I am so grateful that Pinterest exists. I spend way too much time on that wonderful site getting thousands of ideas for my kids’ bedroom or a crazy dinner recipe from the Mediterranean. Sadly, many of these projects are born, live, and die in my imagination. You may relate to this. With so many possibilities for creating beauty in the life around you, where do you begin?
Views of Spanish Colonials on Pinterest may be inspiring, but if you live in the standard American home, it’s unlikely you will be able to adopt the same style to your own home. Tempting pictures of adobe-tiled roofs and arched entryways are glamorous, but the reality is that your home is best decorated with the accents best suited to its architectural style. An English cottage is not going to look good with Spanish tile walkways any more than a Frank Lloyd Wright imitation will favor country furnishings. Match your home improvement projects with the style of your own home and you will have greater success at wowing guests, or just creating your own little back yard paradise.
Even if you may be limited in style, you can still adopt new furnishings that transform an ordinary home into a fantasy getaway. All you have to do is expand the limits of your imagination past beige walls and traditional design elements. So what style of home do you have? Here’s a few examples of great matches in your home:
Home Style: New England, Project: Red Brick Fireplace
The classic feel of a Colonial home just begs for a red aged brick fireplace. Preferably this would be a real wood fireplace, but gas works too. Brick creates an authentic and vintage feel that will warm any room, especially when the fire burns. Flank the fireplace with book shelves and store a small library there.
Home Style: Urban, Project: Miniature Courtyard
In Urban neighborhoods, space is a scarce resource. Making the most of that space is tricky and requires a certain minimalist angle. But you can do something really cool with your backyard. Picture your backyard as a canvas and you get to paint it, but you only have 3 “colors” to fill it. Then let your creative juices flow. What are the “colors”? Some basic ideas could be grass, bedrock, wood patio, and stone tile.
I personally love the organic element of grass. Stone compliments the grass, so some outdoor tile is a great choice. With the last color, I kind of want to add some utility to the scene. This could be an out door table, or (my preference) a hot tub. Research potential “colors” on Pinterest then piece it all together and you’ve got a backyard that you’ll want to spend many summer nights in.
Home Style: Country, Project: Front Porch
The face of a country style home is the front porch and door. So think of what expression you want the home to say. I want mine to say “welcome”, “relaxed”, and “time-tested”. Wood is the flavor of what I want my front porch too look like. I can incorporate that into a new front door, porch and porch furniture. Next, comes figuring out what kind of wood fits with my exterior design. Research some color guides to decide what fits best for you.
Pinterest is great. Harness that sea of ideas to match the home you already live in. You’re probably going to need some help building your idea. Patcon Contracting has some great people to work with to make your home vision a reality.
