How I Found My Style Sundays- Peeking Thru The Sunflowers

Hi I am  Des from the blog Peeking Thru The Sunflowers. I am so excited and honored that Pamela invited me to share with all of you today!

I have always had a love for interior design and old houses…even as a child!  So, I feel very fortunate to be able to live in an old house built in 1870 and be able to decorate it any way I want until my little heart is content.

Most people are surprised to learn I really like color even though the color scheme in my house is mostly greys and whites. For many years I decorated with bold colors and was constantly changing things because I got tired of the colors very quickly. I still change things around frequently but with a neutral palate it is usually only accessories now. I  guess I would describe my style as French  with some cottage and rustic touches thrown in and a little elegance sprinkled around to top it off. 

My style has really evolved over the years….when we first got married we couldn’t afford much so I furnished our home with garage sale finds. Then one day we went to an estate sale just out of curiosity and down in the basement was an old treadle sewing machine made out of cherry wood. We hauled it up the stairs and took it home and refinished it and that was when I became really smitten with antiques. I loved that the pieces were previously loved and had a story! I really found my true love though when I wandered into a store about fifteen years ago that sold imported European antiques. The dark oak finish made my heart skip a beat and I loved the mellow glow the pieces had from being waxed. No one else had anything like those pieces and I was instantly hooked!

I really love old books…..but not just any old books! Since we live in an old schoolhouse I collect old school books. It is so much fun to see all the little scribbles inside them.

White ironstone is another thing I collect, I have it displayed in pretty much every room of the house. Platters seem to be my weakness……I think I have something like over fifty now?!?!?!

I have lots of treasures in my home that mean a lot to me for different reasons. One of those treasures is this armoire I found on Craig’s List. It is made out of teak wood and was originally stained before I painted it grey. Also, the old rocking horse on top of the armoire is special to me too……it was a find at a New Year’s Day auction about twenty years ago.

My best decorating tip is to always buy what you love and you can’t  go wrong. I also like to incorporate new pieces and antiques together so that a room looks like it has evolved over time and is not too contrived. I also use things with texture such as baskets and architectural elements with chippy paint.

Paint is also a great tool and can change the entire look of a room or piece of furniture for very little money. This bench in our master bedroom is a good example of this. When the bench arrived the finish was nothing like what it looked like on the website.  With a couple coats of paint and a little time I was able to achieve a completely different look for only a few dollars.

When I was a child my mother insisted I take home economics because every good housewife needs to be able to cook and sew for her husband….she was a little old school.  Ironically enough my mother liked to do neither one of those things and while cooking has never really appealed to me I do like to sew. I took sewing all thru high school and made lots of really tacky clothes that I wouldn’t dream of wearing out in public. However that skill has really paid off because I make a lot of window treatments,slipcovers, and pillows for our home now. Thanks Mom!

Thank you so much Pamela for having me!

I hope you will stop by my blog and say hello.

Have a Happy Sunday!

Thank you so much Des for sharing your beautiful home with us. You have been such an inspiration for me and the reason I redid our dining room table. I just love stopping by and seeing what you are up to next.