The Doctor is In

As I write, my Privet and Holly

mascot, little Gracie Marie,

is under the weather.

Way, way under.

She has a bulging disc

in her spine between L-4

and L-5 and is pretty

miserable.  The vet

warned us to keep

her confined.....no

jumping on couches,

using stairs or generally

being her usual joyous

and exuberant self

for the next two weeks.

Yikes.

Her favorite place to

be when she's feeling bad?

On a lap.  Preferably,

on her mama's lap, which

would 

be 

mine.

So, despite a growing

end of school to-do list,

I've found myself in my

TV chair often in the

last few days, holding

and petting my ailing pup,

whispering encouraging words

 and catching up

on some design shows

that I had Tivo-ed but

not made time to watch.

From Secrets of a Stylist

One of my favorites is

HGTV's Secrets of a

Stylist, starring the last

Design Star winner,

Emily Henderson.  She

cleverly diagnoses the

design styles that each half

of a couple is drawn to, 

 which helps her to

re-design a room or space

that uniquely reflects both 

of their personalities.

Emily Henderson via HGTV

Does your home mirror

both you and your spouse

or house mate..... or does

it mainly depict just one

of you?  This show got 

me thinking about that very

idea.  Does our house say us

 or does it just say me?

What is our design style?

HGTV offers an on-line Design

 Taste Test to determine design

compatibility.  Each of you takes

the test individually and then

they e-mail you your results.

Fun.

I was surprised when I

answered the last question

and up popped my style diagnosis:

  Your style is Rustic.

Really?  Wow.  But I

guess I shouldn't be surprised,

since I love exposed wood

beams, broken in leather

chairs, family heirlooms and

pieces with a past.

A favorite re-do from

Secrets of a Stylist

With some coaxing, my

sweet hubby took the 

test and.....wow, again,

because his diagnosis was 

also Rustic.  Here are the

design doctor's notes:

Rustic-Rustic:  You like "real" things--

including your relationship!  Your

shared love of casual surroundings

and warm, muted colors will make

for a warm, inviting home, but sometimes

casual can turn to careless, and you'll

have to watch that you don't slip

from country chic to shabby.

The doctor then went on to give us

a few specific ideas on how to do the

 Rustic Look right, finishing with this

caveat:  Remember, sometimes you

can say more with less; with Rustic,

a little can go a long way.

My husband was surprised that

we were a {design} match, as he

 thinks some of my Rustic finds have

 gone a bit too far.  I want our

home to feel as much like him as

it does like me, so I'll be working 

on hitting just the right note to please

us both, even if that means editing

a few of the pieces that make him

uncomfortable.  Like this stool.

He's not a fan!

Courtesy of Farmgirl Paints

How important is it to you that

your home communicate the style

of both {grown-ups} who live there? 

Have you ever taken a style

diagnostic test?

The Design Taste Test literally takes

a minute.  I'd love to know what

YOUR style is and how you have

meshed it with your partner's.  So,

if you can spare the time, please

give it a whirl, here, and then 

share your results : )

In the meantime, please hand

me that remote.  Gracie and I

have some snuggling to do!

xx

Suzanne

images  4, 5, 7:  HGTV

Posted in design , dogs , home