Hi there. Well it’s that Tuesday of the month…..time for our By Invitation Only. This months theme is a fun one……”Trends- do we follow them or not” and do we have a look that we favor and repeat over and over.
I honestly didn’t have to think very hard about this one. I am a purist through and through. I? know what I like, rarely waver and frankly do not pay too much attention to the trends. Let me rephrase that, I do pay attention, I love getting in my monthly mags and seeing what’s new in the design world but almost never does it fully influence what I do in my own home or anyone else’s.
Is there a look I do over and over or one I love? Yes, I would say incorporation of blue and white is kind of “my thing” and I have found and proven over time that it goes literally with almost any color interior.
I also like neutral bases, that would mean a neutral colored sofa (in the creams, tans, sands) and letting thing like chairs, ottomans and pillows be the items to feature prints and color. Also this method insures the capability of being able to easily change color schemes, (when starting with a neutral palette).
So yes I guess I am pretty opinionated on the matter! We were also asked how we start the process if given a blank room. I can’t speak for everyone but I can speak for myself……I start from the floor up. Let me demonstrate-
STEP 1. Hypothetically I am given a blank room, 4 white walls. We will first decide on the overall palette, will it be cool, warm, traditional, modern, warm and cozy or white and crisp? Once that is decided I consult paint colors, typically I go with neutrals, warm whites being a “go to”…..
STEP 2. Then it’s time to work from the ground up, and that means a rug or carpeting. Finding the right rug can take time but again once the palette has been determined, it is easier to zero in on rugs. I normally make mood boards of a few options, here is one that is a current project.
STEP 3. Time for upholstery…..I almost always recommend going neutral here. It is so easy to jazz up a neutral sofa or chair, with trims and of course fabulous pillows in colors and prints. I think a neutral pieces goes the distance and in the end will be an item you will not tire of. Then you start filling in with the casegoods (i.e. coffee table, end table, furniture pieces,etc…)
STEP 4.Fabric time! I love this part…..? adding some fun or colorful fabrics for accent pieces, could be chairs, pillows, ottomans or all the above. I really enjoy this process as it truly pulls the room together and gives the room it’s personality.
Here are a bunch of different combinations I have worked on recently….sometimes like with the first board, I put a bunch of fabrics together and just ask the client which most appeals, it’s a good starting point.
5. Accessorize accessorize! This might be the most fun part, I LOVE accessorizing. So enjoy, playing, tweaking then playing and tweaking some more. There are certain pieces to me that are “timeless classics” and just stand the test of time. They will always look beautiful. Here are some of my favorites…..
STEP 6. Which really would be inserted to the very beginning, is how to address what a client might already own that they wish to incorporate and how do we deal with it when we don’t like something
? My knee jerk reaction is…..honesty! I am always honest, because that is afterall what they are paying me for. If something works, then that is fantastic, it’s one less thing to have to worry about and it means a bigger budget for the things we do need to buy.? However I will not sugarcoat something if I genuinely feel it is has no place in what we are doing. I believe honesty is always the best policy.
So that kind of sums up the process for me. It is a thoroughly? enjoyable one and one that continues to inspire and excite me. Trends are fun, but I honestly don’t take them too seriously. I rarely pay much attention to “color of the year” and if a trend happens to coincide with what I love, then that is fabulous and I guess could make me seem like a trendsetter but for the most part they do not dictate what I do.
So your turn, are you a trendsetter/follower? Does your home reflect current trends or do you like what you like and that’s final? Would love to hear from you.
Be sure to stop over at Marsha’s blog, Splenderosa to see what the rest of this talented group has to say on the matter, always fun to see other perspectives and interpretations of our monthly theme! Click here to visit Splenderosa.
PS Don’t forget to enter the contest for the beautiful Giddy Paperie giveaway (you must comment on that post to enter). Click here. Until next time….
Hi Tina really enjoyed reading this post and gaining some insight to how you decorate since I admire it so much. You have beautiful taste and I have to say that trends in recent years have been incredibly disappointing.
