The Road From Bohemian Chic to Cozy Cottage

source

My decorating style has really varied over the years.  While I was in 

college my style was early Bohemian Chic.  My roommate and I 

constructed a tent in our room much like the one you see if this pic.

I wish that I had the foresight to take pics of my dorm room back then

because ours was the only one like it.  Filled with pillows and candles

it was oh so cool and nothing like our mother's dorm room would

have been.

source

After college I started dreaming of a different kind of nest.  

I went back to my Scandinavian roots and wanted only very clean

and modern lines with pops of color.   A Stockholm in NYC kind

of look is what I was going for.  Blame it on my family who 

always called me the "little Swede".

Then I moved to this little island off the coast of Saudi Arabia.

A very exotic and exciting move for me.

source

And I was a First Primary teacher at this school ...

Sacred Heart School of Bahrain.  Some of the happiest days

of my life were spent at this school filled with children

from 28 different countries all seeking a British education

in Arabian Gulf.

source

I spent hours shopping in the souk.  I still miss shopping there.

It was all so colorful and fascinating.  And it's when I started to

become very interested in handmade carpets and kilims, big brass

trays and the beautiful woven baskets that were everywhere.

So the Bohemian Chic and the Scandinavian style were merging

into what I was calling "Susan's Eclectic Style".  It was a 

pre-PotteryBarn kind of look.

source

The colors of the kilims are so vibrant and work so well with 

several design styles.

These wonderful baskets were handwoven and used to 

collect fish from the gulf and also to put live chickens in to

take to the souk for sale.  

But after three years of living in the Middle East and becoming very 

homesick for the good old USA,  I longed for a very different style

that really reflected my born in the USA roots.  

After I married and moved to Middleburg, Virginia I re-embraced the

design style of my childhood.  So my style guru became ...

source

Ralph Lauren.  The designer who really embraced American East Coast

style.  The camelback sofas, primitive hutches, handmade quilts and yes ~

dogs on the furniture and horses everywhere.  My kind of design guy.

His Hudson Valley collection was my favorite.

But then ...

I became enamored with the cottage style.  It's not far off from

from Ralph's Hudson Valley look, but with a few more 

English country touches.  And now?  Well Bentley is still on

the furniture and horse prints are everywhere.  But now that I

am in a new to me house in Texas, I find that my style is

evolving a bit to reflect the elements of our new place.  The one

thing I know for sure is ~ your nest should always reflect

who you are and your own passions.  

Wow Us Wednesday

What's It Wednesday

Of course, Bentley is happy no matter how his momma 

changes her design style.  Look at that big smile!

Big Texas Hugs,

Susan and Bentley