Personal Style, Defined: coco + kelley

The wonderful Cassie of coco + kelley was slated to share her take on "Personal Style" with us last Tuesday while I was in London and while she was an awesome contributor and sent the post to me days in advance, I had some technical issues across the pond (more on London very soon!)and have been unable to share her post with you until now. However, I think it is definitely worth the wait. Cassie is the consummate blogger, is incredibly sweet and equally talented. She has killer style and I am so excited that she is sharing her design philosophy and process with us.

As an Interior Designer, I love helping others find their personal style when it comes to
their home. But, when it comes to my own? Forget it! So many options,
ideas, colors, patterns, materials... it feels impossible! So, when
Paloma asked me to contribute to her Personal Style
series, I was instantly ecstatic and horrified. Where to start?

Well, I did exactly what I ask my clients to do - I went through my
huge collection of rooms, and started pulling anything that really spoke to
me in its overall design - may of which I'm sure you'll find familiar
- and then looked at them as a collective and discovered a few things...

1. I love lucite:
I love the element of clarity in a room - I do not consider myself a minimalist,
but by using materials like lucite and acrylic, it allows me to keep
a room feeling open. It also helps bring the modern contrast to more
traditional materials and pieces - something I absolutely love to do
when designing a space.




2. I am a collector:
I like to purchase furniture and accessories because I love them - not
necessarily because they all 'go' together. This habit tends to
create spaces that look a little mishmashed, and it certainly takes
some effort to pull them together at times, but I wouldn't have it
any other way! I try to mimic this style in my client's homes as well
- there's no rule that says you can't mix modern, traditional,
midcentury, and gothic all in one place!

3. I require a touch of bohemia:

Along with mixing and matching my eras, being a California girl makes me crave a
touch of bohemain style in all my rooms. I think we all define
bohemia in our own way, and for me it usually means adding a piece
that makes the room feel more casual - in the case of these rooms the
wicker stool and the throw pillows on the bed do exactly this.

4. I prefer light rooms and neutral pieces:
White walls and neutral palettes give me a great base to work from, and
that's what makes me love them. Where others see 'boring' I see
'possibility'. Because I change my mind on what I love. A LOT.

5. I never leave a room without a little touch of glamour: It's amazing what a shiny piece of chrome can do to a room, don't you think? When I think of glamour, I usually think metallics. I use everything from gilded mirrors and accessories to crystal chandeliers, and furniture pieces like those above to provide that unexpected pop that adds just a little be of sex appeal to any design.

Room sources: 1. ny mag, 2. martha stewart, 3 - 5. domino, 4. the city sage 5. domino, 6. elle decor, 7. domino, 8. canadian house & home