My decorating style is “Suburban”
September 30, 2010
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So I’ve noticed something lately when watching my favorite design shows. There is one word that seems to strike fear in the heart of many a “real” decorator…
Their mouth puckers up like they just drank lemon juice.
They look like they just swallowed a bug.
They look as if they may just spit out the word…cause it’s just so completely hideous.
That word that makes them quiver…
SUBURBAN
(Runs screaming from the computer. Arms flailing. Trembling.)
But I don’t get it. Never have. I don’t understand what’s so bad about “suburban.”
I know, I know. To them it means normal…average…just like the next one. To me it means warm and cozy -- it can even be classic. And, YES, normal.
What’s wrong with normal? Normal can most certainly be pretty. Warm can definitely be different. Cozy can be innovative once and a while.
But to me, more than anything…"suburban" means a family live here.
Why is that so horrible?
For years I’ve tried to figure out my own decorating style, and I’ve never really nailed it down. I’m really traditional, a little bit transitional.
But then I heard that “suburban” word one more time a couple of weeks ago, and I realized…that’s ME! My style is Suburban.
And I’m proud of it.
To me, it’s family and friends plopping down on your couch, getting something out of your fridge, sitting around your kitchen table playing card games.
I found the definition of Suburban online, just because I was curious:
sub·ur·ban (sə-bûrˈbən)
adjective
- 1. Of, relating to, or characteristic of a suburb. (Check.)
2. Located or residing in a suburb. (Check.)
3. Of, relating to, or characteristic of the culture, customs, and manners typical of life in the suburbs. (Check. Check. Check.)
And one day…maybe moving to a house that’s not in a neighborhood, one that’s older than ten years old, on some land with a creek in the back. (Or crick, if you’re a Hoosier.)
But any one of those would still be decorated in my Suburban style. Warm and cozy, cozy and warm…and normal. In my way, normal.
My normal is not your normal, which is why Suburban could never be average. Just in the same way one person’s contemporary isn’t another person’s contemporary. Styles are translated differently by all of us.
And every style can be comfortable and welcoming. Contemporary can most definitely say a family lives here…but that doesn’t make it boring.
My style is Suburban and I am not ashamed. What’s yours? :)
I am 100% with you on this one! I love suburban, my neighbors houses all have white trim and the same front door, my street isn't busy, my colors are warm. Suburban is comfortable and homey and I love it! Not too old, not too modern :)
ReplyDeleteI am the other HIDEOUS word(s): Pottery Barn
ReplyDeleteI admit it. I love it. I love the "catalog" cookie cutter look. I am flattered when someone says your home looks like it is a page from a PB catalog.
I too have been searching for my style...and it comes down to the fact that I LOVE this look and I will admit, shout it, sing it...b/c at the end of the day...it is what I adore.
Thank you for the post.
Cheers~
e
I love your home, It is had to believe children live there. Ha ha. I am a young wife and mamma of 2, starting my life getting to know what family is all about and you are truly inspiring me. I am learning so much and little by little I will begin decoration my house. I take pride in my home, and seeing yours makes me feel even more proud of how I can make it look! THANKS! :)
ReplyDeleteDo you hear me clapping for you? Yes, it should be a home - warm and fuzzy - not cold and clinical - suburbanite describes a home - not a staging of a house.
ReplyDeleteLove all your personal touches.
Umm you totally took all those pics after I cleaned your house! And my style is "Whatever my rockin big sis doesn't want anymoreista"
ReplyDeleteI love your home! For that matter, I guess I am suburban too!
ReplyDeleteHey, we play euchre too! I always thought it was a Canadian thing... ;)
ReplyDeleteI am the same...very suburban. Almost transient, that I like to shake things up more than once in a while. Is that a style...transient?
K.
AMEN SISTER! I LOVE this post! What's wrong with a home that feels and looks like the home that houses a family?! I love my neighborhood in suburbia. Love that my house backs up to my son's best friend's house. Love cozy, warm and inviting decor. My style is suburban too!
ReplyDeleteI love your home, and I have been inspired to try new things in my home because of you.
