How I Found My Style Sundays- The Comforts Of Home

Hi Everyone!  I am Penny and I blog from The Comforts of Home.  

I am honored that Pamela asked me to be a part of her series, "How I Found My Style".   I have enjoyed her series since the beginning.  It is fun to see so many design styles and hear how they came about.  Throughout this post, I will sprinkle some pictures of my home, so you can see my style.

I have flirted with several different decorating styles over the years.  I tried Shabby Chic, Farmhouse, Country, Coastal...you name it.  But none of them felt like me.  Then several years ago I picked up a couple of yearly magazines.  One was Country French and the other was Tuscan Style.  They come out once a year.  There was something about those two styles that just pulled me in.

Over the last 6-7 years, if you go back through my blog, you will see how my style evolved.  Since starting blogging, I have moved into 3 different homes.  Each time I moved, I tweaked my style a little more.  I like to call my style Old World Meets American Traditional.  A little Tuscan, a little Country French and a little American traditional all rolled into one.

Mixing old pieces with new.  Mixing fabric patterns.  No instant rooms....never buying complete rooms of furniture, but building layer upon layer of warmth as time goes by.  That is my style.

It is not just a decorating style either, but a total lifestyle.  I was fortunate to be able to visit both Italy and France over the last few years.  I love the way Europeans live.  They shop for their food at local markets, cooking in season.  The enjoy living outside, as well as inside.  That is how we live too.  At my last home we created a wonderful outdoor living space in our back yard, that reminded us of Italy and France.  This is what it looked like.


We are in the process of creating similar outside area, on a much smaller scale at our current home.  Here is the progress so far.
  
I know, it doesn't look like much yet, but if you follow my blog through Bloglovin, you will be able to watch the whole thing come together over the next few months.

One of my most treasured finds is an old mustard color, French confit pot.  I found it last year, at an antique mall in Blowing Rock, NC, while visiting there on my anniversary.  I had wanted one of these for a long time.  I already had the other two pots.  The taller one is an olive jar and the smaller green one is a confit pot too.

Another couple other treasured finds are this oil painting and the bust in the picture below.  We bought these while in France a few years ago.

And I have to also add the water color below.  We bought it in Tuscany.  Every time I look at these wonderful treasures, it brings me back to Tuscany and Provence.

Pamela asked me to pass along any tips I have for creating a beautiful home.  Here is my tip.

Buy what you love.  Even if it is not in "style".   Who gets to say what style is in and what it out, anyway?  Trends come and go, and I don't know anyone who can afford to change their entire house full of furniture and decorations every year or so.  If you love it, it will work in your home.

My favorite decorating quote is by William Morris...
   "If you want a golden rule that will fit everybody, this is it: Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."

Thank you again Pamela for inviting me to be part of this wonderful series.  And thank all of Pamela's viewers for letting me come into their homes.  I would love it if you would stop by and said Hi!

Penny has always been on of my favorite bloggers. I have loved watching her and her husband transform their houses into beautiful homes. Thank you Penny for stopping by today and spending time with us!

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Write by: AN - Sunday, June 23, 2013