hope it will be for you. Do feel free to share any tips and comments along the way that you have found useful.

Start by looking at:

1. Magazines

There are dozens of Homes magazines on the market so there is bound to be one with a style that you feel comfortable with. As you read through them you can book mark pages that you like, (this works well for people who find it hard to tear up magazines, me being one of them) try colour coding them, pink for bedroom, blue for bathroom, red for kitchen, that way when you are looking for inspiration for a certain room, you know which colour to turn to.

2. Books

Buying books can be costly, so try out your local library especially if you are not sure what your style is as yet. Check out local book shops and brows through various homes books. Search through Amazon, if you open up an account they will also give you recommendations based on your search results.

3. Blogs

There are a huge amount of Homes bloggers out there, all eager to share their homes, ideas and inspiration with you, start following a few and also see who they follow too! Check out the books that they love, you will get a feel for the ones that are the sure favourites once you start following a few blogs. We bloggers know a good book when we see it. Afew that I like are;

http://www.decor8.com/

http://www.younghouselove.com/

http://www.theletteredcottage.net/

http://www.brightbazaar.blogspot.com/

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/

4. Flickr

Have you got your own flickr account? its a great way of saving images you come across and also collect your own pictures you take of your own home. Join a few groups there are so many of them you will be spoilt for choice!

5. Homes shows.

There are usually plenty of shows about Homes and interiors going on around the globe, a great place to source new ideas and products for the home, whether it be just a simple decor update, or plans of a new home extension. Do a google search for shows going on in your area.

6. On the High Street.

check out the Home furnishing stores, and take a note of the ones that you are drawn to, pick up a store catalogue, most of the big ones will have one. Check out their online stores as well, sometimes online you can find special offers that are not available in store.

Keeping it organised.

1. Start a filing system

If you don't mind tearing up your magazines, start a filing system, tear out pages and pop them into plastic folders and binder. I do this with older magazines before I can bring myself to throw them away, I also have them filed according to style, so I have beach style, country cottage style modern living etc etc. A good idea is to have a file for each room in the house that you want to decorate.

2. Online.

Make use of places online for storing images that catch your eye, get a Flickr account to add them to, and while your there join a few groups, ones that I like include Flea Market Style , a group inspired be the book Flea Market Style, off beat interiors, for off beat ideas, Young House love great for mood board ideas. More places to collect ideas include, http://www.houzz.com/ and http://www.decomyplace.com/.

3. Make an inspiration board

keep a pin board/notice board and collect things that inspire you. collect wall paper sample, and fabric samples, pin coloured items to the board that catch your eye, for example a sweet wrapper in a certain colour, or leaf collected on a walk. Note what colours and textures you are drawn to.

4. Get snappy

A great tool to have when out and about is a mobile phone with a camera, when you see something that inspires you whip out your phone and take a snap, it could be the colour of a flower, or a great looking building, or an item of furniture in a shop,this is great for if you spot something , but are not sure if it will match with everything else at home. When you get home, just add your photos to your flickr account, or where ever you choose to store your photos.

So armed with all this information, you are now ready to go start finding your own style, I hope this has helped you to find a system that works for you.

Happy collecting!

The room swap...

Photo apartment therapy

So.... you may remember that I talked about giving our two daughters some much needed space by swapping bedrooms with them in this post here, and last weekend we took the bull by the horns so to speak and set about the big swap. I would love to say that at the end of it all we had a lovely snug bedroom for myself and my husband, like the room above, and our girls had more room to... well just be girls, but as they say the best laid planes of mice and men, and its safe to say that it did not go to plan at all, and at this point my husbands voice is still ringing in my ears, "I told you so". Well I had to see for myself, not being one to just take any ones word for it, so I set about the big swap, when I say I, what I mean is all the family and a friends little girl who we where baby sitting at the time ( make the most of some free child labour), and we all began merrily humping bedroom furniture across the landing...... and back again...... and when I say back again, I really do mean BACK again. Yes folks we spent all Saturday afternoon swapping the rooms around....then all Saturday evening swapping it right back again!!

I wish I had taken some before and after photos so you could see what I mean, (I got this snap half way though) basically our double bed and bedside tables fitted in nicely, but we came unstuck with the wardrobe space, we just would not be able to open the doors to get into them. And then there came the realisation that in our bedroom I have some 18 years of very important clutter! Where would I keep it all. So for now we are back in our old room, our youngest daughter is back in the small room, and our oldest daughter is back on the living room floor! Looking on the positive side if there is one, the rooms got a good hover over, and I began to realise that I need to have a very serious de-clutter, and although I tell myself that I'm not a hoarder of useless stuff, faced with the reality, have to confess that I think I have a slight problem. (enter stage right new book to book pile, apartment therapy the eight-step cure, which I have to say is making a very good read.)

This weekend is a bedroom swap free weekend.... or the rest of my family plan to be out.... all weekend! Have yourselves a good one ;)

Pumpkins.

I just had to share these photos today, just made me laugh. Spotted them over at yet another new blog that I found nest egg go check it out to find lots more pumpkin inspiration.

Its a real shame that no one has come up with a way to dry out the pumpkin shell, as some the the designs I have spotted are just beautiful, like this lace patterned one below by Martha Stewart, they make a beautiful candle holder lamps.

And if you are a lover of all things Martha Stewart you can get her new book out now called Martha Stewart's Encyclopedia of Crafts, a 416 page hard back book, filled with over 200 projects with full step-by-step instructions for every technique, catering for everyone from first-time dabblers to the more adventurous crafters; all fully explained and beautifully photographed.

A little glimpse of my home.

When it comes to the interior of my home, I don't really know what my 'style' is, its a for ever changing and evolving style, partly because when it come to interiors I'm a bit like a child in a sweet shop, one week I love country, the week after I love something else. I am a bit of a magpie for shinny and glass things, and I have little collections of things all over the place. I also love things bought from junk shops and charity shops and if I get up early enough love to go car booting.

So here is a little glimpse of my living room, this is where I spend most of my time when I am at home, usually typing away on the computer in the corner.

Book shelf filled with homes magazines and little collections of things.

Plant pots are great for hanging earrings from!

Cats rule in our home, they get the best seats! And we have 3

A recent discovery, wrapping paper make great posters. Just need to get them framed.

That string lamp shade ended up in my bedroom.

Stones collected from walks on the beach, living on an Island we have plenty to choose from!

Homes books, I have plenty, and i keep Ikea catalogs, anybody else do that?

Fresh flowers, I just love them.

So there you have it a quick tour of my living room, call back next week when it may have completely changed!...only kidding.....

So whats you kind of style, is it something that changes with your mood, do you like to keep up with the latest trends or are you comfy with how your home looks.?