We hired a int.designer last year who thought a home should reflect all the latest and needless to say it was a very short relationship, we fired her after a month. We didn’t do our homework and went on a friends recommendation.
I have learned through time and costly mistakes to fill your home with things you love, not what other people love. I really embrace all your ideas and will be contacting you to help me with my master bedroom redo, love your style.
This post was so eye opening to me. You are so talented at pulling things together. Sometimes I almost laugh because I share so many of your opinions. I don’t know anyone else who does, so it reassures me that some things I’ve done are right. It was so interesting to see the order of things, because I have no training in interior design. My friends all use decorators and I have never liked the results and therefore I never have. I wish I had found you when I starting doing this house 3 years ago.
Thank you Tina!
Like you, I follow trends but never in my own home. I like what I like!
I love Blue and white and I’m still using it with yellow chintz! I’ll never tire of it…never!!!!
Have a great tues.
Btw I have contacted Giddy Paperie to see about bringing into our stationery store. Love it
Love your taste and blog and I am building right now. I also do design work for our residential home building company however I am not formally trained. I am so curious to know what app you use to create your sample boards?
Fun post. I am a traditional girl in my own home. I prefer antiques to new items. I too like a neutral beginning with the option for changing colors. I love BLUE. When thinking of each of my homes beginning in the 80’s, they have ALL had blue in some form or fashion. Sometimes I can appreciate homes with a modern flair but a traditional home speaks to my soul.
Oh Tina ?. how beautifully put together your post is ?. no wonder your home looks so beautiful. Interior design is much like fashion ?.. it all takes a lot of research and, in my case, many years of collecting little things. Thanks for your expert advice and a glimpse at some of your blue and white china. XXXX
Tina, Good Morning!
I have been so enjoying the bell lanterns, both as a designer and for myself!
I’ve been scouring the internet to figure out how one does “mood boards” like you often do here; is there a software or site or app which I should look for?
I believe they would be invaluable for me!
ThanksF!
Stephanie
Tina In general I am in agreement with you. I love color so I use more of the brighter color palette in my art and certain pieces. My sofa is neutral though and I have warm rich custom pillows on it! Blue and white is in every room!
What a fun post! I’m in the process of getting my parents’ house (my childhood home) ready for the market. It will need to be staged to sell well, and although it’s rather a daunting task, but it’s also a bit fun to have a clean palate to start with for ONCE in my life! It will need to be done economically and definitely not my personal style, but having this how-to is perfectly timed for me. Many thanks!
Ah, I knew that the theme this month would suit you down to the ground Tina! You have put together some beautiful ideas here, but my favourite shot is your fireplace with the white blossom – divine!
Hi Tina, Love hearing about your process – and all the lovely examples you showed made me wish we had a room to redo in our house. You and I are definitely “soul sisters” when it comes to blue and white – but we use it differently, which is what I love so much about it. Blue and white is at home with anything and works beautifully with so many different styles.
Hope you are surviving the snow! Happy Tuesday! XOXO
Perhaps it’s because I was born and raised in Boston, but I have always, since I was a little girl, loved traditional. I was raised in the 60’s and my mother decorated in autumn colors and I never liked them. I always gravitated to blue and white with cherry wood casegoods. I have collected blue and white porcelain pieces since young and from all over the world. I married a Californian and live in the Bay area but fortuately, my sweet husband loves what I do.
Sooo, traditional all the way!
Loved this post Tina and I am definitely in the B&W camp;) It’s fun to hear about your process and I can attest to your commitment to getting it right. Trend or not .. if you like it then you can incorporate it into the process.
I agree with everything here, and do it pretty much the same way, especially the honesty part! But I do love to try some of the new trends. It’s more affordable when a client lets me do it, and makes my husband happier too!
Stacy
Would love to see you do a nursery! I’m going to be a grandma and I need some boy crib options other than pottery barn and restoration hardware. I think it would be fun to see your pics!!
I loved seeing how you design. Great insights. Your home is beautiful. I just knew I should have skipped doing this BIO:)
As a rank amateur I do things ass backward and start with the accessories, which are the “jewelry” of my rooms. Lovely home!!
