Is that terrible?
As I’ve been living in and decorating my house bit by bit, I’ve learned a few things about myself:
1. I’m not a meticulous or deliberate decorator/designer, like the writers of some of my favorite home blogs (this, that, or them, for example). I am jealous of those people, but not jealous enough to try really hard to be like them. I am impulsive and off-and-on; I have a sense of what I like and just go for that. I’m not very good at imagining the big picture, so I do things a little at a time.
2. I’m not afraid of bold color (hello, big green couch) or pattern (hello, eight different prints in my living room). Perhaps I should be more afraid. But I’m not. Speaking of this, Dorothy Draper is my homegirl.
3. Related to #1 and #2 and to the title of this post, I’m not one for restraint or subtlety (hello again, big green couch; apparently you are emblematic of my personal decorating style). I’m not one to use neutrals and then “spice” things up with “pops” or my favorite colors or patterns. And so, I want a huge, ruffly duvet cover. ‘Cause I love ruffles, and I need a duvet cover. And a little ruffly pillow is not enough.
To back up a bit: I only recently acquired a bed. I’d been sleeping on my mattress, on top of the boxspring, sitting on the floor, for a long time. Okay like a year. I finally bought a bed at Ikea:
After I spent FOUR HOURS assembling it, I decided I would try to go against my instincts and make my bedroom subtle and neutral. It had previously had a color scheme of brown and white and pink, so I just subtracted the pink. I’d seen lots of beautiful bedrooms done in whites, creams, ivories, and browns, so I figured I could do it too.
I suppose I should mention that I have brown curtains with a BOLD rick-rack-looking pattern on them, and lamps with taupe toile-ish shades, but still — neutral colors, right? Anyway…
I apparently can’t deal with the understatedness (understatement?) because I’ve been searching for the aforementioned huge ruffled duvet cover. Also brainstorming various colors to paint things or to cover pillows with. If it weren’t for the curtains, which I love, I think I would throw the whole neutral thing to the wind and do the whole room in white, navy, and bright yellow.
For now, I will see if an overload of texture (ruffles) will appease me. Once I find the duvet, perhaps I will add…
and/or…
or possibly…
We’ll see.
March 13, 2010 at 4:15 pm
Ruffled pillow on a ruffled comforter? I think I like the middle pillow the best. Could you move the brown curtains to the wrapping room and do your bedroom in navy/yellow? Either way, I know it will look great because you are so good at putting stuff together! You can come decorate the cardboard box I will be living in when my lease runs out.
March 13, 2010 at 4:18 pm
Ruffles EVERYWHERE. That’s the point.
You like the second pillow best because that is the Thomas Paul one that costs 100 dollars. I will buy you a couple for your cardboard box.
May 5, 2010 at 10:15 am
OMG you’re blogging. I’m buying a white duvet, too! Help me talk Ben into ruffles.
PS: You do not give yourself enough decorator credit.
PPS: Post more pics of your room. You never let me go up there, so I don’t know which curtains you speak of.