ReplyDeleteEven though I live in southern California, my entire family lives in Indiana. I tried to learn how to play euchre(correct spelling, btw!) and I never got the hang of it! Too much strategy involved for me, I guess.
well said!! I once poo-poo'd the 'burbs, too. Until I had children. And moved here. And tripled my square footage without tripling my mortgage. And you know what, I love it. LOVE IT! I even love finding someone who has my same "house model" so we can swap stories of how to decorate soaring ceilings, loft spaces, etc. My husband and I love to visit model homes. We love our suburban home. And yeah, we also dream of that little cottage by the sea in the Pacific Northwest...but that's for when the only children in our home are the visiting ones who belong to our own (grown) children...that's many, many years away... and that's just fine by me.
ReplyDeleteYuker? I know nothing of this strange game..maybe because I live in the Northwest?
ReplyDeleteI completely agree! I love classic, timeless styles that are livable and stylish. I want comfort in addition to style.
ReplyDeleteThen I am definitely Suburban too. Thank you so much for clarifying that for me! Lately I've been leaning more transitional, but Suburban is where it's at!
ReplyDeleteI am totally Suburban meets Pottery Barn with a bit of "thrift store chic". Although, I do have a thing for shabby chic and vintage milk glass. So really, the style depends on the room :) But yeah, I'm probably a decorators nightmare.Oh well, our home is comfy and OURS.
ReplyDeleteI'm 100% with you. If some people are allowed to like contemporary, minimalistic, modern, ec. styles, then we're allowed to like suburban, too. I know a couple that constantly furrow their brows at anything "normal" or "suburban." Well, people like suburbs for a reason. They are clean, comfortable, and family oriented. (most of the time) I live in what must be the suburban cap. of the world- Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, and I love it. It was my dream growing up and now I'm living it. More power to you!
ReplyDeleteLove this post. I know exactly what you mean...what's so bad about the word "Suburban"? So many great things come out of the suburbs just like the cities but you just have to look for them. I love how each home may look similar in our development but inside each home there has a special unique quality. I'm blessed to be close enough to have dinner in the city, an afternoon at the beach or a 10 min trip to a local farm for some produce. Our culture may be different in the suburbs but that doesn't make it any less design savvy than that of a big city. Love your home and love your style. Keeping being a suburbanite! :)
ReplyDeleteI'm not Suburban at all, it's not my style and I don't like it all that much...BUT...I lurve you! I think it's awesome that you found what works for you in YOUR home. I'm more vintage-cottage-boathouse-ish. If that's even a style. For me though, it's because I grew up on the coast in Maine and I've been transplanted to Georgia (in the suburbs!), and I love it. But sometimes I'm homesick, and I'm creating what to me feels like a cottage on the ocean, so *I* feel like home in the suburbs. I think that's what it's all about. I applaud you in finding you. Keep up the great work!
ReplyDeleteIt's obviously all about what you make it! Suburbia has the negative connotation of cookie cutter with no character. Your house is filled with character (and characters :)! Loved seeing pics of your rooms all in the same post. You SHOULD be proud!
ReplyDeleteI don't know how to play yuker, but I so enjoyed your post!
ReplyDeleteI don't live in the suburbs. I'm a city girl. But there's nothing wrong with being suburban. I love your suburban style. I love warm and cozy. I'm not really sure what my style is either. I like a little warm and cozy paired up with white and fresh and a little thrift store chic. So what does that make me? :)
ReplyDeleteAGREED!
ReplyDeleteAgreed, agreed, agreed.
From a fellow euchre playing "more than corn in Indiana" Hoosier (that hasn't lived there in over a decade!), I'm cheering you on! Lots of love for Suburban!
ReplyDeleteComing from a design background and now having a family but yet an addiction to design blogs... it sometimes makes me feel uneasy with all the catalog/magazine homes and even doubt myself and style :(
"A Family Lives Here"... that's perfect in it's imperfection!
I think my style is schizophrenic... it just depends on which room you are in :)
ReplyDeleteHannah @ http://youngancrafty.blogspot.com/
Great post and also pretty funny! Yeah for suburbia...and how I ended up in one still baffles me! Janell
ReplyDeleteMy style is simple vintage cottage. Not cluttered with a bunch of small things, but definitely warm and cozy with lots of white, green & just a touch of pink and silver. Everyone that walks in says, Oh, it's like a little cottage. Actually we live in a suburban subdivision rental house. I have loved putting my own touches on it with very little money. I don't care if it looks like a magazine photo. I just want my family and friends to be comfortable when they are here.
ReplyDeleteI still don't know what my style is. I know what I like and when I get my house a decorator will look at all the pictures I have collected and tell me what I am. maybe it's suburban.
