Just for Fun: Are you at home in a rustic home or do you prefer sleek elegance or something in between?

[creekland]

All I know is when we watch House Hunters (generally International, Caribbean Life, Beachfront Bargain, Island, or Hawaii - rarely "regular" House Hunters), both hubby and I are amazed at how much the couples critique the inside of the places.  We care about the location and view.  (IRL price would be a factor too, but on TV we ignore that one.)  We can live with whatever is inside the house (allowing for enough bedrooms - preferably two in our empty nesting years).  We're amazed when people walk through talking about all they would have to change/remodel.  Why?  I guess we haven't changed since we bought this place.

 

(And yes, we're aware of how staged those shows are.  We just like to look and ponder where we want to live when we grow up.   :lol: )

[whitestavern]

Primitive -- does that count as rustic? Our house is 275 years old and mostly original/authentic inside. Dh and I spent our honeymoon traveling New England buying antiques and furniture. Both our parents owned old homes so we also have some hand me downs. I love old houses and furniture. It's cozy to me. It is a bit more cluttered than I'd like though. One of these days I'll go through and get rid of some dustables, lol.

[elegantlion]

My last house was eclectic cottage with a traditional touch. This house is still finding itself. It's an 1889 neo-colonial architecture that has had some bad cosmetic updates. Plus my mom gets most of the house to decorate and she has a lot of big oak furniture, heavy traditional. My rooms are sort of modern rustic and vintage library.  My living room has a 1950s green leather chair with a modern grey loveseat, Billy bookcases (once I buy a few more) and some vintage pieces that would qualify as rustic. My bedroom has a wrought iron bed with an IKEA desk and KALLAX shelving. 

 

A lot of the house is decorated in contemporary moving decor, Lowes boxes sitting everywhere. 

[BlsdMama]

Functional usefulness?  Mid-remodeling?  Are those styles? ;)

[Bluegoat]

I guess I like lots of decorating styles in other people's homes, but some wouldn't do for me.  I can look at a beautiful 20th century minimalist space and think it's great but I don't have the right kind of habits to live in it.

 

I also tend to think a lot depends on the house - it usually doesn't work to try and decorate a house in a way contrary to its nature.  If I lived in a log cabin in the woods, I would be good with rustic. 

 

But apart from those things - I probably tend to go for English style decorating - somewhat eclectic, comfortable, even kind of worn.  When I pine for something in a home it's often high ceilings and big plaster moldings, that sort of thing.  As it happens, I live in a modest mid-century house, so I can't manage quite that scale, but my decorating tends to run to an English cottage with some bright mid-century colours and features, and a cottage garden.

 

Practically speaking money is a little tight for decorating and I've still small kids, so my choices are often very economical and hand me downs.  Luckily they work well with my preferred style.

 

ETA:

 

I suppose something like  Bloomsbury style is really what works for me if I could do whatever I wanted.  It isn't necessarily expensive, I just need more time to make it happen.

Edited October 10, 2016 by Bluegoat

[Dmmetler]

I'd love to throw everything out and start over. We basically have grad school cheap mixed with early career cheap mixed with a few good pieces mixed with post-child "things are going to get messed up anyway". The last several pieces of furniture we've purchased were either bookshelves or lego storage.

 

If we end up making the cross-country move this summer that we're contemplating, I would love to just get rid of/sell most of our furniture here. Doubt we'd do it, though-I think it would cost more to replace than to move what we have.

 

[EMS83]

More toward the rustic end.  I just like exposed wood; it can be fancy or not.  Just definitely not metal and glass.  Not my style.  And anything that doesn't look too bad when cluttered is a plus.  ;)  Rustic goes better with mess than sleek elegance.