101: What's Your Style? OR Confessions of the Design Obsessed

'What's Your Style' is now a marketing brand for Davids Furniture & Interiors and I wanted to put myself in John Q Public's shoes. How does one really figure it out on their own? So I took some online quizzes that ranged from superficial to hilarious (interestingly, my personal style is "Asian Bauhaus"...yeah, no clue...)
...more importantly, not very helpful. Online you're also told to take to your closets for style cues - a little more relevant maybe, but I apparently share a closet with Jackie O, an earth mother and a rock star...hmm, what to infer?
...okay, got it: classic silhouettes, some organic-zen touches and a couple over the top accents...dear god, please don't let me ever get me for a client...
Lastly, you're told to start a file or Pinterest board to collect images that resonate...now we're getting somewhere! ...although like a Rorschach Test, the results are open to wide interpretation and an hour of clicking later, you have hundreds of images ...aarghh...

Sooo, it's not that easy to do on your own. My advice? Don't - that's why there are design professionals...ask friends for recommendations; what you want is someone who asks a ton of questions. We all listen, but you want someone who can hear the music behind the words, too...yeah, you want me :) 

Love: Mirrors over Mirrors

...for their depth, sparkle and easy way to update decades-old plate mirror. More commonly found in bathrooms (really)?, don't overlook opportunities to add a smaller mirror in front of a larger one - your gut will tell you if it works. A small sample of ideas follows:

Simple His 'n Hers

Convex shape, frame and museum cord are a great foil for plate mirror 



Venetian mirror also a nice pattern addition



Love everything about this dining room! Framing out the plate mirror also a good idea...



Shape, finish and bevel make this fabulous

...and the treatment can whisper, as well...

Had to throw this in: love art hung in front of mirrors!

 

 

Image credits:drivenbydesign,traditionalhome,littleapple,mynottinghillblogspot,thecubaninmycoffee

Love: Dining Rooms That Aren't a One-Trick Pony

Unless you host a lot of sit-down dinners, that particular piece of real estate doesn't have to be a static room in your home. Think about other purposes that would serve you and design accordingly. I did one as an escape-from-sports-TV room using a fully upholstered curved settee, a Harden Hi-Lo round table and two slipper lounge chairs. This space also had a TV/console and the table is set at cocktail height, but raise it and pull up the comfy chairs and dine in comfort...I've also done one where I re-purposed a Williamsburg settee and swapped out three side chairs; softened up all that matching wood!
Here are some other ideas:

One of my all-time favorites - books are always in style and a round table ideal for cards or intimate gatherings

Similar idea with a transitional style

A modern multi-purpose room

So feminine and great blending of dining and living areas

Dining room? Game room?

Love: One-of-a-kind Hand-knotted Rugs

Ok, so this flirts with shameless store promotion....but we just swapped out all of our rugs for a new crop from our importer in NY....and these rugs are yummy! Camera and monitor colors won't do justice here; you'll just have to trust me - the colors are fresh and different. Tip: if you plan on using a hand-knotted rug, start by falling in love with one first and plan the room around it...far more fabrics to choose from than there are rugs.

Love: The Right Lamps...

..as they serve as the jewelry in the room. Each room composition is unique and they can either play a supporting role or be the sculptural star. I'm a fan of using identical lamps to flank a sofa, but different end tables from the same collection (as long as their heights are within an inch of each other)...too much symmetry creates tension in a room... My only rule is to never have the eye see a bulb when sitting or standing, decorative bulb lamps notwithstanding... Some great offerings below:

Images: curreyandcompany.com,wildwoodlamps.com,arteriorshome.com