ReplyDeleteWe spell 'Yuker' Euchre here in Michigan. I wonder if it is the same game?
Your home is beautiful! Don't let those TV designer's with their inflated ego's get under your skin. ~Ames
ReplyDeleteWho are *those* people that make the decorating rules anyway? I say live in your home the way you like it. Is it comfortable, warm inviting and says *you*? That is the definition of style to me. I hope I have all that. I do try. :)
ReplyDeleteI love this post! You are so funny. I so envy your beautiful complete (compared to mine lol) suburban home!!! I understand the warm and cozy ideal. I am eager for my home to feel like a family lives there. It's getting close, but until then I'll live vicariously through your blog.
ReplyDeletemanymomentsofme.blogspot.com
Faithful reader, not so faithful commenter, but I had to kick my lazy butt in gear to pop over from my reader feed to say AMEN!
ReplyDeleteAwesome post, Sarah!
I have always considered my decorating style to be "sophisticated casual" even though it totally sounds like an oxymoron. lol I have a casual style, but not frumpy casual...it's more sophisticated but still very 'livable.' I definitely want people to feel comfortable in my home and not like its a showplace or museum.
ReplyDeleteLove your 'suburban' style, by the way! :)
Well said! I always turn off the tv the SECOND I hear the word suburban or 'commercialized' used with disgust..because you know what? 97-ish% of the viewers buy commercial goods and live in suburbia! Talk about alienating your audience. I live right in the middle of a pretty big city in an 1932 home but I love your blog & I love reading about how you change it and make it 'yours' :)
ReplyDeleteI love your style! I would buy your house furnished if you'd sell it to me and we were house hunting on your street! LOL!
ReplyDeleteI totally get that ~ you put it perfectly!! I am proud of my suburban home as well, and no... it's not perfect. But I wouldn't have it any other way :)
ReplyDeleteShoot, I'm suburban too and proud! And lemme say that YOU do suburban proud! Keep it real--keep it thrifty--you're SO right--real people live in our homes! A loft in the city may be cool, but I'll take my quarter-acre plot, thank you!
ReplyDeleteOh I'm loving everything you just said! That's exactly what my husband and I say whenever we watch the design shows! I've been trying to figure out our design style for a while, and you saying that it's okay to be suburban and normal helps a ton. Suburban and proud of it!
ReplyDeleteI too struggle with what "style" I am. I actually just did a post on it tonight. I'm a mix of many things and suburban is one of them. I've tried all neutrals - too blah. I've tried black - too dark. I'm a mix of all things I love. Shabby, French, Suburban, Urban, Modern, etc. Whatever makes it feel like "home" is my style.
ReplyDeleteI love the warm and spice of a rustic home- what I love is a huge harvest table, lots of candles, rich deep reds, chocolate accents, and Mystic Gold for walls. Here is a sampling of wall colours I love, Sun Dried Tomato, Mystic Gold, Rusty Nail, Warmed Cognac, Chocolate Fondue, and Caramel Apple. Lynn Waller of Pixie Dust Painting - Benjamin Moore Painting and Decorating Services
ReplyDeleteTOTALLY 100% with you!! Lol. I love the city...but I am a soccer, ballet, baseball, neighborhood, mom. And while I want it to look pretty, our house has to work...because a family does live here!
ReplyDeleteShannon
www.akadesign.ca
Ok so I've decided my style is Rustic-French-Provincial-Suburban-Australian! There you have it! Haha
ReplyDeleteAmen! :)
ReplyDeleteI love your style! You have such great ideas. I thought your style was traditional....but totally see suburban too. :)
ReplyDeleteNicole
You made an extremely good point :) Although I really like the modern look, it never looks as if someone is actually living there. Suburban is where the home is at.
ReplyDeleteMy style is definitely not suburban. I am more coastal cottage chic. No tile and granite for me. More wood, stone and marble . BUT - I do like suburban. That is the style I grew up in - and I like it alot...but just not for my home. My mom is the quintessential suburban decorator and I love her style.
ReplyDeleteHello I am new to blogging and honestly have no clue what I am doing, but your blog is one of the blogs that has inspired me to start my very own blog, even if I end up being the only one who ever see it LOL! Thank you for the inspiration!!!
ReplyDeleteWahoo! Love your post Sarah!