This certainly illustrates why it is so important to understand foundational elements – and NOT to go “trendy” unless you can afford the expense (and disruption) of mistakes!
There is a reason that what is classic is classic, which you demonstrate impeccably.
I agree with your use of neutrals in a room’s furniture pieces and wall colors, allowing for personality to come through with accessories and rugs. However, you missed a large area where creativity can shine…..the ceiling. Color, texture, embellishments, lighting, architecture etc. can take a room from great to fabulous. White ceilings = missed opportunities.
Tina-
I enjoyed this post. I am like you in not following trends, and I always end up going to the same colors and furnishing. I will say that I like more color in the homes of others, but never use a lot of bright color.
Happy Tuesday.
Teresa
xoxo
Always learn from your sharing! The design process works. For me, I need to realize when to lessen my use of blue and white. But, it is so comfortable and calming to me,I only gravitate to those colors. I have to force myself into reminding myself that tertiary color helps. The reason you have so many followers is your classic design taste, always the blue and white and honesty!
Wonderful post as always Tina. Very informative and helpful insights into your design process. Like several others, I am definitely traditional design all the way. It is classic and never goes out of style, just as your home and taste exemplify. Love your style Tina, it is fabulous!!!
thanks for sharing your process so generously, tina. i am not too trendy either, and if i appear to be, i half-jokingly say i must have started the trend. a family member once visited our home and said ‘oh, it’s pinteresty,’ and i wanted to smack that family member silly. whether it is or it isn’t, it didn’t sound like a compliment, ya know? but trends are funny. they’re always coming back around: NEW TRADITIONAL, right? peace to you right where you are.
I love trends in small doses! I agree with tried and true and I look to the pioneers of design and what was hot then and still is today is simply classic! You design a classic interior Tina! Love it!
So fascinating to see your process in a visual way. That’s the way I learn best!
I am with you in the neutral department?I have done best when my base pieces are neutral and that gives me room to play with accessories. I have to admit that when the color gray hit?it did pull me more towards the greige colors. My color palette has also softened a bit with age. Not sure if that is normal or if that is just me seeking more calm in my life and addressing it in my interiors. So, I’m a bit of a traditionalist with touches of trend. 🙂
Love your style?.it is stunning and timeless! Learning so much from you!
Have a great week!
xoxo Elizabeth
What an incredible process, Tina. I know how long it takes to finally know what you love and be steadfast in your convictions about what is right and what works. The hardest part of what you do is telling someone they need to omit an item or items in the going-forward scheme of things. I know because Ned Scott never got rid of anything, even newspapers, and it nearly drove me crazy, in spite of how much I adored him. I love this post, read every single word and looked at every item presented. Love it !!! (Please forgive my tardiness, I’m quite overwhelmed at the moment with the trials of life).
What an insightful and interesting post, Tina. Just love seeing how you create your own design. We are such fans of neutrals – so easy to add color with great pillows and accessories and easy to change when you tire of them. The same with trends – love adding something fresh and whimsical in a room, but the tone is definitely traditional – great design, my friend!
Tina…I love seeing your “process” of design, although I must say the element that is the most important, which you have in abundance, is good taste! THAT is always in style. Hope you are having a fabulous week! xoxo
Thanks for your advice! I have appreciated that since the beginning of your blog. I remember (and still do it) reading the captions you wrote for interior design pictures–and loving what you had to say about each one. For someone like me who loves the visual and wants to learn, you are perfect! Thanks for being just who you are, Tina!
Linda
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Hi there. Well it’s that Tuesday of the month…..time for our By Invitation Only. This months theme is a fun one……”Trends- do we follow them or not” and do we have a look that we favor and repeat over and over.
I honestly didn’t have to think very hard about this one. I am a purist through and through. I? know what I like, rarely waver and frankly do not pay too much attention to the trends. Let me rephrase that, I do pay attention, I love getting in my monthly mags and seeing what’s new in the design world but almost never does it fully influence what I do in my own home or anyone else’s.
