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How I found my style

Updated on January 31, 2011
An ECLECTIC Room
An ECLECTIC Room

How I got started decorating my home

I am not a professional decorator but I consider myself to be a decorator in training. I like the challenges of taking a space from nothing and making it into something beautiful. Having a vision of what you want and finding all the elements to put that space together as well as watching it unfold before your eyes into a beautiful creation is an exhilarating feeling. When I finish a space I get such a feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment and I take great pride in displaying my work, any project I tackle I like to have at least a WOW factor in it.

Discovering my taste and style was a challenge because this was new and uncharted territory for me, I first had to learn to put my thoughts together, this was hard because I liked so many things, my thought's were all over the place, my mind was on automatic jumping from one idea to the next and not choosing to stick to a particular plan. At the beginning of a new project I am filled with excitement and anticipation of starting something new but apprehensive at the same time because I am doubtful or unclear as to how to start, what to do, and how to make it work.

Learning everything you can before you start:

I did not just got up one day and all of a sudden I had a burst of revelation on decorating, I wish that was the case because it would have spared me many of blunders. Before I ever attempted to do any project I had watched a lot of home improvement shows dealing with all types of interior and exterior problems and it was through these shows that I was able to learn some good foundational principles into planning, organizing and completing a project. These shows Have a listing of all projects they have done and a complete guide of step by step instruction on how to accomplish the same projects,that was shown on a particular episode. The crew they use are reputable, licenses, experienced professionals in all area of the field of Decorating/Design & Home Improvement; the Design team is awesome.

There is a wealth of information to be learned by watching these shows also you are kept up on all the current fads or trends in the area of building and design material being used today, you get to see the latest look in kitchen, bathroom, living room and bedroom designs. I am hooked on these shows because they are a source of inspiration for me, these shows teaches how to take your existing things and rework them into something new and fantastic looking. They can take a room and transform it effortlessly and it would be terrific. The education was priceless because I learned a lot, it was because of these shows that I began to be aware of my likes and dislikes and it began to mold my thoughts and perception on beauty. Constant viewing of these shows awoke something in me to believe that I too could do what they are showing and teaching and I got the nerve and the boldness to take the plunge into the world of home improvements and decorating, with that I began to experiment in my home. Before one can start doing home improvement one must become familiar with the name of tools and the use of these tools that will be required to get the job done if you are not already familiar with such tools. There are your basic tools that can get you through some simple projects such as a screwdriver, hammer, a saw, and nails, depending on the type job you are doing there will be a need for more and specific heavier tools.

When I started there were a lot more misses than hits because this was my first time of actual hands on. I was trying to do what the professionals were doing and to come out with the same desire effect as them which is making my space turn out great looking as they do, I found out fast that this was not so easy or effortless as they portrayed but I guess I forgot they were professionals. There were so many things in my home that needed immediate attention, my home as they say was a mess, it was torn up from the floor up, you see I had bought a fixer upper home as my first home and although it had strong bones it needed work, lots of work. I was overwhelmed at the amount of work my home required and all the projects became daunting to me but I decided to take it one step at a time, of course I had no choice but to proceed slowly because the funds was not exactly available or rolling in, but I did not let that deterred me.

My First Project:

I decided to start by doing a living room make over. To proceed with any project you must have a plan this will guide you and keep you focus, then you must be organize by getting all your materials together before you begin.

My motivation was in high gear so I tackled what I thought I could accomplish fast and inexpensively so I chose to paint first. Painting seems easy but it is hard work, like anything else planning is the Key. First you start with your selection of color:

The color I chose was green, now the problem was choosing the right shade of green to accomplish the look I was going for. Paint became my nemesis because I could not find the right shade I was looking for although I looked through a multitude of paint swatches. If this is a problem I recommend that you buy several different shades of green that you think might work and apply them to the wall in a small area to get a better perception and aide in a decision that you can live with. Tester paint comes in a very small container and they are available at your local home improvement stores such as Home Depot and Loews in the paint section of the store.