ReplyDeleteAlso, if you need a custom shade, drop by I am giving one away on the ol blog.
xo,
cristin
I love that term! I think it really fits. And as for me, my style is 'loves too much of everything'. Otherwise known and eclectic not in a cute way! ;D
ReplyDeleteI am still trying to find my center!
Love it Sarah!!! I agree -- warm and cozy is the way to go. I also have always wondered what my style was. I love color and can't imagine living in a all-white home. Plus I want my furniture to be comfortable. I want to be able to take a nap on my couch!
ReplyDeleteGreat post!!!
xox
Jen
I've had a hard time defining my style. I like traditional overstuffed furniture but abstract modern art. Go figure! I finally decided to stop defining my style and let what I like become my style! Bonus points: it means all those weird husband/kid collections can be part of your style, too!
ReplyDeleteIt's been hard for me to define my design style- I'm on the other spectrum where I like white and neutral spaces most of the time, just feels classic and clean to me. When you found your word and it clicked for you, that is what matters. Your home looks like a place I'd like to be invited to for a cup of coffee and a chat . . . and that's a good thing!
ReplyDeleteDitto what The Writer Chic said. I have you on my reader feed too. Every day I get on to see what project you are working next! Sorry I have never made a comment before. I LOVE your blog! It is definitely one of my favorites! Keep up the good work!!
ReplyDeleteSo, when can you come decorate my house? LOL I absolutely love everything you have done to your home!
Really? What show was this?
ReplyDeleteS
xo
I love your home. It looks cozy and welcoming. A funny thing though...scrolling down the pictures and landing on the one of your kitchen. The thought running through my mind was "I bet I know how she got all those lemons on that tray!!!" *giggle* "FOCUS" isn't going well with me this morning.
ReplyDeleteSuburban fits you.
Currently I have no style,unless BuildingSite is a style!! But if it ends up looking like yours or just close give me suburban any time!!
ReplyDeleteGreat post! There is nothing wrong with "Suburban", just as there is nothing wrong with Contemporary, Vintage, Shabby Chic, Country, Coastal...the list goes on. It's called HOME! Good designers design homes around the families that live in them, not around some ideal.
ReplyDeleteThank you for this post!
ReplyDeleteThe line 'it means a family lives here'... went straight to my heart!
Oh my stars, this is the BEST post I have read in FOREVER! I agree so much with everything you have written and that, dear blog friends, is why HGTV has pretty much lost me as a fan these days. I miss the HGTV of old! LOL
ReplyDeleteWell, said!!!!!
I am a new follower of your blog and am loving it! There are so many similar looks in your house and mine and plenty of spots in my house that I wish looked like yours. LOL Loved this post...I am so with you on this...in addition I drive a van (gasp) and stay home with my kids (in my neighorhood that is a double gasp from some) and I love both. Yes, i love my van everybody...better than I loved my Lexus. I am not ashamed! Viva Suburbia!!!!
ReplyDeleteOH you are so funny!! I love this!! Okay I would have never have thought of Suburban as a style (yeah you can tell how much television I watch, heh?) but I think you nailed it on the head. As for style, well I've come to the conclusion we are definitely eclectic. I decorate with old family heirlooms, thrift store finds, childhood decor, and our children's artwork. I had to laugh because I think our house does sit more than 30 feet away from the "curb" (road in our case) and our place in New York does have a crick out behind it. Have a great day and keep up the awesome work!!! :)
ReplyDeleteWell, I think I like "Suburban" much better than a *designer* gluing hay to someone's walls like in that infamous episode of Trading Spaces. ;)
ReplyDeleteWell said! I'm right there with you! I love that you create great spaces in your home that work for you and aren't just examples of the latest design trend. There is always something inspiring around here. :)
ReplyDeleteI would say I am a mixture of trying to incorporate modern and unexpected touches into my suburban design. It's hard when you live in suburbia and have others over who do to, you want a house that is welcoming, function, while still being stylish. And I see nothing wrong with that!
ReplyDeleteLOVE IT! Can you pitch that show to HGTV, "Suburban Style" - lots of builder beige walls out there just itchin' for some suburban style!
ReplyDeleteLove it. Love your style! Love your SUBURBAN-NESS!!
ReplyDeleteAnd I am from MD, and we say crick too! So you gave me a laugh today!