Is there a look I do over and over or one I love? Yes, I would say incorporation of blue and white is kind of “my thing” and I have found and proven over time that it goes literally with almost any color interior.
I also like neutral bases, that would mean a neutral colored sofa (in the creams, tans, sands) and letting thing like chairs, ottomans and pillows be the items to feature prints and color. Also this method insures the capability of being able to easily change color schemes, (when starting with a neutral palette).
So yes I guess I am pretty opinionated on the matter! We were also asked how we start the process if given a blank room. I can’t speak for everyone but I can speak for myself……I start from the floor up. Let me demonstrate-
STEP 1. Hypothetically I am given a blank room, 4 white walls. We will first decide on the overall palette, will it be cool, warm, traditional, modern, warm and cozy or white and crisp? Once that is decided I consult paint colors, typically I go with neutrals, warm whites being a “go to”…..
STEP 2. Then it’s time to work from the ground up, and that means a rug or carpeting. Finding the right rug can take time but again once the palette has been determined, it is easier to zero in on rugs. I normally make mood boards of a few options, here is one that is a current project.
STEP 3. Time for upholstery…..I almost always recommend going neutral here. It is so easy to jazz up a neutral sofa or chair, with trims and of course fabulous pillows in colors and prints. I think a neutral pieces goes the distance and in the end will be an item you will not tire of. Then you start filling in with the casegoods (i.e. coffee table, end table, furniture pieces,etc…)
STEP 4.Fabric time! I love this part…..? adding some fun or colorful fabrics for accent pieces, could be chairs, pillows, ottomans or all the above. I really enjoy this process as it truly pulls the room together and gives the room it’s personality.
Here are a bunch of different combinations I have worked on recently….sometimes like with the first board, I put a bunch of fabrics together and just ask the client which most appeals, it’s a good starting point.
5. Accessorize accessorize! This might be the most fun part, I LOVE accessorizing. So enjoy, playing, tweaking then playing and tweaking some more. There are certain pieces to me that are “timeless classics” and just stand the test of time. They will always look beautiful. Here are some of my favorites…..
STEP 6. Which really would be inserted to the very beginning, is how to address what a client might already own that they wish to incorporate and how do we deal with it when we don’t like something
? My knee jerk reaction is…..honesty! I am always honest, because that is afterall what they are paying me for. If something works, then that is fantastic, it’s one less thing to have to worry about and it means a bigger budget for the things we do need to buy.? However I will not sugarcoat something if I genuinely feel it is has no place in what we are doing. I believe honesty is always the best policy.
So that kind of sums up the process for me. It is a thoroughly? enjoyable one and one that continues to inspire and excite me. Trends are fun, but I honestly don’t take them too seriously. I rarely pay much attention to “color of the year” and if a trend happens to coincide with what I love, then that is fabulous and I guess could make me seem like a trendsetter but for the most part they do not dictate what I do.
So your turn, are you a trendsetter/follower? Does your home reflect current trends or do you like what you like and that’s final? Would love to hear from you.
Be sure to stop over at Marsha’s blog, Splenderosa to see what the rest of this talented group has to say on the matter, always fun to see other perspectives and interpretations of our monthly theme! Click here to visit Splenderosa.
PS Don’t forget to enter the contest for the beautiful Giddy Paperie giveaway (you must comment on that post to enter). Click here. Until next time….
Hi Tina really enjoyed reading this post and gaining some insight to how you decorate since I admire it so much. You have beautiful taste and I have to say that trends in recent years have been incredibly disappointing.
We hired a int.designer last year who thought a home should reflect all the latest and needless to say it was a very short relationship, we fired her after a month. We didn’t do our homework and went on a friends recommendation.
I have learned through time and costly mistakes to fill your home with things you love, not what other people love. I really embrace all your ideas and will be contacting you to help me with my master bedroom redo, love your style.
This post was so eye opening to me. You are so talented at pulling things together. Sometimes I almost laugh because I share so many of your opinions. I don’t know anyone else who does, so it reassures me that some things I’ve done are right. It was so interesting to see the order of things, because I have no training in interior design. My friends all use decorators and I have never liked the results and therefore I never have. I wish I had found you when I starting doing this house 3 years ago.
