whats your style?

**greekislandgirl** · 01-13-2012, 01:44 PM

Originally Posted by jas

The style I love is cottage, but that is not what my house is. If I could do everything all at one time it would be that white cottagey style with pops of color. I would love a white kitchen with marble counter tops, a few glass doored upper cabnets, you get the picture.

What my house really is is mostly garage and thrift store finds. Which I either paint or do a little clean up to. I always intend to paint white my darker wood finds but dh has a fit and says you can't cover that up with paint!!!!!

I know exactly what you mean! We inherited our dining table and chairs from my in-laws and when I expressed my intention to paint the wood white, the in-laws and DH were shocked! This was after I had made absolutely certain that they NEVER wanted them returned to them, they were OURS.

Now they all agree it looks much better white. I didn't paint the table top, just the chairs and the table legs. This is what it looks like now: (sorry if the photo is HUGE...)

**jas** · 01-13-2012, 02:47 PM

I love how it turned out! It looks great with the table in the wood and the chair painted.

**greekislandgirl** · 01-13-2012, 02:52 PM

Thanks, jas! I'm really happy with it. I painted them on our little apartment balcony and I had to do three coats because the wood was in such poor condition (the table top remarkably is in almost perfect condition but the chairs and the table legs were a mess!) - and now they look much "healthier", not to mention that they match our decor.

I also painted our bed and a bookcase, both also hand-me-downs from the in laws. Those I painted charcoal gray, and they turned out great too. When I found a little telephone table cheap that wasn't the right color, I bought it and painted it with the leftover charcoal paint. Now everything matches! Paint is such a lovely thing

**Darlene** · 01-13-2012, 04:08 PM

My style is "making do". When we finally do move from this temporary home it's whatever I find at yard sales and craigslist. If I had my pick I like casual cottage beach style with lots of natural elements.

**jas** · 01-13-2012, 04:33 PM

Sometimes I look at my house and think that it is just other peoples cast offs, but then I think about it some more and that is really what I like the best anyway. Things that are different and have a lived in look and feel and if something happens to them, like we all know can in an instant, I would just start all over with new "found" treasures. Sure I like to have a few new things every now and again but in the end I am content with my style.

**jas** · 01-13-2012, 04:36 PM

Originally Posted by greekislandgirl

Thanks, jas! I'm really happy with it. I painted them on our little apartment balcony and I had to do three coats because the wood was in such poor condition (the table top remarkably is in almost perfect condition but the chairs and the table legs were a mess!) - and now they look much "healthier", not to mention that they match our decor.

I also painted our bed and a bookcase, both also hand-me-downs from the in laws. Those I painted charcoal gray, and they turned out great too. When I found a little telephone table cheap that wasn't the right color, I bought it and painted it with the leftover charcoal paint. Now everything matches! Paint is such a lovely thing

Would love to see any pictures if you have them! Someone here a little bit ago posted a link to a site "Better After" I just love it! Seeing what people do with found items!

**MomToTwoBoys** · 01-13-2012, 05:39 PM

I don't really have a style, I guess. It's like that for my image too.

If I could pinpoint something that's a style, I would say functional and comfortable and liveable. I'm trying to be more of a minimalist, but with two kids and a husband, that's really tough on such a small budget with people who like having one thing for everything that they do.

**JustMegan79** · 01-13-2012, 06:05 PM

Originally Posted by greekislandgirl

I know exactly what you mean! We inherited our dining table and chairs from my in-laws and when I expressed my intention to paint the wood white, the in-laws and DH were shocked! This was after I had made absolutely certain that they NEVER wanted them returned to them, they were OURS.

Now they all agree it looks much better white. I didn't paint the table top, just the chairs and the table legs. This is what it looks like now: (sorry if the photo is HUGE...)

GIG, in the background of your photo, is that a Star design on your balcony?? If so, awesome!!

**greekislandgirl** · 01-13-2012, 06:54 PM

JustMegan, it's a star, but it's not part of the balcony railing - it's a Christmas decoration star light

Which, now that I think of it, is still out there... have to take that down!

