I understand what you mean! I am starting to have to make interior decisions as well.

I do have a 'style' although it is a mix...country, farmhouse(ish) with clean, simple lines, light interior colors, honey colored wood floors, slate-like tile, beadboard, etc. One of my biggest problems has been finding things that are plain - most things have a 'style' to them. Oh, and that are affordable, LOL.

Have you looked through magazines/books and torn out/marked pictures that 'speak' to you? Lately, I have been whipping out pictures for the builder and subs so they have an idea of what I am going for. Styles can mean different things to different people.

Good luck!

I had to laugh. You're several--okay, a whole bunch--of steps ahead of us on your build. So you got me thinking about that question, too. My own style is "um, whatever we have now plus whatever we can buy with the savings from eating only beans and rice from now till we move in." That is, we're doing good to get the house built. Don't pressure me about decorating.

I just googled 'What's my decorating style?" and a LOT of hits came up. HGTV, Rachel on TV, books, etc. Remember to go to the Home Dec forum here, to switch to its Gallery, to go to the other galleries here. And to display things you already have and love, to make it your family's home. Oh, and to go to google Images and search under any phrases for items you're looking for or for styles. Like "rustic decor", "traditional decor", "sofas", "lodge style", "Texas style". Go on a field trip to restaurants, inns, model homes, tours of homes, furniture stores, etc. and take your phone camera with you to sneak photos. It's a fun and creative thing to do.

And hit the library, the bookstore, magazines. Pictures being better than words. Go to amazon.com and search under the home dec. books, then use their search inside this book feature to see a few pages. If anything really grabs you, then you may as well spring for the book (I buy their used ones, cheap, when available; sometimes the wait is longer). Oh, and before you start, take an inventory of what furnishings you already have, what you'll use of those, what you must buy new. And then come up with a budget. That part will dictate what things you can buy to put a style into place. Really, once you know your budget and what you MUST buy (window coverings? a kitchen table? whatever) that's where you have to look for your style-defining furnishings. Unless you have the budget to furnish the whole house fresh.

What I'm trying to say is, don't waste time on things that won't matter to you NOW, since you're under the gun. If you will only be buying window coverings, then do your search there to define your style. And like that.

This is the fun part. Don't let people rush you.

jenny - I LOVE beadboard, DH does not! When we first decided to build I looked through magazines a ton. I need to go back and start doing that. Thanks for the tip :-) I think my biggest issue is I do not want people to walk in and say:
Oh, Kelly's style is (fill in the blank). I'm not sure if I can really avoid that though! LOL!

Pinktoes - I laughed at your rice and beans comment! See this is why I love this forum. I needed someone to jog my brain, I didn't even think of trying to google anything. I will be on a tight budget that is for sure. My sister said I keep leaning towards browns and tans. The wall, the cabinets, the floor. I wish I could just go out and hire someone to do it for me!! Then I would probably hate it in a few months. I think I might try to hit Barnes and Noble tonight!!!!

Thanks y'all!
Kelly

It would be nice if you could decide on your "style" and then go out to buy everything new to decorate. My style is some of what we already have which I guess leans toward the traditional. If money weren't an object it would be so much easier.

I would like to add, be patient...if you know what you want and can afford to get it now - great. If you don't know don't rush it, you will end up with a better, more satisfying result if you give yourself a chance to figure it out and work towards it. If you have things that you don't love but must use out of necessity do not decorate around them, instead plan your future room and make your choices based on how you want it to look in the end. For example, say you find several pictures of what you want your living room to feel like, really study them, figure out the things the pictures have in common- a wall color, a certain style of furniture or accessories- then draw out your room on graph paper - the sky is the limit on paper you can have whatever you want! - then assess what you have that might work in your 'dream plan' either temporarily or permanently and make a list of the things that you need long term to make that room a reality. If you keep to the vision and the list eventually the room will evolve into your dream space and you will save yourself from purchasing the wrong thing just because it is on sale or you just need a lamp or whatever. You will also be prepared to make the right purchases at the best price because you will know just what you are looking for. I have seen so many people with so much 'eclectic' stuff because they didn't have a plan and now they want to chuck it all and start over. If you do all this work and still feel uncertain, a Designer might be able to help. If you share what you have researched and decided he/she should be able to direct you and keep you on track with your plan. Since you will have done so much work up front it would keep the designer's services affordable. I have done this for clients and usually it only takes a few couple hour meetings to set them up and then some 'check ins' once in awhile when they have questions. HTH, Have FUN! :)

I'll pass on some advice I received from interior design daughter. To establish a color pallette, get one of those color stacks (I cannot think of the name of them) open it up and sort it by like and don't like. Review and continue to refine it. You gather a sense of what appeals to you.

