Thursday, December 29, 2016

Confident style

The best way to be successful on your home decor is to possess confidence. Aside from a few general rules, you can really do whatever you want to decorate your home. So, go ahead and showcase your personality. After all, there is only one you in the world! Don't be afraid of letting your creative juice flow, mixing different decorative styles, or finding the right combination that portraits you. That always makes for a stunning result!

I'd like to introduce you to my friend Audrey.  I hope you enjoy her interview as much as I do!

Audrey lives with her husband and two young children in a two-bedroom apartment in a major city on the east Coast of the United States. She is a former high school English teacher turned stay-at-home mom. When she is not changing diapers or cleaning bathrooms, she enjoys reading, making candles and hunting for vintage treasures at local thrift stores. She blogs about RIE/respectful parenting and raising bilingual children at www.espanolitablog.com







1. What makes your house a home?

Deep down, I'm a homebody, and I always say that the best part of any trip is coming home. To me, the word home connotes comfort. So, for me, comfort means warmth, cleanliness, and a connection to family, both past and present. Warmth, be it through homemade beeswax candles lit throughout the living room; or, wool blankets piled up on my bed; or, 1920s jazz and blues coming through the speakers; or, a home-cooked meal by my Spanish husband. Cleanliness: I'll admit, I love a scrubbed-down kitchen and going to bed with everything picked up off the floor; or, the windows open to air out the bedrooms. Lastly, a connection to family: photos of loved ones throughout the house, a painting by my sister, quilts by my mom, and most importantly, having my husband and two children home.
 "Juntos en familia" is what makes our house a home.




2. What is your decorating style and why do you like it?

Vintage. Bohemian. Industrial. Mix those together. For as long as I can remember, I've been fascinated with the past, and my home reflects that. Not only am I attracted by the visual appeal of vintage and antique pieces of furniture, but I also find that they far surpass modern pieces in terms of  quality and durability. Aspects of industrial design that I am drawn to mostly include the use of iron (example, my 1920s cast iron auditorium seats in our entry way) and the color black. I didn't realize how much I love to decorate with this color until my good friend pointed out. There is something striking and elegant about black that I just love. I've also included Bohemian in my decorating style because I think it's kind of a catch-all for my eclectic taste and my overlapping use of different periods and styles of decor.







3. What decorating accessories are a "must" in your home?

Textiles and textures. Even though I am not a fiber artist, I am drawn to all forms of fiber art, from Persians rugs to Kilim pillows to 1930s feedback bedspreads to one-of-a-kind wall quilts designed by my very own mother. Recent acquisitions in our new apartment include African mud cloth throw pillows, an antique Persian hallway runner, sheepskin rugs, and a wall collection of wicker baskets. I find that a variety of textures add warmth and depth to a space.










4. What are your go-to places to find unique decorative items?

eBay, thrift stores, Craig's List, and family heirlooms. My Sicilian grandfather was a skilled carpenter and I have recently inherited several pieces of furniture from my mother. I've scored some awesome vintage and antique finds off of eBay (our living room mid-century armchair) and Craig's List ( my Danish teak dining room and coffee tables, and my 1970s Bentwood Thonet rocking chair), just by being willing to hunt and wait patiently. Thrift stores: I've beed addicted to thrift stores since I was 15. I love the hunt: the sifting, the sorting, the looking. I will often scour Pinterest or other vintage decor blogs for inspiration and then, with a picture in mind, I'll set out to replicate a look I like by shopping at a thrift store. There is one particular second-hand furniture store - the size of three or four airplane hangars - just one mile from my house ) dangerous, I know!). It's currently my favorite store. I walk in the door and the smell "old" lets me know I'm in my happy place.












I hope you were inspired to be you and to reflect the uniqueness of your personality in your home! The result will be no doubt be-you-tiful!



                



       
                    Happy New year!


                                             Angelica
















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