What's your THEME?

"What's your theme?"

Is a common question that I like to ask all of my clients. It's the first thing I look for and talk about when coming up with a plan.

For example, I have a lot of "wood" elements intermixed with old and new pieces in my house. It makes for a very rustic/eclectic look that I truly enjoy. Take a look at a few pieces I have. The first pic on the left is my fireplace screen.

I know, silly to have a wooden fireplace screen, but look at it! It's pretty amazing.

There's also a great story behind it! I happened to be in one of my favorite stores in Canton when I saw it on top of a tall armoire. I walked up to the lady and asked if it was for sale. It was priced at $100 or so, but she said, "It's yours for $80."

YES PLEASE!!

This second piece, which by far is my most favorite in the house, came from an estate sale. FOR FREE!! The lady, who owned it previously (before going to the white light) had wind chimes screwed into it. I had it in my entry way when I first moved in, but it has since been moved to above my television.

This third picture is my coffee table.

I found this little gem in Canton, as well. I first noticed these hardware carts online at Restoration Hardware for upwards of $700. They were selling them as coffee tables too. Well, my friend Matt and I were ending our shopping trip when we walked down our last aisle. We started talking to a man who was packing up and getting ready to head back to Nebraska. He had carts, identical to RH carts. He only had 3 left. One was the right shape and color for my "theme", and was priced at only $150. Much to my surprise, I couldn't get to an ATM fast enough.

Take Care When Choosing A Theme:
If by chance your theme is the color red, don't go crazy. I feel like I am using the word theme way too much!! Good thing I'm not writing this paper for a grade! :)

Whatever it is that you pick and go with, mix it with what you have, then when buying new things make sure it all goes together. I may have a lot of "wood" pieces, but I've brought in accents with color and texture that tie in with everything else. Adding the right accessories can help tone down too much of one thing. Taking a look at my coffee table now, you can see wood elements on top of wood elements. My accessories, colored books and a single orchid, helps make everything blend together.



Color Theme:
Your theme can be a color, such as blue. My friend and client, Amber, found this pillow that she had to have. There was only one and we spent weeks and looking into several cities until we found it's pair. Literally, this pillow was the bane of my existence. The colors were what we were going for in designing each room. These two pillows are in the living room, which is adjacent to the breakfast nook where Amber's white hutch is. Her hutch is filled with this blue, as well.

As you can see, I have added pops of blue to pull the color through each room. I have toned down all the blue by adding the baskets in different shades of brown. A neat feature within this hutch is an old book in the same blue opened to add something unexpected to an almost predictable furniture piece. 

Amber has a large open floor plan that makes it very easy to pull this color through the whole house. In her entry, we took a new piece in the same blue tones, changed the hardware and added a few simple accessories. Wait for Hobby Lobby to have their knobs on sale. 50% off is the best thing they have going!! We chose knobs that were all different to create an eclectic look. The entry is a nice welcoming point for all guests. You can't see the knobs that well in this picture, but I think you can get the idea. 

Pick your theme and run with it. Be wise about your purchases and wait for the bargains. Look for that piece that sticks out and creates conversation. I can't tell you how many people ask me, "What is that stick on your wall?" I love it and the story behind it. I can't tell you how to design your home, but I hope this will help you create a space that is filled with things that are totally you. Thoughts??