How crafty are you/home decorating

[DawnM]

I am trying to get a better feel for my own style.  I have kind of always just done what I know.....but in this next house I want to decorate a little better.  I am looking at things like wood pallet make over stuff and thinking how cool some of the things look and then thinking that I am not all that crafty, so I am not sure it would actually DO the things I am seeing.  

You?  Pictures of things you have done a plus!

[regentrude]

I am a minimalist. I have the furniture that I need, enough bookshelves, storage, and seating, and do not wish to craft decorative items. No clutter, no cutesy stuff. I like white walls, wooden furniture, clean lines. I have a few pieces of art on the wall that are either made by artist friends, picked up during travels, or are historic and from my home country.

Edited April 19, 2019 by regentrude

[Liz CA]

I too probably fall into the minimalist category. I will soon have to pick out paint colors ( I like some color on the walls) and I am thinking "go with what you know." We had a certain color at a previous house that should work in this next house as well and I know I liked it. I am not very adventurous but welcome advice.  🙂

Edited April 19, 2019 by Liz CA

[DawnM]

2 minutes ago, Liz CA said:

I too probably fall into the minimalist category. I will soon have to pick out paint colors and I am thinking "go with what you know." We had a certain color at a previous house that should work in this next house as well and I know I liked it. I am not very adventurous but welcome advice.  🙂

 

We did the same thing!  Our CA house was painted a certain color of tan (interior) and so we just bought the same color when we moved here and painted the interior here.  

I want to go with something else next time.  I think I am moving from tans and greens (I have a sage color in my sunroom) to greys and blues (light slate blue type) . 

Edited April 19, 2019 by DawnM

[Liz CA]

I am not even sure if I want the whole place the same color (easy and relatively fast) or if some rooms should be a different color. Will have to see what it looks like during various times of the day,

[DawnM]

Just now, Liz CA said:

I am not even sure if I want the whole place the same color (easy and relatively fast) or if some rooms should be a different color. Will have to see what it looks like during various times of the day,

 

I am allowing the kids to pick the colors they want on the walls.  This is new for us!  We have always been in the "we may need to sell this house at any time, so neutral only" category.

[PrincessMommy]

I'm not creative at all.  I wish I had a style too, but I don't.  I do like pinterest for inspiration.  It does help. 

[solascriptura]

Well according to my 8 year old, "No offense mom, you're really bad at decorating."  Lol.   

[Mbelle]

I love to decorate! I pour over magazines and pinterest.  I look at photos in different layers.  One way I look is at room layout only, colors only, style only (modern, transition, traditional etc.).  Then I might look at details such as flooring, rugs, pillows, and window treatments.  Then I can zoom in on few details such as styling the mantle, wall or stair gallery, coffee table decor etc...  The only thing I'm missing is a big ole budget to help me do just what I want!  I am considering making a behind the couch consol table.  It can't be seen, so if it's not perfect then it won't matter too much .  I'm also considering a furniture consignment store for the console.  A few years ago I inherited (because no one wanted it) and old round dining table and 6 chairs from a great uncle.  It was pretty bad, but I painted the table and chairs white and bought fabric and redid the seats. 

[PrincessMommy]

I was thinking about this and why I'm not good at decorating. I don't think outside the box very well and I'm pretty pragmatic.  I am always in awe of people who can look at a piece of junk and turn it into something beautiful and functional.  

[1GirlTwinBoys]

I LOVE decorating!  I spend so much time looking at IG and blogs.  I can take an old piece of furniture that looks so ugly and make it pretty with paint etc...  I love mixing fabrics and displaying shelves and walls with pretty things. It's really a passion of mine.

[Pawz4me]

I'm not very crafty or very good at decorating. We're definitely on the minimalist side (less is more!). Our wall decorations are almost all either jigsaw puzzles that DH has completed and framed, or photographs from our travels over the years that we've had large prints made of and then framed ourselves. I don't have the patience to coordinate colors in pillows and throws and stuff like that. I'm much more the type to buy individual pillows and throws that I really like rather than buying things I don't like so much just because the colors match. We prefer our entire house to be painted the same color throughout. We found "our" paint years ago. It's a golden beige color and we've used it in three houses. We made the mistake once of allowing the boys to pick the colors for their bedrooms and bathrooms and goodness was that a mistake. I'm sure they liked it but it was sort of a sensory overload thing for me.