Well, I will have to say, that I LOVE your style! Suburban is GREAT!!! I like to decorate, but at the moment have no style. Does that make sense? Maybe someday, will be able to actually have style. As of right now, my forest green carpet along with dark green couch and floral couch, is not a great start to what I would like to see. But we just moved in to our first house, so no complaints from me!!! LOVE BEING A HOMEOWNER :D
ReplyDeleteMy business card says Interior Designer, it's how I pay my bills and encourage my crafty streak.
ReplyDeleteI'm SUBURBAN too! So, your style is officially designer- approved because I LOVE IT and totally want to borrow a bunch of ideas you highlight and make them for my own place. Like your beadboard kitchen island. :)
I was raised a small town Hoosier and my decorating is basement attic mom's barn thrifty suburbanite. My house is tidy, but is definately lived in. Learning how to reuse and rework what is available is half the fun of decorating!!
ReplyDeleteI never understood that either! I love that style!
ReplyDeleteHi Sarah! I am a big fan of your suburban style. I'm currently trying to accomplish the same in my home. Thanks for the inspiration!
ReplyDeleteEclectic, for sure.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure what my style is - I don't follow trends, I have a lot of furniture I inherited that I cannot paint, and I just try to make sure everything stays clean and coordinated. The decorator magazines might be appalled at my lack of home decor style, but we are pretty comfy here. Even so, I admire what I see on other's blogs - it does help me make small changes here and there.
ReplyDeleteProudly SUBURBAN!!!! Yea! It means family, imperfection, love, acceptance, warmth, "used", come-on-in-and-join-us-for-dinner-even-if-we're-not-quite-sure-what-we're-having-yet. Yea, suburban. Love it!!
ReplyDeleteAMEN, Girl! I love, love, LOVE this post! You really hit the nail on the head. There is no shame in the warm comforts of a family-filled home. Those with pretentious tendencies not need apply :)
ReplyDelete~Christi
LOFT ...that is what ethenallen.com told me my style was. lol They said....The verdict is in—your style is Loft. Loft is energetic. Fashion-driven. Practical. Materials borrowed from industry, architecture, and nature. Clean shapes. Punches of color. Spontaneous and fresh. Kids and pets? Bring them on.
ReplyDeleteUm...okay. If they say so. :)
www.paintedstudio.blogspot.com
SO good to hear this! Being a newlywed and just starting out in the real world (aka not in a dorm room/college house), I've been trying to nail down my design style! But I always feel bad that I'm so "normal" or "suburban". Nice to know I'm not alone and its NOT a bad thing! :)
ReplyDeleteI love your style, I want you to come to my house and take over! :)
ReplyDeleteThank you for this post. This describes my feelings exactly! I love decorating shows and seeing beautiful spaces, but so many times I think "It looks nice, but it's so not practical to family life...does anyone ever really live like that?"
ReplyDeleteSo, I love your blog because you show that a family friendly home can be beautiful and modern and still welcoming and practical, and not too expensive!
I agree sista! The burb life is nothing to be feared!
ReplyDeleteGreat post!! I did a defining my style post a few weeks back:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.thecountrychiccottage.net/2010/08/defining-my-style.html
I just decided my style was "ME". :)
Your home is so beautiful. Glad you embrace your own personal style. I am mucho jealous...we have lots of ideas but not as much money, time or energy...although you've inspired me, maybe now i'll finally read the 80 pg instruction manual on my new sewing machine and crank out those drapes I bought fabric for 5 months ago!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteWow! You actually dare to admit you have an average, cozy, warm, friendly, inviting, family-oriented home -- that's not without color, not all hard edges and is actually lived in? Yea! So refreshing...I really knew it all along, but you know, with the shift of people moving back to the cities, it's so not "in", and me and my family, in our late-60's style split-level appreciate your suburbia satisfaction!
ReplyDeleteI can't really pinpoint my style, it's just "me". I think a little eclectic-vintage-modern country ish?
ReplyDeleteI know what I like and I don't really think I'm pin downed to a certain style. I don't worry too much what decorator styles say you should do in your home. If I have to live here, than I better love it!
regardless of label, your home is gorgeous. That picture wall is stunning and, yes, "homey" (not to be confused with homely....:) ). I think it looks beautiful and is someplace I would walk into and feel at ease.
ReplyDeleteI love your home so much and your suburban style, it makes me smile. You have a fantastic sense of style and decor.
