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.
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.
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.
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.
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 ...
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.
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
