what's your decorating style?

Once upon a while ago, I had these awesome plans that eventually, Steve and I would move to New York where I’d edit Domino magazine and he’d edit The New York Times. I’m pretty sure someone slipped some speed into my Milo or something because even if Domino hadn’t folded, I somehow don’t imagine my name would be anywhere near their “future editor list”, let alone at the top of it. But, back then when I was deputy editor at real living, had no children and lived and breathed decor magazines, that was my dream and it kinda didn’t seem too far a stretch as it does now! And Deborah Needleman, the first and only Domino editor, not only had my dream job, but my dream house. Hardly new to the blog world, these images are of her New York loft. And while my home doesn’t actually look this, it’s my kind of style and - I’d like to think – has some similar elements.

I love everything about this living room. Seeing as I can’t move in, I’d settle for the cushions on her couches. Anyone have a clue where they’re from? Anyone?

For just about ever I’ve tried to sum up my “style”. Retro, vintage and colourful it is most definitely not, but the rest? Goodness knows. It’s hard to narrow down. Especially when I like sooo many different kinds. So, I let Deborah do it for me. She’s teamed up with an American superstore called HomeGoods and designed a quiz to help us condense our home style into two words to help you in your decorating, purchasing and description to magazines when they shoot your home and ask you the inevitable “Describe your style” question. Cause we’ll all have that happen to us…

My style? Bohemian classic. At first I went “PFFT. My home does not look like Kate Hudson (with whom I associate the boho look).” Although come to think of it, I have on more than one occasion, considered using Kate as my style muse and going all earthy and carefree with a slight ’70s feel – paisley prints, leather ottomans and sheepskin rugs. And then I do all that and it doesn’t look anything like Kate Hudson in living-room form. Nor does it look like Kate Hudson’s actual living room, which I posted about here (oh wait, not her living room, it’s her bathroom, but I have seen her living room…) And then I read the actual blurb that came with my result and realised maybe it was true…

You have a refined sensibility and bring a sense of history and tradition into your decor. You appreciate how symmetrical arrangements and beautiful, well-crafted pieces create a solid foundation to a room. But you like to shake up this restraint with objects and accessories that express your personality and your love of other cultures. When traveling, you seek out unique objects that reflect what you love, and you use them in a sophisticated way. You want people to feel comfortable in your home, and cozy chairs, ethnic fabrics, unique pieces, and even a little touch of quirk or humor give your house a laid-back, Bohemian flair.

You value creativity. You are stylish and fun loving, and can be an inspiration to others. You have a natural sense of drama, and you know you have to be willing to take risks—whether with colors, finishes, furniture choices, or ideas—for your home to stand out. Your home can be happy and lively and the place all of your friends want to be.

And in particular? The colour thing. The palette was blues, teal, grey and lilac – exactly what I choose to use in my home: You are probably not one to go in for crazy color, and you may want to keep things fairly neutral and sophisticated overall. But try selecting a duo or trio of colors that work well together, and introduce one or more of them into your curtains, wall color or rugs.

And just to convince me even more this is now the decorating mantra I must live by: Deborah Needleman is also Bohemian Classic. Practically twins. I think this quiz just confirmed what I was thinking for a while anyway: screw the trends and out-there stuff; go with what you love. But it’s still nice to be able to sum it up in two words…

A bit more on her home… My Google searching gets obsessive. I discover I can google something for hours and find much more than I intended to find out. Like Deborah’s garden and the entertaining area in it was used in my fave outdoor room in Domino. And her bedroom and living room were also used in Domino shoots, and that there used to be a video tour of her home on Pottery Barn’s website but it’s disappeared. Shame, I’d have loved to have seen it, being the stalker that I am…

 The guest bathroom, as designed by Rita Konig and pictured in Domino mag

The garden: how it appeared on a garden tour (top); and how it was styled for Domino.

Want to take the quiz yourself? Click here. You just need to input your name and zip code. And thanks to popular culture, I know one US zip code: 90210. So sorry HomeGoods if you suddenly think Beverly Hills is obsessed with your store, it’s probably just the rest of the world calling…

The Australian International School of Colour and Design also has a style quiz. Again, I think the images and text reflected my “style” (results above) but it’s hard to put your exact style into practice when your husband’s style probably doesn’t rate a mention on any quiz it’s so…. different…

So go forth and learn your style. Does it sound like you? Do you think it’s helpful to know when you’re buying furniture and accessories?

And in other Domino-staff news… Rita Konig is now blogging for the New York Times’ The Moment, Tom Delavan has a website with yummy pics of places he’s decorated/styled, and of course, some of the former staff are launching a new online mag, called Lonny, coming soon.

{Images: 1 & 3 via Tom Delavan; 2, 4 & 5 via New York mag; 6 viaDesign Public; 7 via Garden Conservancy; 8 via Domino mag RIP. And thanks to Simple Lovely for alerting me to the quiz in the first place!}