The same thing goes with determine what you like. Begin to gather pics, web sites, showing things that appeal to you. Then go back through them to see what commonalities exist.

I agree with stephanie_plum. Your eye will continually be drawn to what appeals to you, and that is your "style". Although that word kind of makes me laugh. Mainly because I refer to our "style" as eclectic hand me down!! As my DH says, we will have a lifetime to furnish it!

Amy

Decisions, decisions, Ive been wondering the same thing myself.

I have a three ring binder that I was putting some pictures in early on in the stages of building. I pulled it out this afternoon and I had forgotten how many pictures I put in there!! It was fun looking through it :-)

Kelly, I found it the easiest to pick out kitchen cupboards first, then all fixtures & finishes based on that. Once that was done, I picked out complimentary flooring & types. Believe it or not, I then picked out the furniture style & colors I wanted in each room (even though I wouldn't need them for months). By drawing on what we had selected for the kitchen, this set the "style" for our house, and I picked out corresponding furniture.

By then, I was exhausted and tired of "picking" lol. We hired an ID for $75/hr to then pick the paint colors. I emailed her all of our choices, plus a walk through on the house, and for $150 my house really has the "wow" factor that we were going for - much of it complimentary due to the paint.

If you've got any room at all in the budget, I do very highly recommend an ID...but only near the end of your *picking* because they'll know what style you are going for then.

In the meantime, magazines & the internet are your best friend. Best of luck to you, can't wait to see update pics!!

Thanks loralee! There is a new ID that just opened up a few miles away. I met one of the ladies that works there at my daughters dance class. I think I might stop by and chat a bit with them and get some prices. Right now I just can not find a tile that I like. DH is getting ready to leave town for a few months so we are trying to get most of everything picked out before he leaves. We thought he would be gone this week but he is not leaving for another two weeks (yea!).

Our builder told me to wait until we get the cabinets (like Loralee stated)in and bring in tile. I have been to every darn tile store I can find. So far the only tile I like is at Home Depot! LOL! The one I LOVED is no longer made.

It is so funny how everyone keeps saying they can not wait to see how I decorate the inside. I feel like I am getting ready for a huge test!

Why do folks keep asking us the same question??? I am only at the stage where the foundation is being poured and folks are inquisitive about the inside and furniture..... I am planning on taking my old pieces along, which are still very good, and "LIVE" in the house for a while before I decide. I think the house will be more modern (then our Georgian colonial,) but, what do I know. I sure can't afford a bunch of new furniture right after moving in. Thanks for sharing.

A good source for idea magazines is the library. Some libraries, like ours, has a section where old magazines are sold cheap. My wife goes down every week and buys a stack of Southern Living, Traditional Home, This Old House, etc. magazines. They measure how high the stack is and charges her $0.25 per inch. She cuts out ideas and throws the rest of the magazine away. Most of the magazines are less than two years old, some are last months edition.

OK, I've had with this. I'm preparing several pithy responses now:

1) "We're really tapped out after the build, so we're taking up a collection; people get to vote a style with their donations. Biggest donation over $10K wins. Here's the envelopes and donation jar."

2) "Well, we've been reading up on that and it seems that it's passe to decorate in a copycat style. You're supposed to develop your own style, so it's gonna take us a few years to work that out."

3(a) "Oh, we're not interested in decorating. We built a custom house that is supposed to be architecturally interesting enough to stand on its own."

3(b) "Oh, our architect [designer] said he'd shoot us if we messed up his work with a bunch of "decorations". The house will just have to stand on its own."

4) "Our house is Post Modern Eclectic, so we'll be decorating accordingly." [Then tell them it's too complicated to describe if they press further. And suggest they do some reading up on it.]

I'm just in a cranky mood today. People aren't really much interested in all the decisions/choices we've all had to make in building our homes. And most people don't know anything about architecture, but they can relate to selecting furnishings--"decorating". I know they're just trying to be nice and express an interest in our projects by discussing something they know more about. It just irritates me because I don't want to have to decide another darn thing for a long, long time. Maybe never.

Okay, everybody needs to go over to Home Dec. right now and check out the new design genres. Hysterical!

Here is a link that might be useful: Transmission & other new styles

Pinktoes, love your list. I think I'll try number 1 and have already stated number 3(a) since we won't be able to afford furniture right of way.

If you buy a home, budget and other considerations may leave you trying to decorate a Victorian space with mid-century modern furnishings, or vice versa: Tough to do it well.

