House Style
September 9, 2009 8:35 AM Subscribe
What style do we like for house accessories and furnishings? And what styles are there, for that matter?
In selecting accesories and furnishings for our 50-year-old cape house, we’ve found ourselves needing to select small-scale accessories (like towel bars for the bathrooms, doorknobs for the downstairs rooms, and the like) and large scale (kitchen tables, couches, kitchen cabinets). Problem is, we don’t have an overarching “vision” of what our house will look like or what style will predominate, so we often end up selecting items that are pretty generic so that the items don’t clash with a style established later on down the line sometime. I’m worried that this is going to leave us with a bland, boring house decor. My idea for how to remedy this is to select a few styles that we really like, which will not only guide us in choices large and small, but will also enable us to select items that are more distinctive, without the fear that they will clash.
So, what styles are there out there? Ideally, I’d love to find some kind of illustrated resource that displays many current house furnishing styles with sample couches, tables, bathroom fixtures, lighting, and so on. (I’ve done a lot of catalog browsing, but it hasn’t yielded a cohesive enough picture for me. I really want something that lays it out in clear terms.) Google inquiries for “house styles,” reasonably but unhelpfully, return results for style guides for editors.
In selecting accesories and furnishings for our 50-year-old cape house, we’ve found ourselves needing to select small-scale accessories (like towel bars for the bathrooms, doorknobs for the downstairs rooms, and the like) and large scale (kitchen tables, couches, kitchen cabinets). Problem is, we don’t have an overarching “vision” of what our house will look like or what style will predominate, so we often end up selecting items that are pretty generic so that the items don’t clash with a style established later on down the line sometime. I’m worried that this is going to leave us with a bland, boring house decor. My idea for how to remedy this is to select a few styles that we really like, which will not only guide us in choices large and small, but will also enable us to select items that are more distinctive, without the fear that they will clash.
So, what styles are there out there? Ideally, I’d love to find some kind of illustrated resource that displays many current house furnishing styles with sample couches, tables, bathroom fixtures, lighting, and so on. (I’ve done a lot of catalog browsing, but it hasn’t yielded a cohesive enough picture for me. I really want something that lays it out in clear terms.) Google inquiries for “house styles,” reasonably but unhelpfully, return results for style guides for editors.
Try searching for "interior decorating styles" instead. Typing that into google got me this, for example, which isn't exactly what you're looking for, but is closer.
posted by EvaDestruction at 9:08 AM on September 9, 2009
posted by EvaDestruction at 9:08 AM on September 9, 2009
Here's a guide on decorating styles from Better Homes and Gardens.
Here's a list of various furniture styles.
You might want to start looking at some of these styles and search for specific terms to see how they play out in an actual room. With the pieces you have, you may find they could blend into a defined style or become part of a room done in an eclectic style.
Personally, I love Mission style homes and furnishings. However, you might want to consider other options for your cape.
posted by onhazier at 9:08 AM on September 9, 2009 [1 favorite]
Here's a list of various furniture styles.
You might want to start looking at some of these styles and search for specific terms to see how they play out in an actual room. With the pieces you have, you may find they could blend into a defined style or become part of a room done in an eclectic style.
Personally, I love Mission style homes and furnishings. However, you might want to consider other options for your cape.
posted by onhazier at 9:08 AM on September 9, 2009 [1 favorite]
NB: dersins link is FUN!
posted by EvaDestruction at 9:14 AM on September 9, 2009
posted by EvaDestruction at 9:14 AM on September 9, 2009
Also fun, using the possessive: dersins's link is FUN!
posted by EvaDestruction at 9:33 AM on September 9, 2009
posted by EvaDestruction at 9:33 AM on September 9, 2009
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It shows you a series of pictures of rooms and you rate them; at the end it tells you what styles you appear to like most. I think you're somehow supposed to buy stuff from them after you take the quiz, but we certainly didn't do that.
I think it's pretty accurate, since it told me that I'm 100% "Vintage Modern," and I pretty much am.
posted by dersins at 9:05 AM on September 9, 2009 [11 favorites]