Jas, I have a photo of the bed made so you can't really see much but you can see the foot of the bed, I did the whole thing the same color. I didn't think to take a photo of it BEFORE. Well, imagine it a tired looking cream color with black "accents" on some of the sides. It was my in-laws' bed in the late 70s until around 2000 or so. (And yes, for those counting, there is only one piece of furniture in the entire bedroom LOL).

I haven't taken a picture of the bookcase but it's the same paint. The landlord asked me what color I wanted the walls painted when we moved in, and I picked that soft gray and based the whole color scheme around that, thus the white and charcoal and silver everywhere (purple is my accent color).

**oneblueonebrown** · 01-22-2012, 09:35 AM

We just moved into our first home a month ago, so I am still in the (slow) process of decorating. I would definitely describe my style as comfortable eclectic with some retro/vintage thrown in. We live in a 50's ranch with an original pink bathroom and a 70's harvest gold kitchen....

Also, everything must be baby and dog proof. Not such an easy task.

I am big on thrift store and craigslist finds. I usually will paint or repurpose the items to make them "work" for us. I would love to see more pics of peoples homes. I love seeing others ideas and styles. I will try to post some pics too.

**oneblueonebrown** · 01-22-2012, 09:37 AM

Awesome transformation, it looks great! My DH is sometimes hesitant to paint things too, but usually comes around in the end.

Originally Posted by greekislandgirl

I know exactly what you mean! We inherited our dining table and chairs from my in-laws and when I expressed my intention to paint the wood white, the in-laws and DH were shocked! This was after I had made absolutely certain that they NEVER wanted them returned to them, they were OURS.

Now they all agree it looks much better white. I didn't paint the table top, just the chairs and the table legs. This is what it looks like now: (sorry if the photo is HUGE...)

**oneblueonebrown** · 01-22-2012, 09:39 AM

Everything looks very warm and inviting! I love that you repurposed the buffet/sideboard into a tv entertainment center. I have almost the exact piece of furniture, I may copy your idea!

Originally Posted by jas

The style I love is cottage, but that is not what my house is. If I could do everything all at one time it would be that white cottagey style with pops of color. I would love a white kitchen with marble counter tops, a few glass doored upper cabnets, you get the picture.

What my house really is is mostly garage and thrift store finds. Which I either paint or do a little clean up to. I always intend to paint white my darker wood finds but dh has a fit and says you can't cover that up with paint!!!!!

We did just redo our kitchen about a year and a half ago I would have loved to pick out white painted cabnets but the ones we could afford didn't have the right look. They looked cheap, even though they really were not that cheap. So we went with kind of a cherry color with a glaze over them. I do love my kitchen but I would have loved, loved, loved it more if I could have gone the other way.

A few things have changed since these pictures were taken. I have new curtains in the living room, I found a hutch for the buffet in the dining room and I just yesterday painted the top of the table in a diamond pattern.

**FrabjousDay** · 01-22-2012, 09:39 AM

Originally Posted by oneblueonebrown

live in a 50's ranch with an original pink bathroom and a 70's harvest gold kitchen.... :hmmm

You might like to check out retrorenovation.com. Great resource for those of us with older homes, especially if you are not part of the "gut it and start over" camp.

**lelap** · 05-18-2012, 05:30 AM

At the moment my style is "desperate". We are trying to update a house built in the 60's before we move our furniture in--a collection of grandparents and parents sentimental pieces which absolutely were made for a much larger place-and my MIL's things are going out, since she moved in with my SIL. We are trying to update and re purpose some piece we got for free. I guess for a while it will be rooms with stuff in them as some one else mentioned, but I am going for a 50's kitchen with red and yellow vinyl on the floor and white cabinets with aqua and red accents. Our big find is a discarded cabinet which was a long breakfast bar that sits exactly at wheelchair height that we are going to turn into an island. Paint, a new laminate counter top and locking casters will allow me access to food prep and if all goes as planned--a new lowered sink and cook top will follow as we can save for them.
The hardest part of all of this is knowing what to keep, what to donate and what to save in the event that we move again (I doubt it).
I love the elegance of French Country but we are really relaxed and don't entertain much so Practical might be our style. Now if only I can convince my DH to corral his OCD piles of papers into one of the bedrooms leaving the living room less cluttered!