But since this is the home building forum, I assume most of us are building, then decorating.

In that instance, I personally feel the inside should reflect the outside. You've chosen your exterior style and finishes, make that your starting point.

You needn't be married to it, but don't divorce it, either: the poster with rustic rock outside could have a rustic, Lodge style interior-- that would tie inside and outside closely together. If you want those ties a little loser, move in the direction of Mission, even adding some Art Nouveau touches. The Mission would reference the rustic exterior, but move it upscale and serve as a bridge to the more urban Nouveau look. But doing Nouveau without the Mission would leave the inside and outside at odds in a pretty unpleasant way.

Really, it isn't brain surgery: decorators would like us to think it is, so we pay them big bucks for their services. But if you have a pretty clear idea of what you like, this really is something you can do for yourself.

Mind you, I'm not knocking the design profession: I rather envy them getting to spend so much time in a creative pursuit. But I'm pretty certain no one else knows my taste or lifestyle as well as I do, so why should I pay them to tell me what I like?

Loved the list Pinktoes! Oruboris, I agree with you. I really want the inside to reflect the outside. The rock is almost completed on the outside of the house and I love the look of it. I told a friend who came out to see the house that I want to bring the outside in. She was the only one who has not asked what we are doing on the inside. She is building a house right now also. She told me to move it, live in it and let it all come together in time.

I did go and talk to a ID....that was funny! She and I did not think along the same lines at all! LOL!

I really think I am going for more of a lodge type look. I am going to have to bring in the old furniture for now and just take it a little bit at a time!!!

Thank you everyone for your wonderful tips, advice and knowledge. It really is helping pull through this with a smile on my face!!!

Kelly

Kelly, I live not that far from you....your terrain, house, rock, etc. feel very familiar to me and I love your pictures! Your description in original post of what you like (traditional things but also the lodge look) sounds very much like what I am drawn to as well. You've gotten great advice on ignoring the people who want to know what your "style" is going to be....especially I love pinktoes' answers, LOL. Giving people one of those answers, moving in with your old stuff and giving yourself time is by far the best thing you can do for yourself in the beginning...just getting the house finished and moving is enough to deal with, without having to decide what your "look" is!!!

That said, of course I have some ideas to throw out, LOL. See how you feel about starting with leather sofas and oriental-style rugs (think Karastan for beautiful and practical to live with as far as kids and pets.) That foundation can go more lodge (I like to describe the look as "rustic with money and a few nice things" LOL) or it can be pushed a bit toward mission/arts & crafts, or it can be pushed a bit towards a regional ranch/southwestern feeling...it actually all blends really well. Mountain lodges in the west, ranch houses from the past in the Texas hill country....both frequently contained oriental rugs and antiques from various places. If you like the general look of leather sofas and oriental-style rugs, then you can add furniture with more simple or clean lines (mission rockers, tables with a mission/arts & crafts or even a very rustic southwestern feel) or you can even add some more heavy or ornate antique pieces and wing chairs, or mix them up! I find that American oak (think quartersawn and tiger oak pieces) and old English style (think barley twist, Jacobean style) blend really well with this look.

Do you like metal? That also works really well with all of these variations....think hammered copper lamp bases, or metal lamp base with stained glass shade...or copper and/or cast iron and/or pewter pots and candlesticks. Depending on what furniture pieces you are drawn to, and what decorative accents....well, as I said you can either push it toward more lodge, or more mission, or more regional ranch....or an eclectic mix with touches of each as it kind of all works together....but it will never look like you went to the local furniture store and bought a matched room full of furniture in a certain "style." ;~)
Debra

Debra

Thanks so much for taking the time to give such great advice! DH wants a leather sofa, no doubt about that. I am leaning towards a leather sectional I think...not right away but soon after we move in. I am glad you mentioned the oriental rugs because I saw one the other day but I wondered if it would go with the look I was going for. I REALLY would love to get wood but, the budget is just not there for hardwood and that is what I want. I do not want laminate (not that there is anything wrong with it!!) it is just that when we do get wood floors (I think that will be 5+ years down the road)I want hardwood, wide plank floors. Anyway, the tile we picked out is porcelain and has the look of natural stone.

The kitchen and living fixtures will be antique pewter. The bathroom fixtures and lights are brushed nickel. I think everyone is so right. Once we move in, get settled it will all come together. I do not want to push it and get things I do not like.

I had someone ask me at my daughters birthday party what the interior style will be. I wanted to give her pinktoes number 3a answer but I just smiled and said I have a few ideas I am tossing around but nothing set in stone.

Thanks again!
Kelly