love. love. love.

Well, when it comes to interiors: What do you love?

All of us struggle with attempting to define our own personal style.
Should we?
Shouldn’t we?
If so, how?
If not, then what?

I do believe that it is very helpful, and wise, to loosely define who you are, what you want, and what you love and see how that translates into shaping your home. On the other hand, I also believe that it is important to give yourself the freedom to change your mind at any given moment.
But, without some definition, I think that you would waste a lot of time and money following the “latest, greatest thing,” or whichever way the wind blows. And, worst of all, you would risk living in a space that does not reflect any part of who you are.

This week, I will be posting on the ways that I find helpful in defining my own personal style, and that of my clients.

What does ‘personal style’ even mean in reference to interiors?

Well, in my opinion, one thing it does not mean is to define a specific type of interiors’ style. For example, I do not encourage you to try to decide if your style is “eclectic” or “country” or “traditional” or “minimalist” or “coastal” or “modern”… or any number of other standard names given to describe interiors. I find these titles to be way too confining, and, instead of helping us to shape our homes into a reflection of ourselves, I think they end up confusing us when we discover that we love something that does not fit into that box.

In my opinion, finding your personal style is about refining, for your own benefit,

1. the way you want your home to feel
2. the look you want your space to embody, and
3. the purpose you want your home to serve

{thank you to everyone who is cheering me on in my dream of Fieldstone Hill Design.Love Fieldstone Hill? thanks. you rock. Would you consider sharing the love by Following {click Follow in the right sidebar}, Liking on Facebook, or linking here from your blog. I just knew you were awesome!}

While dreaming about things I would love to add to our Front Hall, and pondering my Vision Design Board………

I had some fun checking out possible pillows that would look smashing in this space:

here is the pillow that I originally selected for my Design Board. I love the dress-maker ruffle element, and the color combination is divine. {modernality, etsy.com}

I can’t get this fabulous pillow out of my head. The large grey, felt rose on this pillow adds a pop of fun and drama to your room. {bedbugs; etsy.com}

I adore lattice work. lovely pillow for the price tag. {nenavon, etsy.com}

I love how fun and sassy this Union Jack pillow is. I think I could rock this pillow. {karenhiltondesigns, etsy.com}

another super fun choice, for the lover in you. or the cyclist. {darkcycleclothing, etsy.com}

this would be a lot of brave pattern, considering the rug we have chosen. But, somehow, I love the thought…
{chicdecorpillows, etsy.com}

or for a more modern take on being brave with patterns. {fabricjunkie, etsy.com}

And for the splurge? I love these pillows featuring Schumacher Trellis in Gray/Ivory. {cerihoover, etsy.com}

Which are your faves? Do tell.

Have a great weekend! Can’t wait to hang out with you at Fieldstone Hill next week… I will be posting more about how to shape the vision for your own personal style.
– {darlene}


{And thank you to everyone who is cheering me on in my dream of Fieldstone Hill Design.Love Fieldstone Hill? thanks. you rock. Would you consider sharing the love by Following {click Follow in the right sidebar}, Liking on Facebook, or linking here from your blog. I just knew you were awesome!}

This beautiful bedroom designed by Tommy Smythe is gutsy and rich. Even if you wouldn’t dare paint your walls this deeply {and why not??}, there is much to steal from this stunning space.

ditto :: {what I would steal from this space}:

1. deep, saturated walls. noir. coffeebean. deep plum. how about rich olive green? In any case, do you dare paint a room in your home with such depth? one thing is for certain. the effect would be rich.
2. I love how the rich walls are counter-balanced by playful brights in classy patterns. Yellow herringbone and red and white chevron provide just the right amount of contrast.
3. a strong stunning lamp with a dark shade. What a powerful element of design the lamp is in this space. Had I seen it in, I would have dismissed it as a choice: too large for a bedside table. But, no. It is a stunning element in the room, and its regal presence fits right into this space.
4. crisp, white sheets peeking out. Never underestimate the joy of crisp, white sheets. dreamy to look at and to sleep with.
5. brass. the lamp and the beautiful waste basket {is that an oxymoron?} mixed with a wonderful collection silver candlesticks. Would I have done that? I don’t know. but I would steal it, now, for sure.
6. painted light switch-plate. While I have not gotten to all the switch-plates in my home, it is definitely in the plan. I love when the practical mundane fades into the background. This is a common ‘given’ for interior designers.
7. I adore how the beautiful bedside table {which is not a bedside table at all; more of a desk. love that too!} is layered with the upholstered piano bench. and I love how the piano bench is bedecked with favorite night time reads.
8. stacked pillows at attention. They look crisp. in order {I heart order}.  And they make my symmetrically-obsessed-self very happy.
9. Fresh flowers. Have you noticed that nearly every design picture has them? They are hard to come by this time of year, but this reminds me that I must go find something lovely and alive from my yard and bring it inside. pronto. Even if it is 10 degrees.

It is crazy for me to think that I have been blogging at Fieldstone Hill for a brief five months; yet it feels as if I am right where I should be.  Fieldstone Hill, and all of you, are such a joy to me.  It has been a delight to get to know so many wonderful design bloggers along the way. What fun.

So, I am feeling the need to say thank you! Thanks to my amazing friends who continue to support and encourage me as I dream about design… and dream up new designs! My family, ‘Real life’ friends, blog friends, and new friends… oh, how great you all are at building a girl up! shucks.

And, three super cool bloggers have helped me spread the word about Fieldstone Hill by featuring my blog! And you cannot imagine how much I appreciate it! It would thrill me to pieces if you stopped by their blog homes to see them. Tell them I sent you 😉

Stacy, of Red Door Home. Gorgeous home and sweet spirit!

Shannon, of Shannon Berrey Design.  Completely fabulous style and a color diva!

And Melissa, of Melissa’s Heart and Home. This girl is a blogland sweetheart!

Feeling loved in blogland! Thanks a million for the encouragement, sweet things.
– {darlene}


{And thank you to everyone who is cheering me on in my dream of Fieldstone Hill Design.Love Fieldstone Hill? thanks. you rock. Would you consider sharing the love by Following {click Follow in the right sidebar}, Liking on Facebook, or linking here from your blog. I just knew you were awesome!}