That said, I can do handy type stuff if I watch enough YouTube videos and read enough blogs. I've re-floored almost this entire house. I pulled the carpet off of our builder's grade stairs and managed to make them look pretty darn nice with lots of sanding, paint and molding. I recently painted the top of our dining room table. It's a sturdy table but the finish was starting to look bad. Some paint and seven coats of wipe-on poly improved it tremendously. But I consider stuff like that more handy than crafty.

[Selkie]

2 hours ago, regentrude said:

I am a minimalist. I have the furniture that I need, enough bookshelves, storage, and seating, and do not wish to craft decorative items. No clutter, no cutesy stuff. I like white walls, wooden furniture, clean lines. I have a few pieces of art on the wall that are either made by artist friends, picked up during travels, or are historic and from my home country.

This is me, too. My house is all white walls, wood floors, lots of sunlight, and houseplants. I think it's my Nordic genes.🙂

Crafts, knickknacks, and clutter make me claustrophobic.

[Carol in Cal.]

Less is more when it comes to walls.  Less craftsy stuff means more room for book shelves, which is a Great Good Thing.

In general I don't do theme rooms, because I love changing things up with textiles and so I want the rooms to be more of a blank slate for that.  I don't go OTT with it, but like right now I have a tableloth with Big Bold Strawberries on a cream background on the dining room table, and at Christmas time I have Christmasy or winter table linens that are quite different.  If my walls were not fairly neutral I could never pull this off.  I have double weave Halloween jack o lantern hangings that I put up in the fall, and a double weave Advent hanging for Nov./Dec.  These are entirely different colorways, but since I have them on a background of off white walls and wood floors they both look awesome.

[lmrich]

I love to decorate. I just finished staging my house to sell. 

We have a contract on a new house, and I can't wait to start. Go to pinterest and start pinning what you like. Go to sights like Wayfair or Pottery Barn and check out what they do. Don't spend a lot on trendy pieces, but don't be afraid to add a few new things to make your house look current. 

[maize]

I plant stuff. I much prefer outdoor space to indoor.

I have neither interest nor skill for interior decorating.

[DawnM]

I do get compliments on my living room decor (not really the rest!  hahaha!)......but I didn't actually create any of the pieces......   Some things I am ok at, like copying.....🤣 . I can see what I like and copy it on my wall,  But I don't actually create the pieces myself.

And it is my "old style" if that makes sense......I want a new style......and probably very little time to do it.  But I would like to try.

Edited April 20, 2019 by DawnM

[DawnM]

2 hours ago, PrincessMommy said:

I was thinking about this and why I'm not good at decorating. I don't think outside the box very well and I'm pretty pragmatic.  I am always in awe of people who can look at a piece of junk and turn it into something beautiful and functional.  

this is kind of me too.  

Today I saw some "Farm Kitchen Tables" for $600.  I was like, "That is a wooden door with legs on it!~" . And sure enough, when I looked at the dimensions, it HAD to be an old wooden door someone stuck legs on.  Someone else on Marketplace was giving solid old wooden doors away for free!  It made me start thinking!

[DawnM]

13 hours ago, Mbelle said:

I love to decorate! I pour over magazines and pinterest.  I look at photos in different layers.  One way I look is at room layout only, colors only, style only (modern, transition, traditional etc.).  Then I might look at details such as flooring, rugs, pillows, and window treatments.  Then I can zoom in on few details such as styling the mantle, wall or stair gallery, coffee table decor etc...  The only thing I'm missing is a big ole budget to help me do just what I want!  I am considering making a behind the couch consol table.  It can't be seen, so if it's not perfect then it won't matter too much .  I'm also considering a furniture consignment store for the console.  A few years ago I inherited (because no one wanted it) and old round dining table and 6 chairs from a great uncle.  It was pretty bad, but I painted the table and chairs white and bought fabric and redid the seats. 

