Apartment Therapy had a really interesting post today. (click HERE) They've highlighted as above, a few decorating trends and have asked if you follow trends yourself.
(thank-you reader Susan Birk for letting me know!)
I gasped AND smiled when I noticed I was in the lineup. (thanks AP!) YOU GUYS know I don't follow other decorating trends but rather strike out on my own. But what category do you land in when suddenly what you do has become the hottest trend?
click above for more
Decorating with reclaimed finds came out of complete necessity in order to be able to afford to furnish my home. I don't remember if it was hot property or not as I wasn't a blog reader at the time. I just remember watching Trading Spaces. And mostly gasping at the outlandish things they applied to walls. I certainly didn't copy the hay episode. :)
I just grew into eclectic because that's all I could afford. And now I'm trendy. Who knew? :)
Think pallets will go 'out of style'? How about signs all over your home or made into furniture? And do I even care?
I don't remember pallets or signs or even junk being the 'hot' thing when I started using them. But that wouldn't have swayed me regardless. I like what I like and when I get tired of what I like, I'll change it and invent something new.
Trust me when I say, when I need a new decor piece, I simply walk down into the garage and snoop around in the heap of tools. How trendy is that! :)
My full home tour in Apartment Therapy (see it HERE)
Not sure how I feel about being a non intentional trend decorator.
What what else CAN you do when something you do becomes popular?
What's your take?
Do you yourself follow trends or attempt to strike out on your own?
What's your take?
Do you yourself follow trends or attempt to strike out on your own?
I'm just gonna echo your own words....
ReplyDelete"I like what I like and when I get tired of what I like, I'll change it and invent something new."
And I'm tired of my work desk and would so love to copy yours!
~Bliss~
What a nice surprise and congrats.
ReplyDeleteI often see comments on AT about how something is "too" trendy or "overdone." I really don't care, I put what I love into my home. I may notice it because it's a trend, but I'll happily keep it around long after the trend is gone. It seems like it's everywhere because we're reading design blogs of people with similar tastes to ours. But in reality, I don't know ANYONE who decorates like what I see on the internet. All of my friends tend to decorate in shades of bland. :)
ReplyDeleteTracey u r so right...in real life my house is so unique and my friends think it came out of a magazine :)))) they just use two colors brown and beige
DeleteI know what you mean! A friend and i talk about this all of the time- we have always loved old, well- used pieces (junk, if you please!), and while it's nice to be appreciated for your style, it's a little unnerving to be seen as the latest trend follower! and it's frustrating when the things you used to be able to pick up cheap become scarce and expensive! :) that said, you have nothing to stress over! You are a creative genius and that will outlast any so-called trend! :-)
ReplyDeleteEmbrace it and Enjoy!!! Love your style, Donna!
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Angie @ Knick of Time
I don't consider your style "trendy" Donna... I also decorate with "found objects" but again it is necessity.... Turquoise, chevron, French script... that is trendy and will eventually be replaced by something new. Your style is eclectic and solid and I don't think will be replaced by the next "trend".... I'm with you on the wood, metal and rust!
ReplyDeleteSusan
Congrats! Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery! ~ Maureen
ReplyDeleteIt was terrific to see 65 pictures of your home in one place. Loved it. Can't wait to see what you create next (waiting for the boy's room next posts with great anticipation). Congratulations on appearing on Apartment Therapy. Yah BC, yah Canada.
ReplyDeleteYou use things in a beautiful way that makes others want to copy you. I call that being a trendsetter, which is something to be proud of. When we just copy a trend, we are not really being creative until we put our own personal stamp on it.....nothing wrong with that if we're enjoying it and living within our means. Right?
ReplyDeleteThank-you!
DeleteWhether one copies or strikes out on their own has no bearing on what's right or wrong in my eyes. If what one does is right for them, it's right! :)
Creative types like me can't handle the constraints of decorating inside the lines. I, too, like rummaging through my storage to create new decor. Then, when I'm tired of it, I make something new. Most of my stash gets reincarnated and re-purposed eventually.
ReplyDeleteAs a painter by trade, I'm exposed to a plethora of interiors. What I find kind of amusing is that many of us have maintained our same personalities from high school. We either want to be like everyone else and "fit in", or we march to the beat of our own drum. So those that want to fit in, decorate their home to please the visitors, with whatever is currently in fashion, and the non-conformists decorate for themselves. I have a friend from high school who is the conformist who's always raised an eyebrow over some of my unique and over-the-top design ideas. These are the times when I know I'm really onto something clever :)
I LOVE this comment! And can totally relate. :)
DeleteTrends scare the dickens out of me, probably because I'm generally a month behind everyone else to notice them! I had this uneasy feeling after seeing my 1,000th aqua chevron print that I'd somehow missed the bus everyone else was on.) In this life you gotta be true to yourself and make your home a nest where you wanna roost. I agree with MarieDee, if what makes you happy is following a trend give it your own spin! I love that you are being rewarded for being your awesome self, Donna. Keep on inspiring us to be our personal best; that's a trend I gladly follow!
