Ready for another entry in Your Style Notebook?  Get that gorgeous notebook, your lovely pen, and get ready to dive in with just a few questions to get us going!

{For more on what ‘Your Style Notebook’ is, check out the first post. Then, join the online #StyleNotebook community for the entire series, as we work together to fine tune and/or identify your own personal style.}

Entry #4: Room by Room

So, are you armed with your style words? Seriously. This is a game changer. It will truly transform the way you decorate, and give you confidence as you make choices for your space. Now that we have ditched your confining decorating words, and we are thinking in the direction of style words instead, it is time to move away from general questions and get down to the nitty gritty specific questions in our notebook.

If we were decorating together, you and I would have a discussion about which room you wanted to start decorating – about which room needs the most immediate attention, and why. Then we would dive in, decorating that room first, then moving on room by room. But since we are doing this like group therapy, we will move through the rooms in a set order. Still, room by room! You may not have all of these specific rooms in your current space, but join us for those you do have. This will be the order we will take:

1. Family Room

2. Living Room

3. Dining Room

4. Bedroom

5. Bathroom

6. Kitchen

Have you ever approached your decorating Room by Room? Do you ever try to tackle the entire vision for only ONE room in your home before moving onto the next? Finding an entire vision for your space is NOT the same as buying everything for that room all at once, or before buying anything for any other room. Finding an entire vision for your space, one room at a time, means:

In your style notebook, we will thoroughly examine how we want the room to look, feel and function. {<- Tweet this}

Entry #4 in Your Style Notebook

Ready for your fourth exercise in Your Style Notebook ?:

ONE.

take out your #StyleNotebook and write Family Room at the top of the page. Beneath it make two columns:

1. Things That Work/Things I Love

and

2. Things That Don’t Work/Things I Don’t Love

TWO.

Brainstorm! And fill up the page with your thoughts!

Spend some time looking sitting in your Family Room and brainstorming. Write down as many things as you can think to write. We will be diving further into the needs and purposes of a family room, so don’t even worry about being all inclusive. Nevertheless, include as many details as you like. Think about the flow, the colors, the furnishings, the art, the practicality, the way it fits your family, the pillow you have meaning to recover, the drapes still sitting in a box in the attic, the dying plants in the corner….

Our Community Style Notebook

Each week, we will join each other in community, as we share our thoughts. Here are some ways you can be a part of it all!

1. Tweet a sampling from your list of what you love and don’t love, and use the Hashtag #StyleNotebook

2. Share on Instagram, using the Hashtag. Share a picture of something you love or something that needs to GO from your Family Room! #StyleNotebook

3. Head over to the Fieldstone Hill Design Facebook Page and tell the world what you love and don’t love about your family room! You can even use the Hashtag #StyleNotebook on Facebook or Google Plus. Hashtags are going wild, my friends!

4. Leave a comment below. Tell us the #1 thing you love about your family room, and if you dare, the #1 thing that MUST GO!

I can’t wait to hear about YOUR Family Room!!

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Take daily, bite-size steps toward living in a home you LOVE: Be sure to subscribe to FHD via email, bloglovin, your fave reader, and follow Fieldstone Hill on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook!

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Don’t miss a Style Notebook Post!! Have regular decorating goodness delivered {free!} directly to your inbox.

{This post contains affiliate links. Thanks for reading and supporting and clicking to shop via FHD! You are the best!}

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I am into natural choices for my family, and this is the main way I avoided taking any medicines during pregnancy, and now that I am nursing.

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Simple Foyer Tricks

Today’s ditto  post features a classy and classic foyer that is gorgeous, but certainly not fussy. It is farmhouse simple, but not without glam! My favorite combo of course! The simplicity did not happen easily, though. Some great decorating tricks were used. Let’s ditto it, and find out how we can use these simple foyer tricks in our own homes.

{Ditto posts demonstrate a great exercise for you as you continue to develop your own personal style: using your own favorite pictures, and making a quick list of what you actually love about the space. If you study what you love about a space, it helps you to bring what you LOVE into your own home! }

{ design by Tom Scheerer, via ditto worthy }

WHAT I LOVE {What I would ditto!}:

1. The natural rugs. Natural fibers hide dirt…. while looking FABULOUS. They are also easy to shake out and clean, plus the price is right. Plus, I love that there are two of them here…. the first one takes the brunt of the dirt and may have to be replaced more often, but it saves the life of the second one. These rugs are the perfect ditto for a foyer!

2. The grouping of fowl art, framed in bamboo. Yes. Amazing. And I love how they are basically black prints, giving a bold feel to the art. Don’t miss the long, horizontal cranes that are hung LOW. Love it.

3. The jingle bells on the back of the door. Real ones.

4. The antique, mirror-backed, double sconces amidst the art is very ditto-worthy! I love their presence in this foyer. I am sure these light fixtures were pricey, but their presence in this space MAKE the room. Sometimes, the value of pieces like these cannot be overestimated.

5. A place to sit and a place to put down your bag {the console}. Both of these are essential elements in a good and lovely foyer.

