Un-styling your space by just being yourself, naturally.
Lately, there’s been a lot of talk about the undoing of decorating. Our piece last week showed us the ins and outs of this new un-style, of letting go of the status quo and allowing a space to be personal rather than perfect.
You can go to school and learn the basics, the 1-2-3s of any craft, but no teacher can transfer the instinctual ability to express style. It’s either in your DNA or not. By knowing yourself and what you like, that doesn’t seem so hard, does it?
Working outside the box, or without any box at all, is just a cliché way of saying go for it, express yourself, thoroughly, from start to finish. Forget who’s watching or judging. Make it real, authentic, all about you. How? By looking around and choosing what you like.
Many outside forces have contributed to this move toward a more personal and relaxed way of setting up a space. Financial issues have changed our attitudes about luxury – less has become more. And the internet has made it easier than ever to explore, resource and shop for just about anything.
However it happened, it’s here. And what a relief. A space doesn’t have to be fancy or filled with expensive items to be extraordinary. It doesn’t require top interior design firms or specialty stores to feel comfortable and lived in. All you need is you.
Inspiration is everywhere. The challenge is using it in combination with your own je ne sais quoi. Only you know what it is and it doesn’t even need a name. It comes naturally. It’s you.
Images: From the Right Bank, dwell studio, Atlanta Bartlett, Nate Berkus, avotakka.