Our "Style"

I've heard it called many things: rustic, shabby chic, antiqued, cottage. Basically our aesthetic is imperfection rather than perfection (pretty lucky since we have quite an imperfect little place and we're doing most of the work ourselves, don't you think?). We would like our house to be a simple, cheerful, bright, and functional space where folks can gather for good times. Knowing that this was the look we were going for sort of took some of the pressure off when we were planning the cosmetic-ish part of the fixing up process. I began the "fun part" (finally) of looking at home decorating magazines. Though most magazines and websites define "small spaces" as much larger than our home, we did get many good ideas from this research.

In general, I'm attracted to lighter colors (especially for such a small home) like yellows and blues, with simple white trim and as many windows as possible. I like mixing old with new (though nothing really modern-looking appeals to me), and incorporating fun elements like a surprising punch of color or a cool memento from our travels. We also both like bringing outdoor elements inside, especially beach-related objects (Dominic's such a fish).

Here are some pictures that I originally cut out of Coastal Living Magazine for inspiration (and later found on their website, which is linked to Cottage Living - also very cool). I just love the casual, fun feeling of this house (though it is much larger than ours, of course).

Check out these pictures.

Living Room

Dining Room

Kitchen

Entryway

Bedroom

It was so unbelievable to imagine that we'd someday be at the decorating stage of the process!