 

I took one of those quizes online and it said my style is coastal something or other.  I don't think of myself as a beachy decor person, and I don't think they mean shells and flip flops.....but the clean lines, rustic with modern mix?

 

[Bambam]

I'm not good with decorating. Maybe because I'm not a visual person? I have very few things on the wall - mostly pictures (and of those, most are geometric or tessellations!) I've seen that I like or that someone else liked. I have very little decor - I do have a small collection of wooden objects (I like the different patterns, knot holes, ets of wood), and a few things family members have collected on their travels (very few though!). I prefer not to dust. I prefer easy cleaning. So I imagine my house is pretty boring to look at, but it is comfortable for us!

I guess we did repaint the main living areas after we moved here. The previous paint was a bit dark and it just got tiring after a while. 

[mmasc]

I don’t consider myself good at decorating, but my DH and I did just make our dining room table last summer. I knew what I wanted, couldn’t find it exactly, and didn’t want to spend tons of money on it. I did LOTS of research to know exactly how to sand it, stain it and finish it (part of my research was posting that very question here!). I also sanded and stained some freestanding shelves for a bookshelf he made. So, I think making things is different than decorating. If you find something you want to make, look for *detailed*, actual plans on the Internet, then follow the directions!

I don’t think I have the time or ability to be truly good at decorating, so I’d LOVE to find someone I could pay to set up a few of my rooms in my next house. I’m just not sure how to go about finding that person. 🤷🏼‍♀️

Oh, I did get a big mirror for free and I painted it. It turned out great! but no problem if it didn’t since it was free. 😊 I also painted an end table... it didn’t turn out great. 😂

[Hoggirl]

My best advice (not that you asked for it) is to use neutral colors as your background (walls, floors, counters) and for the items that are most expensive (large furniture).  Decide if you are cool neutral or warm neutral in your preference.  You can gain interest by mixing textures within your neutral pallet. It’s easy to change out pillows and other accessories. We do have one accent wall that it is a vivid color in our MBR.  Changing one wall of paint is easier than changing the entire room.  Most of the color in our home is from pillows and our art.  I am not crafty at all.  There is a big difference between crafty and craftsmanship.  

We are pretty minimalist here, and I don’t care for lots of decorative items as they simply tend to mean more dusting.  I do have a few.  Accessories are kind of like jewelry in that they provide a finishing touch. However, I like fewer, larger pieces.  My mom was the queen of clustering small collectibles. Not for me.  Somewhere I read that home accessories should always be the size of a cantaloupe or larger!  My kitchen counters have the Keurig, soap and paper towels by the sink, a fruit bowl, and one small, wooden tray with a pitcher of flowers, a little bird, and a decorative calendar in a frame. For a long time, I didn’t even have the tray, but it was too sterile-looking - even for me. 

Edited April 20, 2019 by Hoggirl

[livetoread]

I like decorating, but it doesn’t come easy for me, especially since I don’t like much of what I see (for my house-I am not judgy about what others like for theirs.) It is very important to me to see beauty as I walk in my house, and certain rooms just make me relax and smile every time I go by. However, we have been in this house 19 years, and it is still a work in progress. We have the money, it’s just I have to sit with space and ponder and then I have to find what I want for a reasonable cost. I am much better at knowing what I don’t want. It’s not that I have super rarified sophisticated taste, it’s just very specific, and I often don’t even know it until I see it. I have never considered hiring a decorator because I would drive them insane saying no to everything but not being able to explain what I would say yes to. Oh, and I am so very not crafty or handy. Luckily dh is handy.

Edited April 20, 2019 by livetoread

[DawnM]

1 hour ago, livetoread said:

I like decorating, but it doesn’t come easy for me, especially since I don’t like much of what I see (for my house-I am not judgy about what others like for theirs.) It is very important to me to see beauty as I walk in my house, and certain rooms just make me relax and smile every time I go by. However, we have been in this house 19 years, and it is still a work in progress. We have the money, it’s just I have to sit with space and ponder and then I have to find what I want for a reasonable cost. I am much better at knowing what I don’t want. It’s not that I have super rarified sophisticated taste, it’s just very specific, and I often don’t even know it until I see it. I have never considered hiring a decorator because I would drive them insane saying no to everything but not being able to explain what I would say yes to. Oh, and I am so very not crafty or handy. Luckily dh is handy.

