Personal Style, Defined: Freckles Chick

After my post on making high-end homes and interiors attainable yesterday, I cannot think of a better blogger to bring us this week's installment of Personal Style, Defined than Freckles Chick who consistently inspires her readers with budget-friendly transformations in her home. She turns up the style by sourcing pieces at places such as Homegoods, World Market, and Pier 1 without spending a ton of money. Her style is beautiful, but it is made even better by the fact that it feels relatable and is completely attainable, in the grand tradition of our fallen friends, Domino and Cottage Living.

When Paloma contacted me regarding her Personal Style, Defined feature, flattery was quickly followed by utter awe. Thank you, Paloma, for deeming me worthy enough to be included amongst such a talented bunch. To be quite honest, I feel a bit out of my league…..but here I go!
I don’t consider myself to be a design expert. Impeccable taste and refined tendencies I am not! I’m just someone who admires a person’s ability to put together a room that could inspire others. While I appreciate a flawless high-end room from the glossy pages as much as the next design junkie, the rooms that really speak to me are the ones that look just a bit imperfect and lived in; where at least one piece of furniture has a story to it.

My personal style is constantly evolving. If I had to define it, it would be a contradiction of theories. A serene marriage of “eclectic” elements. I am a minimalist yet I veer towards the glam of Hollywood Regency. I love luxe textures but crave a dash of comfort. However, factor in a frugal nature, a DIY mindset, a design-impaired husband who would be thrilled if everything was paneled in dark wood peppered with bachelor pad furnishings, a large hairy dog whose tail is the ultimate party foul and well……..compromise is my middle name.

So, welcome to my living room! It’s not flawless nor is it entirely ground-breaking. Heck, it’s not even done. I love this space because it represents us. It’s a work-in-progress and at the core are things that make me smile.

{the before}

{the after}

This room had to be comfortably casual yet ready to accept company. I admit, I’m color-phobic when it comes to my own home and I wanted a soothing monochromatic look. Like the rest of our fixer-upper house, I had to work with a very small budget and some elements that weren’t entirely ideal to me (the rustic beam and atrium, the old sofa, a tired & inefficient fireplace). Being frugal has its advantages; it just forces us to be more creative, hands-on, and patient with trial and error. We painted twice, as the first color we chose was simply awful (final color: Valspar Arid Plains). We stripped the 30 yr-old carpet and restored the horrible subfloor before we had the wide-plank Brazilian cherry hardwoods installed. I spent an afternoon sanding, priming, and painting the fireplace mantel, as well as another afternoon giving the ivory tufted chairs a facelift.

My favorite item(s) in this room are these chairs that have lived with us for almost 5 years now. They’re supposedly vintage and were found on one of my frequent stalking trips to local gently-used furniture stores. They were $50 a piece, were in stunning shape, and just needed a bit of love. I have no idea how old they are and who manufactured them. I’ve often wondered where they lived and, if they could speak, would I want to hear the stories of who sat on them? HA!

Another favorite item is the starburst above the fireplace, found at Home Goods. It’s just uniquely glam enough to keep me happy and the rustic wood slivers make the Husband happy.

A delicate balance between “glam cave” and “man cave” if you will.

On the agenda is to replace the non-working fireplace insert (hence the candles) and re-tile with mini cararra marble tiles in a brick layout, create a bay window with a window seat, and purchase a “grown-up” sofa. But no rush since we're just happy to be able to call this space our own. Besides, I’d be utterly bored if every room was considered finished. What in the world would I do with myself then?

Thank you SO MUCH for allowing me to share this room with you all,

and for letting me reflect on how far it's come!