To prepare me for painting and to assure that I would do a good job of painting I took a free painting class at Home Depot to brush up on my skills, they have these "How to do classes" on Saturday's where they give you lessons on various home improvement projects. The class prepares you by giving you instructions on the various tools you will need to complete your paint job. They go into instruction on the different types of paint brush and their uses, the different effect of using brush verses a roller, and the art of painting using different techniques to achieve a good paint job.

Making your space your own

Decoration and Design are a lot of work but it provoke creativity, something I never thought I had and it is a lot of fun. Once you take the plunge and begin to decorate you will learn to put your own spin on things to fit your personality because it is all about what makes you happy and comfortable, after all the space is yours. if you live with others then you also want to make them apart of this experience and you do this by incorporating some of their personality into the space, in that way they are comfortable and happy. Your home should reflect who you are so I will suggest that you start by incorporating all the things you like and when you have them all together you will discover what you really want to stay in the space and through the process of elimination you will see what works for you as your taste begins to develop into a certain style. This is what worked for me and I discovered that I am an Eclectic type of gal and I love it.

What is Eclectic Design or Style?

The dictionary describe "Eclectic" as being a design style featuring a mix of styles, periods and patterns creating a very unique and individualistic look to a room. In my country we would refer to Eclectic as being a "Mix Up-Mix Up" of things e.g of a comment from a fellow Jamaican would be "your mix-up-mix-up look nice."

Knowing your style simplify things a bit: Now you can concentrate on your space and attack it from a design concept. In decorating and design you have to pay careful attention to the space and it will kind of guide you into the type of look you want to showcase; I wanted a calm relaxing environment with a simple sophisticated elegance using a variety of objects from different period and culture. If you do not know quite the look you want then look for a source of inspiration to jump start your design; somethings I do to look for inspiration is to to browse through decorating magazines, look at other people's home and decor, Visit model homes,I brows through furniture stores and look at how they showcase their rooms, I frequent Loews and Home Depot a lot, and of course I watch TV shows on decorating and design.

A eclectic aesthetic space is very beautiful and pleasing to the eyes when it's tastefully done.The thing I like about this style is that it has no specific rules, you can put together mismatched furniture, new and old, using color, texture and pattern and it will totally pull the room together, it will work. Don't think that you can just throw things any where you feel like and achieve a specific result because it will not happen, to achieve a specific result you have to place things correctly to bring balance to the room or else you can end up with a hodgepodge of a room. I like the unexpected look not things predictable, I like using contrast through colors and fabric than having everything matching, I like balance more than symmetry by strategically placing different sizes and shape at various height level you can achieve balance and beauty, this makes for a more interesting composition of the room.To me a eclectic room is sophisticated, calming and simple elegant, it is people friendly, it is some where you can relax and not be afraid of messing up the furniture.

Shopping for fines on a Budget:

Whether or not I have a project to do I am constantly looking for deals, I love to find things I love at very little cost, it's exciting to know that I got something beautiful and unique for little and nothing. You can have champagne taste and still operate on a beer budget it all depends on where you shop, shopping at places such as Thrift stores, Consignment or Resale stores, Garage & Estate sales, Flee Markets, Salvation Army or any stores that is having a great sale on home furniture and accessories will usually give you a bang for your buck.

Mostly everywhere I go I am coming home with something because I love to shop for my home and I shop in reserve. I buy things over a period of time whether I need it or not at the moment and put it up for later use; I buy new, old and used stuff, anything I see and love, things that make me happy and put a smile on my face at first glance, anything that I can imagine looking good in my home I'll buy because I know I will always find a spot in my home to use them.

Shopping is very addictive in general but even more so when you are on a hunt to find special fines, these places I mentioned above is like a second home for me and the people in the stores are very familiar with me. Sometimes it get to a point where I have to have a stern conversation with myself because It was getting out of control there for a while, I would have to say to myself enough is enough, stop buying what you want and only what you need because I have more than enough stuff to use and reuse several times over.

A Completed Project:

When your project is completed and you see that you were able to execute your plan from start to finish and accomplish your desired result, it will leave you with a feeling of accomplishment and pride. With this experience under your belt you now have the confidence and ability to continue onto another projects and with each project you complete decorating & design will become a part of you. Decorating & Design might start off as a hobby but there are a great demand for such professionals, this might be a avenue into becoming an Entrepreneur.




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