I absolutely agree about the accessorizing Tina… it’s what makes all of our homes so unique… Great post and insights… Thank You… :)xv
Thank you Tina!
Like you, I follow trends but never in my own home. I like what I like!
I love Blue and white and I’m still using it with yellow chintz! I’ll never tire of it…never!!!!
Have a great tues.
Btw I have contacted Giddy Paperie to see about bringing into our stationery store. Love it
Love your taste and blog and I am building right now. I also do design work for our residential home building company however I am not formally trained. I am so curious to know what app you use to create your sample boards?
Fun post. I am a traditional girl in my own home. I prefer antiques to new items. I too like a neutral beginning with the option for changing colors. I love BLUE. When thinking of each of my homes beginning in the 80’s, they have ALL had blue in some form or fashion. Sometimes I can appreciate homes with a modern flair but a traditional home speaks to my soul.
Oh Tina ?. how beautifully put together your post is ?. no wonder your home looks so beautiful. Interior design is much like fashion ?.. it all takes a lot of research and, in my case, many years of collecting little things. Thanks for your expert advice and a glimpse at some of your blue and white china. XXXX
Tina, Good Morning!
I have been so enjoying the bell lanterns, both as a designer and for myself!
I’ve been scouring the internet to figure out how one does “mood boards” like you often do here; is there a software or site or app which I should look for?
I believe they would be invaluable for me!
ThanksF!
Stephanie
Hi Tina – Your style is so classic and will always be in style. You have such a beautiful eye for decor. It was fun seeing your process! xo
Tina In general I am in agreement with you. I love color so I use more of the brighter color palette in my art and certain pieces. My sofa is neutral though and I have warm rich custom pillows on it! Blue and white is in every room!
xoxo
Karena
Featuring The HighBoy
What a fun post! I’m in the process of getting my parents’ house (my childhood home) ready for the market. It will need to be staged to sell well, and although it’s rather a daunting task, but it’s also a bit fun to have a clean palate to start with for ONCE in my life! It will need to be done economically and definitely not my personal style, but having this how-to is perfectly timed for me. Many thanks!
Always love your take on decor/design and the beautiful photos.
Well, I can see YOU and I have ZERO, ZIP in common!
Yours is MORE practical……..mine is MORE gathered,adorned and lived in.
Fun POST……….NO?
Ah, I knew that the theme this month would suit you down to the ground Tina! You have put together some beautiful ideas here, but my favourite shot is your fireplace with the white blossom – divine!
Sharon
x
Hi Tina, Love hearing about your process – and all the lovely examples you showed made me wish we had a room to redo in our house. You and I are definitely “soul sisters” when it comes to blue and white – but we use it differently, which is what I love so much about it. Blue and white is at home with anything and works beautifully with so many different styles.
Hope you are surviving the snow! Happy Tuesday! XOXO
Perhaps it’s because I was born and raised in Boston, but I have always, since I was a little girl, loved traditional. I was raised in the 60’s and my mother decorated in autumn colors and I never liked them. I always gravitated to blue and white with cherry wood casegoods. I have collected blue and white porcelain pieces since young and from all over the world. I married a Californian and live in the Bay area but fortuately, my sweet husband loves what I do.
Sooo, traditional all the way!
A lovely peek inside your process.
And I love the blue and white.
xoxo,
p
Loved this post Tina and I am definitely in the B&W camp;) It’s fun to hear about your process and I can attest to your commitment to getting it right. Trend or not .. if you like it then you can incorporate it into the process.
I agree with everything here, and do it pretty much the same way, especially the honesty part! But I do love to try some of the new trends. It’s more affordable when a client lets me do it, and makes my husband happier too!
Stacy
Would love to see you do a nursery! I’m going to be a grandma and I need some boy crib options other than pottery barn and restoration hardware. I think it would be fun to see your pics!!
Tina, great post!
