defining your personal style

In I Love Your Style, Amanda Brooks discusses defining your own unique style & owning it. It can be a hard thing to accomplish & I've personally had difficulty with this especially in regards to wardrobe. I have, however, came closer to defining my home decor style & the working title would be "Western Glam."

I can't even begin to tell you how often I fantasize about really settling into my very own apartment. I'm talking painting walls & installing hardware, not this roommate or tiny studio crap that I've experienced for the past several years. I want a space that is 100% me & displays my personal style.

Slowly, but surely, I've been putting together the pieces & identifying a look that I want to one day accomplish. I feel confident that I can make purchases now that will later fit into the whole picture. I've made four somewhat significant furniture purchases in the past few years & I still feel 100% happy about every one of them. Let's take a look...

Antoinette Fainting Sofa | Urban Outfitters

Sidecar High Dinning Table | CB2

Chunky Wood Floor Mirror | West Elm

Big Dipper Arc Lamp | CB2

Some next steps in the immediate future are a headboard, bookshelf & accent chair. I hope to knock those out this year. After that, a sectional sofa, rugs & accent tables are at the top of my list for when I (fingers crossed) move into a one bedroom apartment.

The starting point for me with this whole process was black & white; specifically, black & white photographs. I have always loved these colors & they always seem to look classy. This is my foundation, but I'm not afraid to add pops of color when appropriate. I think black & white is what pushed me towards the more "glam" identity which just seems appropriate for the girly side of me.

More recently, I've thought more & more about actual styling. Filling up shelves or decorating table tops has been somewhat of a struggle to me. Everything feels random & I knew I needed to tie it all together.

In a strange turn of events, I am embracing "western" influences, which tends to capture a rougher (more manlier, if you will) side. I have never extensively traveled in the area, nor do I have Native American ancestors, but I am very attracted to the art & culture of the west. I guess it started with this print, followed by the purchase of this paper machê skull. More recently, I purchased a naturally shed antler & I dream of this print by Debbie Carlos & a DIY dreamcatcher. (More on that tomorrow).

This whole process has been really fun for me. Does anyone else obsess over this stuff the same way? I know I need to actually start getting photos of the progress up & I promise that one day (hopefully soon) I will.

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