ReplyDeleteOhhh congratulations on the feature! So exciting! It is nice when the things you like, other people get to like too. Always best to be the leader! :)
ReplyDeleteI think the biggest thing that drew me to your blog initially is that you decorated with what you HAD on hand and made it beautiful. This is something I have loved doing, for as long as I have memories of caring about my space, like starting at age 5. I love that you don't follow trends, but share how you made something that will soon become a trend! What a treat to be included in the list of trendsetters on Apartment Therapy!
ReplyDeleteTake pleasure in knowing that you have created a look that so many people enjoy! But I think the key to your "trend" is that people love what you do because they were doing the same thing. It's like we've found someone like us, but who is the Popular Girl too. :) I have surfed curbs and dug in trash piles forever, but you and others like you (and maybe the crappy economy!?) have made it popular. You definitely do it better than many, so you deserve the accolades!
ReplyDeleteYou definitely hit the (rusty!) nail on the head there Laurie. I've been rummaging round skips and tips, charity shops and car boots since forever too. For a long time this hasn't been a "trendy" thing to do .. some of my friends just think I'm weird so it's nice to know I'm not alone.. it's why I love Donna's blog .. all junkies together. On the other hand .. if it's "trendy" to be junky .. hmm .. maybe it's time to have a rethink .. afterall WE don't want to be "trendy" do we ?!
DeleteSue x
Loved the tour, congrats on the feature! I am not a trend follower as far as home decor goes, I like to find things that are unusual and not the run of the mill mass produced items. I am a traditional/vintage kind of gal and I look for things at tag sales, flea markets, antique stores, or estate sales that fit my aesthetic. I, like you, used my junk finds or make over items due to budget constraints and I really enjoy doing that. I don't think I will ever be a trend setter but I sure do love feathering my own nest in ways that make me and those visit here feel comfortable and welcome. I love having an environment that feels like me. I adore your style. Thank you for all the inspiration your blog provides.
ReplyDeleteThis whole idea is hilarious. Who buys furniture and decorates that often to even follow trends? And who cares? I don't think more than twenty different people come into my house every year, unless I have a big party or a meeting. I decorated my living room in 1976, 1986, and 1999 with what was generally available at the time and what I liked. Bloggers forget that the rest of the world is not checking design trends every week. Some items eventually look dated and tired, like tapestry throw pillows, or country ducks, When items wear out replace them. I think trends like room colors last longer than a few months, almost a decade.
ReplyDeleteDonna, sounds like you started a whole sector of decorating. What an honor. I guess eventually you will branch out to RIT dyed pallet wood, then stenciled pallet wood, then bleached pallet wood. Enjoy your notoriety. Ann
I think a person has to do what is right for them and their family- financially and in other ways as well- in order to make their home their sanctuary and a place they feel comfortable being in. Of course things come in and out of style, it's just like fashion, but there certainly are classics, and if you look at what is out there for design and decor, a lot of it is the remaking of an older style.
ReplyDeleteYou are an amazing trendsetter and the fact that your style has promoted financial and environmental responsibility as well as good design makes you a classic in my book. Eclectic isn't going anywhere!!
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ReplyDeleteHow awesome is that?! Congrats!
ReplyDeleteEverything old is new again. I became a funky junker in the early 80s. I was finishing college and setting up home...had way more imagination than $$. Lots of cast offs came our way from the grandma's...the stuff that was still around after parents and older siblings made their choices. To the uneducated eye it was junk. To me it was decor.
ReplyDeleteI think I have always been a funky junker as I didn't really have the money for all the trends. I am very eclectic and that's the way I love it. However, I do create with ideas I get from other blogs...they just inspire me....as you do!!!
ReplyDeleteCongrats!
Congrats Donna!!!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations! My two cents: There are some trends that I love enough to want to look at without turning on an electric device to enjoy. Whether I thought of it FIRST or copied someone else...is not what is important to ME! I enjoy giving credit to others if/when I copy something...it makes me feel more connected. As far as high school, she is probably right! I was on the line...great friends with the "popular crowd" and great friends with the "grunge fringe"...and everyone in between. I have always made friends with what feels right. Decor, people or anything else. Please keep up the good work! YOU are changing the world...and the world notices!
ReplyDeleteThank for sharing this idea...