I loved seeing how you design. Great insights. Your home is beautiful. I just knew I should have skipped doing this BIO:)
As a rank amateur I do things ass backward and start with the accessories, which are the “jewelry” of my rooms. Lovely home!!
great post +honesty, yes xxpeggybraswelldesign.com
This certainly illustrates why it is so important to understand foundational elements – and NOT to go “trendy” unless you can afford the expense (and disruption) of mistakes!
There is a reason that what is classic is classic, which you demonstrate impeccably.
Tina,
I agree with your use of neutrals in a room’s furniture pieces and wall colors, allowing for personality to come through with accessories and rugs. However, you missed a large area where creativity can shine…..the ceiling. Color, texture, embellishments, lighting, architecture etc. can take a room from great to fabulous. White ceilings = missed opportunities.
Melissa
Tina-
I enjoyed this post. I am like you in not following trends, and I always end up going to the same colors and furnishing. I will say that I like more color in the homes of others, but never use a lot of bright color.
Happy Tuesday.
Teresa
xoxo
Always learn from your sharing! The design process works. For me, I need to realize when to lessen my use of blue and white. But, it is so comfortable and calming to me,I only gravitate to those colors. I have to force myself into reminding myself that tertiary color helps. The reason you have so many followers is your classic design taste, always the blue and white and honesty!
Wonderful post as always Tina. Very informative and helpful insights into your design process. Like several others, I am definitely traditional design all the way. It is classic and never goes out of style, just as your home and taste exemplify. Love your style Tina, it is fabulous!!!
thanks for sharing your process so generously, tina. i am not too trendy either, and if i appear to be, i half-jokingly say i must have started the trend. a family member once visited our home and said ‘oh, it’s pinteresty,’ and i wanted to smack that family member silly. whether it is or it isn’t, it didn’t sound like a compliment, ya know? but trends are funny. they’re always coming back around: NEW TRADITIONAL, right? peace to you right where you are.
I love trends in small doses! I agree with tried and true and I look to the pioneers of design and what was hot then and still is today is simply classic! You design a classic interior Tina! Love it!
So fascinating to see your process in a visual way. That’s the way I learn best!
I am with you in the neutral department?I have done best when my base pieces are neutral and that gives me room to play with accessories. I have to admit that when the color gray hit?it did pull me more towards the greige colors. My color palette has also softened a bit with age. Not sure if that is normal or if that is just me seeking more calm in my life and addressing it in my interiors. So, I’m a bit of a traditionalist with touches of trend. 🙂
Love your style?.it is stunning and timeless! Learning so much from you!
Have a great week!
xoxo Elizabeth
What an incredible process, Tina. I know how long it takes to finally know what you love and be steadfast in your convictions about what is right and what works. The hardest part of what you do is telling someone they need to omit an item or items in the going-forward scheme of things. I know because Ned Scott never got rid of anything, even newspapers, and it nearly drove me crazy, in spite of how much I adored him. I love this post, read every single word and looked at every item presented. Love it !!! (Please forgive my tardiness, I’m quite overwhelmed at the moment with the trials of life).
What an insightful and interesting post, Tina. Just love seeing how you create your own design. We are such fans of neutrals – so easy to add color with great pillows and accessories and easy to change when you tire of them. The same with trends – love adding something fresh and whimsical in a room, but the tone is definitely traditional – great design, my friend!
How fun to see your process shown so clearly – you make it look so easy, Tina! And the joy you have in the selection process is evident. 🙂
I don’t follow trends in the least but then again, I am not a professional, just someone interested in the “how” of wonderful homes work.
Tina…I love seeing your “process” of design, although I must say the element that is the most important, which you have in abundance, is good taste! THAT is always in style. Hope you are having a fabulous week! xoxo
Love everything you picked out here! Those blue and white jars are always perfect to use in decorating!
Thanks for your advice! I have appreciated that since the beginning of your blog. I remember (and still do it) reading the captions you wrote for interior design pictures–and loving what you had to say about each one. For someone like me who loves the visual and wants to learn, you are perfect! Thanks for being just who you are, Tina!
Linda