 

This is me, somewhat.  I don't know what "rarified sophisticated" means, so I won't describe myself as that, but I don't always know what I want in ways I can describe.    I look online and I see parts of rooms that suit me but the rest doesn't, but I don't always know if the other part on another website I see will go with it well, even with similar colors, etc .....

I really like the look of wood beams with stone, but it is a certain kind of wood beam and a certain kind of stone......and I don't always know their names.  I would drive a decorator crazy too.

One thing I see in new homes a lot is shiplap.  I honestly hadn't ever seen it before that I know of.  I like it in some rooms.

Edited April 20, 2019 by DawnM

[elegantlion]

I love decorating, but there is an aesthetically necessary point for me. I'm more orderly than minimal and I get inner anxiety if things feel out of place. My decorating style feels more like sentimental old bookstore than anything. I am particular about artwork on the wall. I prefer less. Sharing a house with my mom has its challenges. We each have our own space, but in common areas she'll hang a second picture, then a calendar, and a clock. Why do we need a clock in the tiny hall bath? I don't know! *sigh*

As for how to decorate, I start with a piece of furniture I love and move out from there. I pick a color palette for each room - generally walls are similar in paint color throughout the house. 

One thing I've done in several homes is use tablecloths for curtains. With a rod and clip on rings, they can be much cheaper than regular curtains. I bought ones from Target before, but for this house I used Amazon. 

Another aspect I've noticed is that each house kind of lends itself to a unique style. I've had to live in a space for several months before I got the full feel for what might be right. One painting is done (if necessary), then curtains and artworks goes up, I leave those for a long time. Furniture I tend to rearrange every 6 months because I get bored with an arrangement. 

 

[Garga]

1 hour ago, mmasc said:

I don’t consider myself good at decorating, but my DH and I did just make our dining room table last summer. I knew what I wanted, couldn’t find it exactly, and didn’t want to spend tons of money on it. I did LOTS of research to know exactly how to sand it, stain it and finish it (part of my research was posting that very question here!). 

 

I remember when you posted about that table!  Did you ever post a picture of the finished product?  I’d love to see it.  

[Mbelle]

10 hours ago, DawnM said:

 

I took one of those quizes online and it said my style is coastal something or other.  I don't think of myself as a beachy decor person, and I don't think they mean shells and flip flops.....but the clean lines, rustic with modern mix?

 

 

I'm not sure either, but I googled and found these two links with pics?  Do you see anyphotos that appeal to you in those?

https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1CHBD_enUS732US732&q=beach+decor&tbm=isch&source=univ&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjI74m819_hAhVOKqwKHdB-B5AQsAR6BAgLEAE&biw=1163&bih=525

https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1CHBD_enUS732US732&q=beach+decor&tbm=isch&source=univ&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjI74m819_hAhVOKqwKHdB-B5AQsAR6BAgLEAE&biw=1163&bih=525

 

[Farrar]

I know you're talking more about decorating than renovating, but I used to have the mindset that I should do those things and now I'm kind of over it. Kate Wagner of McMansion Hell calls it "house fussery" and her piece about it is now basically my mantra. Unless it's leaking, I'm not fixing the house. And unless the furniture is broken, I'm not replacing it or upgrading it or redecorating with it.
https://www.curbed.com/2018/3/7/17087588/home-renovation-unnecessary-mcmansion-hell-wagner

[Storygirl]

11 hours ago, mmasc said:

 

I don’t think I have the time or ability to be truly good at decorating, so I’d LOVE to find someone I could pay to set up a few of my rooms in my next house. I’m just not sure how to go about finding that person. 🤷🏼‍♀️

 

Look for a professional house stager. They would be willing to work for you, even though your house is not on the market. You can probably call some local reality companies to find out who they recommend for their clients.

