I am not traditional. AT ALL. I can appreciate the look of fine tradition, and occasionally I will even work a very traditional piece into my decor. But I consider myself to be more “transitional” – a mix between traditional, vintage, modern and eclectic. :) I live on the east coast and in such a location, everyone seems to be traditional in their decorating style. When a client tells me what they are going to do with their pictures, I always hear something like, “we’re going to hang a big one over the fireplace”, or “I was thinking of 3 framed in a row down our hallway”, or “just one 11×14 matted in a big frame for our living room. We don’t want to be too full of ourselves, right?” And while that is all beautiful and the perfect sentiment, I would like to challenge you to take a step back and think about trying something that will make a statement. Simple is great most of the time, but in the land of traditional, colonial houses with dark wood furniture, granite countertops, soaring ceilings and white trim – simple can sometimes get lost in the shuffle and be a bit blah.
This post is all about making that statement with your pictures. Don’t worry about being too pretentious or showy – it’s your house!! It matters most what YOU want to see when you walk around, not what others will think when they walk in the door. The thing that I always make sure I do when I decorate my home is to ensure that I’m decorating it for ME. It’s not for anyone else. It’s filled with all of the things I love to look at, touch, smell. It’s MY home. People visit me, and while they might not love my decorating style, they always say this, “It’s you.” That is the greatest compliment anyone can give me. That I’ve successfully made my home an accurate reflection of me and my family.
When I walk into most of these traditional, colonial homes, I rarely get a sense of who the person is. I always walk away wondering what their favorite color is (because surely 80% of the population cannot have beige, brown and white as their favorite color!), or if they actually sit on that perfect sofa and watch tv at night, because it looks too “perfect” to use. Do they actually use that table for dinner? Or do they eat over the sink so no crumbs fall on the floor? I can’t tell!
My home, while quirky, is clean and lived in. We have comfortable furniture (stylish, too), and fluffy pillows. We have scratched up tables because we USE them. Our beds are crumpled, but made – and awesome to fall into. I am always tickled when someone walks into my house and instantly flops themselves onto my sofa, kicks their feet up and asks me if I have a beer. THAT is my greatest goal when it comes to my house. That someone can instantly feel like they won’t ruin anything, can eat anywhere and just be at home.
Wall displays of your pictures can make a statement in your traditional homes. But they can also help to tone down that “stiff” feeling that comes along with todays new construction. Take a look at these pictures, and try to imagine what your visitors might feel like if they actually got a sense of who you were when they walked in and saw something like this:
My challenge to you is this: walk around your house and pick just one wall that you see every single day. How can you use that wall to showcase who you are? What will make you happy? Then, just do it. It’s a wall. If you hate it, there is this wonderful product called Spackle and you can start over again. That’s the beauty of it! There is no risk, but there is insane joy to be had if you get it right.
“Sometimes… when you hold out for everything, you walk away with nothing.”
~From the television show Ally McBeal