ReplyDeleteLOVE this post! It's so true & I'm sure so many people get lost in other people's style & lose sight of what's important to them. I definitely think my home says that it's lived in & I love seeing what you do with yours b/c it's just beautiful! :-) Have a great weekend!
ReplyDeleteI really like this posting. I am new to your website. I don't know how I stumbled across it, but it has turned into my new favorite site. I wanted to tell you, I love your house pictures - especially the brown wall with the white mirror and accents. BEAUTIFUL! Love your posts! Keep 'em comin'!
ReplyDeleteThank you for this! Sometimes, I feel like my house is a naughty word. I live in a 1950's ranch in suburban Midwest. Design blogs seem to hate ranches and the general Midwest with a passion, and it's so hard to find inspiring imagery that is actually relevant to our laid-back suburban lifestyle. I regularly look at adorable, fuschia-painted little Louis chairs and think, "Either my husband will break that the first time he sits on it, or my dogs will eat it." Or see great photos of small square-footage Manhattan apartments that just doesn't covert to our roomy rambler. I feel liberated by your post. I too am suburban, and proud of it.
ReplyDeleteHey TDC! I'm not sure if you'll ever see this among the 88 comments you got from this post, but I loved reading. Thank you for letting us into your beautiful home!!
ReplyDeleteMy post today is about interior style and I gave you a shot out because I love your blog so much!!
Happy Friday!!
Telia, NewlyWedWifeLife
I don't think there's anything wrong with the word suburban. I think the most important thing to think about when design a home is that it fits the lifestyle of those in it. Not just how you currently use the space but how you want to use it.
ReplyDeleteI'm an Indy girl too but lived in the city for a bit then the outskirts but it was a historic area so it was still considered hip, but guess where I moved this summer? A suburb and who would of thought I love it, but I'm not quite able to say my design style is that either, although I know you say that's yours I would have to disagree must people's house don't come close to looking as pretty as yours!!
ReplyDeleteYour home is so beautiful. Keep up the good work!
ReplyDeleteHeadache coming on!!!!!!!!! I don't know what style I am, but sure am working on finding out. Love my hand-me-down antiques (Queen Anne, Chinese Bronze, etc.), but the modern black on taupe, but the beach with lime & turquoise. I.AM.CONFUSED. :) But I really LOVE a lot of aspects of your home, Sarah!
ReplyDeleteI once was called suburban as a put down, and I just couldn't accept it. I love who I am... Amen Sista!
ReplyDeleteI happen to LOVE your home. Your style reminds me SO much of my own. My house is in warm colors and I LOVE it. IT actually feels like fall all of the time in my living room, dining room and kitchen... a little fall and a little Tuscany. LOVE IT!
ReplyDeleteI know I don't actually "know" you, but thought of you last night while shopping. I was at Fred Meyer and they had these beautiful rugs. Not big ones, but like entry ones. They were pretty much the same print as your new rug... in many different colors. Anyway, just wanted to tell you that! LOVE your site by the way!
I, too, embrace the Suburban style of comfy, warm, inviting, and everything else contemporary is afraid of. I came across your post this afternoon while browsing interior design blogs and the topic of window treatment selection was very interesting to me. Window coverings can be classic and suburban, but add that homey feel to your house that you've been yearning after. It is true that you must dress your windows appropriately to bring out their true beauty. Thank you for writing and as a special thanks to you and your readers, I would like to offer a 20% off coupon using this code upon checkout: BLG20.
ReplyDeleteHa! I'm so glad you said it. It needed to be said. There are two more words that strike fear in the hearts of "elite" designers.....RANCH STYLE. Yes, that's right. I live in a ranch style home..for over twenty years no less. And I'm darned proud of it!
ReplyDeleteAmen, sista!
ReplyDeleteSarah! Great post. I confess I was a little down when I started reading your post--what? someone's dumpin' on suburbians again?--go get 'em, Sarah. Why, I even drive a Suburban! Love, uh, lurve. . .yes, lurve, lurve, lurve your sense of humor! You're the best :)!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteSindy
I love this! My style is suburban too! A family lives here - I haven't heard any better explanation! As hard as I try to keep my house clean and spot free -a family does live there!