[DawnM]

3 hours ago, Mbelle said:

 

I'm not sure either, but I googled and found these two links with pics?  Do you see anyphotos that appeal to you in those?

https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1CHBD_enUS732US732&q=beach+decor&tbm=isch&source=univ&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjI74m819_hAhVOKqwKHdB-B5AQsAR6BAgLEAE&biw=1163&bih=525

https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1CHBD_enUS732US732&q=beach+decor&tbm=isch&source=univ&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjI74m819_hAhVOKqwKHdB-B5AQsAR6BAgLEAE&biw=1163&bih=525

 

 

In a beach house, maybe......but in my own here, inland?  No.

[DawnM]

1 hour ago, Farrar said:

I know you're talking more about decorating than renovating, but I used to have the mindset that I should do those things and now I'm kind of over it. Kate Wagner of McMansion Hell calls it "house fussery" and her piece about it is now basically my mantra. Unless it's leaking, I'm not fixing the house. And unless the furniture is broken, I'm not replacing it or upgrading it or redecorating with it.
https://www.curbed.com/2018/3/7/17087588/home-renovation-unnecessary-mcmansion-hell-wagner

 

I am thinking of my next house and we ARE getting rid of some broken pieces, sagging dressers, ripped chairs, etc.....AND, the new house will have a couple of additional rooms we don't currently have, so we will need some decor in there.

We got rid of my husband's broken desk and he is now using 8' long folding tables in an L-shape while the house is on the market.  And we currently do not have a kitchen table, we eat at the countertop in the kitchen, or at the dining room table.  Every house we have looked at has an eat in kitchen area.  So we would like a table for that.

And the kids have never been able to really decorate their rooms.  We are going to allow it in this next house.  

So, while I agree to some degree, and we will use what we have, we will have some room for "fussery" too.

[DawnM]

I honestly like this more:

 

Or this:

 

 

Edited June 27, 2020 by DawnM

[elegantlion]

I would call that a traditional or modern rustic look. The lighter neutral tones and less stuff, like in the first photo, give it a clean light modern-ish look, while the lower photo has more texture and feels more "heavy." Each one kind of matches the stonework on the fireplace. The beams in both are awesome. 

[elegantlion]

Here's something similar with a more contemporary look. 

[elegantlion]

This is more modern country rustic, more wood than metal. 

[DawnM]

8 hours ago, elegantlion said:

I would call that a traditional or modern rustic look. The lighter neutral tones and less stuff, like in the first photo, give it a clean light modern-ish look, while the lower photo has more texture and feels more "heavy." Each one kind of matches the stonework on the fireplace. The beams in both are awesome. 

 

I don't mind some heavy.  My favorite style of home has been Craftsman.  There just aren't many around here.  We had one in CA.  The first pic is ok, although I don't care for the blue stone in the fireplace (or is that just the lighting?).  The second is too white and plain FOR ME.  I know the Farmhouse is popular right now.  I like some of it.   I need some points of interest, like the wood beams (and I don't like them painted white.)

Anyway, I don't think beach is completely accurate of my style, although I love beach stuff AT the beach.

[mmasc]

On 4/20/2019 at 9:16 AM, Garga said:

 

I remember when you posted about that table!  Did you ever post a picture of the finished product?  I’d love to see it.  

No, I didn’t! How kind of you to remember. 😊 

here it is right after we finished it. we had just moved in, so please ignore the boxes and things stacked against the walls 🙂

 

 

Edited April 21, 2019 by mmasc

[Mbelle]

@DawnM I like th pics you posted!  That seems like rustic and lodge look.  One of my friends did a similar look in her  house.  It turned our very nice.  She bought several things from a furniture consignment.  It took some work on her part as far as time on the weekends, but it looks really nice.  She put rock on her hearth.  She had two leather couches and a round rustic coffee table in the middle.  She had 2/3 high bookshelf on either side of the hearth in stained wood.  It turned our really well and suited her style.

 

 

[Mbelle]

@mmasc  love your table!  Now that I've seen it, I think I do want to make a behind the couch console table.  I wold only need 12 to 18 inches wide, and maybe 6ft long so hopefully it won't take too long!

[Garga]

4 hours ago, mmasc said:

No, I didn’t! How kind of you to remember. 😊 

here it is right after we finished it. we had just moved in, so please ignore the boxes and things stacked against the walls 🙂

That table looks wonderful!!  Such a good job!