ReplyDeleteAs i have been threw almost 6 decades of home decor (my parents loved to decorate too!) I find now is the best time ever! We are encouraged to follow our hearts...and that is the best TREND!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your deserved recognition! Setting out to create and being honoured for your excellence is high praise! Your TREND to me is following your heart!
ReplyDeleteWhat an awesome honor to be featured like that!:-) I think I approach my home style like my clothing style. I tend to go classic and then throw in a few trends now and then to keep things fresh. I always think that if you have some great basics (whether in your home or your closet) it is so easy to mix things up now and then. Love this post and love reading all the other comments! :-)
ReplyDeleteVanessa
Guess I do a combination! I look at the trends then see how I can interpret them in my own style.
ReplyDeleteAnd congrats on your recognition!! That is super and well deserved.
I love your style
Hugs
SUeAnn
Kick a$s! Tremendous. I'm no wiz with the tools but can't wait to get my dad's old horses and build me something. :)
ReplyDeleteHow exciting! Unexpected recognition for doing what you love!
ReplyDeleteI follow some trends but don't necessarily do them myself. Like you, I just use what I have or can find cheaply, if it's what I like. I'm quite eclectic in my decorating and it can look like a mishmash of things to me, but when people come into my home, they act like it's something stunning. I don't think it is. LOL! I like the rustic look and a bit of shabby chic, but don't do either in my home so much.
I think being yourself is the trend. People seem to be embracing individualism and uniqueness more and more. I think it's here to stay for a while. In any case, I guess you are a trend setter because you promote just that!
ReplyDeleteI am like you..I go to the beat of my own drum. And it started years ago with little money and a desire to make a nice home for my family. I was "junking" long before it was "in" like 40 years ago! LOL! I must admit I did garner a lot of ideas from magazines but not because it was "trendy"...I'm the same in how I dress too and I've never cared much for what people think of me...others opinions don't really figure into the equation but then I am not winning any popularity contests either. I must say though I am not what I consider "creative" like you and back in the day no man would teach me anything! My father was a builder and I used to beg him to teach me but no...I was "just a girl". Oh well...I learned anyway, like you but I'm not as talented or creative as you are but I'm SO happy I found you! You give me and so many others courage, knowledge and inspiration! You ROCK!!!! How's that coming from an old lady! LOL! Congrats on your well-deserved recognition!
ReplyDeleteDonna - I'm so excited for you! I love all your re-purposing, and how fun so many are recognizing what you do so well naturally. Congratulations on being brave and posting the 'out of the ordinary' ideas and ways of doing things :-D!
ReplyDeleteI fill my home with things I like - whether or not they're in style. But, I think I have no style. At all.
ReplyDeleteLooking at my Pinterest "Living Room" and other boards, I guess I'm Spanish Mission, Rustic, Lodge, Cabin Vintage style.
It's funny...to see things on Etsy, West End, of course Pottery Barn, and know that it's first appeared on Junky Junk, Nesting Place, and others.
And, yeah, there's been some of my stuff I've seen in places too. (Not because anyone is reading my blog and copying, but rather the same idea was just ripe for the doing.)
I had to laugh at this one because I have found recently that certain aspects of our home are "trendy!" My husband will be the first to admit that I buy what I like and I like what I buy.... but I do not like to spend much money except on quality furniture made to last. You know like the leather sofa with classic lines, the old bird cage I got from a yard sale for $1, and the ironstone platter I bought at a estate sale 21 years ago for $1 (because it was what I could afford at the time and I REALLY liked it!) Come to find out recently that I was "trendy"! Hmm yeah!
ReplyDeleteI think that it is really neat that you are trendy but most importantly that you decorate for YOU!
TAke care now!!
I tend to stay away from the trends. It's not because I don't like them, but I am a non-conformist at heart. If everyone is doing it then I don't want to. Like the starburst mirrors...I don't like them. I don't understand why everyone wants one. You, my friend, are your own person. Even if you start a trend, no one can do it like you do. Lisa~
ReplyDeleteDonna I was laughing so hard because I immediately thought of the hay they put on the walls on HGTV. I saw that too and thought I sure hope that lady doesn't have hay fever.
ReplyDeleteI have been decorating with junk since I was a little girl. I love to get creative with
junk. I made a floor lamp out of pieces of columns that someone threw away. When I got tired of it, I used them for flower pots. That was in the 60's. I have been collecting for 40 years. I love JUNK!!!
YES! Those beginning shows were so over the top. Remember the one where they cut the flower heads off a hug bunch of silk flowers and GLUED them onto the bathroom walls!
DeleteThe hay wall was so silly as well...
lol
Cindy (sorry have to post as anonymous since I haven't quite figured out how to choose on the drop down button to reply as anything else yet)