How I Found My Style Sundays- The Endearing Home

Hi everyone, I'm Lauren and I blog over at The Endearing Home. I am truly honored to be invited over to Pamela's front porch today and be included in her wonderful blog series, "How I Found My Style Sunday". Our home still has a long way to go and I have only been blogging for less than a year, so I am a little nervous, but super excited to answer a few questions and share a bit of our home with you!


 My decorating style is? The answer to almost every decorating quiz I have ever taken is french country and I would have to agree, it is my favorite style. There are many other styles that I love too, like traditional, modern cottage, coastal and southern and I'm working on adding a little of each throughout our home.
 How did you "find" your decorating style? Home decorating is truly a passion for me and nothing makes me happier than creating a cozy and comfortable home for our family and friends. But, it wasn't until we moved into our current home that I can honestly say I am finally finding my style and decorating from my heart. With each of our previous homes we knew they were not going to be our forever home. My style was more a reflection of our stage in life, being newly married and raising our babies and fitting in with the style of the homes in the neighborhood for resale. I definitely played it safe when it came to decorating and home diy projects. With each home we've lived in, it has really helped me find my style. I learned my comfort level when it comes to decorating. Each home and location has it's own unique style and it gave me the opportunity to learn what I like and don't. One thing I discovered was I just don't know what to do with a room with high ceilings and I really don't need a big kitchen. Maybe it comes from growing up in a small ranch house with one bathroom, but I prefer cozy to grand. It may have taken me a while to find my style, but I am finally ready to take some chances and be a little more adventurous with my decorating and make this home a true reflection of our family. If you are still trying to find your style, I have to say Pinterest has been a huge help for me to figure this out. I set up boards for each room and I made a rule for myself to only pin pictures that I absolutely love. Over time, I figured something out, my style is pretty consistent. I do love french country, toile, buffalo check, mixing patterns, wood floors, brick walls and wood beam ceilings. Now our home will never look like those Pinterest pictures and I may never have wood beam ceilings, but I look at things we can do and over time plan to add a few of these ideas that will work in our home and with our budget.      
 What has been your most treasured "find" for your home? If I had to choose one "find" that I treasure most I would have to say it is a painting. Last year during our summer getaway to Isle of Palm in South Carolina we stopped by a great little art shop in Mt. Pleasant. It was there that we found this pretty painting that my family picked out together. This egret is a reminder of one of our best family vacations together so far and to one of our absolute favorite places. Each evening we would sit on the back porch of our cottage with a front row seat to nature's beauty. One by one the egrets would fill the trees alongside the lagoon, it was truly amazing to watch. Every time I walk by this painting in our family room it is a reminder of the family time we shared during our wonderful beach vacation.
 What tips to you have for creating a beautiful home? I am by no means an expert and our home is a constant work in progress, but here are a few ideas and tips I've learned over the years and use in our home: 1. Having lots of baskets and trays around the house helps me maintain my sanity by keeping things tidy, neat and organized. I love accessories that are multipurpose, practical and pretty! 2. I try to limit the amount of accessories around the house. I have a hard time balancing making our home feel cozy and comfortable without feeling cluttered. I try to only use things that I absolutely love and/or have special meaning. Don't feel like you have to use everything all at once and fill every wall. 3. When it comes to decorating I love mixing design styles, using textures and incorporating elements from nature. In our home you will see lots of burlap, linen, straw baskets, cozy throws, pine cones, birds, nests and gold and silver for a touch of sparkle. 4. I try to keep things neutral with the wall and furniture and play with color with pillows and other decorative items that are easy and inexpensive to change. This is also a fun way to experiment with trends. 5. Move things around and shop the house, this is great way to keep things feeling new and fresh without spending any money. If you follow along on my blog you will see I do this A LOT! I recently took the books out of our curio and turned it into a bar. I love to experiment by moving furniture and decor from room to room and using things we have in a new way. 6. I spend a lot of time on blogs and Pinterest and often find myself feeling like our home doesn't measure up to others. So, when I find a home I seriously swoon over, but it is way out of my decorating league, I study the space and think about what I love most about the room and how I can add a few of the ideas to our home and with our budget. It may take some patience and shopping around, but I truly believe you can always get that high end look for less.! 7. Finally, and it took me several moves and years to figure this out, but whether your in a temporary home or one that you plan to live in for years, make it your own! Don't worry about decorating styles, trends and rules, it's your home and you work hard for it, so enjoy it! If you love a style and it reflects you and your family, then go for it. If your planning to sell or renting then you may want to do things that are temporary and on a smaller scale. If your home brings you joy when you walk in the door and you think it's beautiful, then at the end of the day that's all that matters!            

I want to thank you all so much for letting me come by and visit today, it has been tons of fun! Once my kiddos are back in school I have some big and small projects planned for the house which I can't wait to share! Have a wonderful day and hope you will stop by blog and say hello!

I think we all can agree that Lauren has a gorgeous home! Thanx so much Lauren for stopping by today and opening your home to us and sharing your tips on how to create a beautiful home of our own.