ReplyDeleteLove this post! I agree, "suburban" is family, cozy, all those things. :-)
ReplyDeleteI lean toward suburban as well, with a touch of an artsy eclectic style. But as I get older and my children were born I leaned into suburban more. I think you hit it on the nail when you said "a family lives here". It is comfortable, and a bit easy. Things work, there are not any sharp pieces of art adorning table tops. Safety is more important. It makes people feel like they are home and can relax. And that is part of being a mother, making a home that is comfortable for its family. You Go!!!!
ReplyDeleteImagine...actually living in a home~ the horror.
ReplyDeleteMy style is clothes in hamper, washer, dryer and quite possibly the floor.
If you have a moment, please stop by and enter my FAB FALL FRENCH GIVEAWAY.
You make me :). Played euchre (and bridge) at IU back in the day. Always my tummy do flips. We still live like grad students with hand me down/found/thrifted stuff. Practical and curl up with a book stuff. I just got the new RH "bible" and who has a house big enough for that furniture? And I like beige and gray, but jeeze give it some color somewhere. I do admit to wanting the linen sheets.
ReplyDeleteLove your house.
AMEN, SISTAH!!!
ReplyDeleteLove your sense of humor. You so made me smile this morning. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteDitto!! Amen! Right on!! You go girl!! I'm with ya 100-suburbia-%. I do get tired of everyone poo-pooing the life of "normal". I enjoying looking and learning from other styles, but I'm just that "normal"!
ReplyDeleteblessings,
tonyad
Let me know when you move to NY or your cabin! I will totally move into your place! I LOVE IT! And "suburban" is a great style! Some day I will live somewhere long enough to put so much love into our home!
ReplyDeleteI live in an 1850 stone house on a 30 acre farm, but I LOVE your decorating style. I don't really know my style, kind of a mixed while trying to keep it old with the house. But I love your colors and your neat and clean look. I need neat and clean with 3 kids, a dog, and a man who brings in hay on his clothes all the time.
ReplyDeleteIf "suburban" means classic...you've got it up the wah-zoo. Love your style. It is so inviting. By the way, where did you get your awesome rug in your famiy room (I think)? I love all the browns, blues, reds, etc. I'm looking for a similar one. I would be so grateful for any info. you might have. Thanks for sharing your home w/ us.
ReplyDeleteLOVE it, beautiful home!! Love your bedroom lamps, can I ask where you found them?? Lovely!
ReplyDeleteSorry - clarification...the crystal lamps on the black buffet are what I was asking about!! Ha! :)
ReplyDeleteYou can call your stye "Suburban" or anything you want to call it, but I call it GORGEOUS. Your home and furnishing are just lovely.
ReplyDeleteBest regards,
Gloria
That buffet piece is gorgeous, Sarah! Do you use anything on top of the pieces you've painted as either a finish or for protection? Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you and now I finally have a name for my style. I love your house and style and yes, I love PB too! I drool over the catalogs and the colors and the displays and if I could afford it, THAT'S what I'd decorate my house in. Till then, I like warm and cozy too because I live in a small suburban town and I LOVE it. I like to walk around the neighborhood on crisp fall evenings and see the leaves falling from the trees and people's houses decorated for Halloween. I am grateful every day for my home and my suburb.
ReplyDeleteI love your style and have been chomping at the bit to match what you did to your stairs (since ours are covered with 15 year old carpet that is down to the fibers in one spot on the second lowest step where the cat decided to scratch his claws and is covered in unidentified stains from our 4 kids and various pets.
ReplyDeleteToday we pulled back an edge of the carpet and discovered that the tread doesn't go all the way to the wall on one side! There's a 1 1/2 inch gap! *sigh* Oh well.
Mary in TX
Wear it proudly. I am so glad you said it. I am with you. I don't know why living in the suburbs is viewed so negatively. There are some wonderful things you can do in the suburbs, that is why they are so populated. yay, suburbs!
ReplyDeleteI was so moved by this post. I love that you took a stand for all the suburbanites out there who are happy to have an authentic family home rather than obediently following the trends. I've added my two cents to it in this post...
ReplyDeletehttp://lwlp.blogspot.com/2010/10/on-my-mind-suburban-snobbery.html
I am SO with you on the house not in a neighborhood!!! The Lord recently graciously blessed my family with exactly that!! A wonderful house with 17 acres and a lake - wow!!! He totally put us here no question! Its an older house, and there are some things I hate (blue toilets - yuck) and some things I love (marble floors and windowsills). I wish I had your decorating skills!!!! I need some help to spruce it up!
ReplyDelete