6. Pale, pale wood paneling {greyed oak?} on the walls. Such a unique and subtle wall treatment that adds texture, but stays completely neutral.

7. A crisp white door. With light pouring in around the sides.

8. That cool, Chinese lantern looking thing. Basically, add a touch of creative, sculptural art by using something out of the ordinary, and placing it in an unexpected place. The simple black and white pattern helps it ease into the room.

9. That bench! Paint a beautiful bench black. Then toss floral pillows of loveliness on top.

DO YOU LOVE IT?? WHAT DO YOU LOVE? WHAT DESIGN ELEMENTS WOULD YOU DITTO IN YOUR OWN HOME? DO TELL!!!!!!

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Take daily, bite-size steps toward living in a home you LOVE: Be sure to subscribe to FHD via email, bloglovin, your fave reader, and follow Fieldstone Hill on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook!

* * * * *

I am into natural choices for my family, and this is the main way I avoided taking any medicines during pregnancy, and now that I am nursing.

 Don’t miss a single post from Fieldstone Hill Design! Have regular decorating goodness delivered {free!} directly to your inbox.

{This post contains affiliate links. Thanks for reading and supporting FHD! }

Ready for another entry in Your Style Notebook?  Get that gorgeous notebook, your lovely pen, and get ready to dive in with just a few questions to get us going!

{For more on what ‘Your Style Notebook’ is, check out the first post. Also, if you missed the previous challenges, write down your Decorating Box words here, and find your new decor identity here.}

Join the online #StyleNotebook community for the entire series, as we work together to fine tune and/or identify your own personal style. Not mine. Not your mother’s. Not your best friend’s. Yours! Each week, we will work together – kind of like an online, interactive design session. Our goal: Identify our personal style so that we can surround ourselves with things we LOVE {not just like}.

Entry #3: Style Words

We can’t move on until we get a grasp of your STYLE WORDS. {Veteran FHD readers, hang in there with me!}

What are style words, you say? Excellent question, especially considering we just threw some of your decorating words over a cliff!

Style Words are NOT:

Decorating Box Words, or design words that tidily explain your style in magazine terms: {words such as: ”eclectic” or “country” or “traditional” or “minimalist” or “coastal” or “modern,” etc.}.

Style Words ARE:

regular adjectives or descriptive words that appeal to you on these levels:

These words should describe:

1. How you want your home to feel
2. How you want your home to look, and
3. The purpose you want your home to serve.

For veteran FHD readers, you may have done this one before. If not, now is the time! If so, it NEVER hurts to restate your vision and get your purchasing and decorating and style back on track!

Entry #3 in Your Style Notebook

Ready for your third exercise in Your Style Notebook ?:

ONE.

take out your #StyleNotebook and jot down the first words that come to mind in reference to the above list of 3 criteria.

TWO.

After you have written down all of the words that you first think of, refer to the list on this post, and see if any of these additional words help you to refine your vision. It may also help to check out some other readers’ words: There are some really amazing words in the comments on the style words post!

THREE.

Final step?  Think on it, and then, narrow it down to five or so words that best describe what you want from your home. Write your final five-ish words down in your Style Notebook, of course! Then get ready to rock your personal style as we continue to move forward!

Our Community Style Notebook

Each week, we will join each other in community, as we share our thoughts. Here are some ways you can be a part of it all!

1. Tweet your own list of Style Words, and use the Hashtag #StyleNotebook

2. Share on Instagram, using the Hashtag. Share a picture of something in your home that already reminds you of your Style Words! #StyleNotebook

2. Head over to the Fieldstone Hill Design Facebook Page and tell the world what your Style Words are! You can even use the Hashtag #StyleNotebook on Facebook or Google Plus. Hashtags are going wild, my friends!

3. Leave a comment on the original style words post, joining many others! I can’t wait to hear your words.

Transform your decorating mind with style words! {<-tweet this}

I can’t wait to hear about YOUR style words!!

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Take daily, bite-size steps toward living in a home you LOVE: Be sure to subscribe to FHD via email, bloglovin, your fave reader, and follow Fieldstone Hill on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook!

* * * * *

I am into natural choices for my family, and this is the main way I avoided taking any medicines during pregnancy, and now that I am nursing.

* * * * *

Don’t miss a single post from Fieldstone Hill Design! Have regular decorating goodness delivered {free!} directly to your inbox.

{This post contains affiliate links. Thanks for reading and supporting and clicking to shop via FHD! You are the best!}

Built-in of the Week ::

Light and Airy Entry Bench

I am a HUGE huge huge fan of Built-ins. Hence the newest series here at FHD: The Built-In of the Week.

For more on why I think built-ins are one of the most brilliant home solutions, whether your home is small or large, check out this list. And without further ado, this week’s Built-in:

Light and Airy Entry Bench:

{via Inspiration Built-ins}

This Built-in is fabulous because:

1. It adds architectural interest in a useful way
2. It is not bulky.
3. Although it does not have storage beneath, it offers storage options: you could simply place shoes beneath the airy bench, or you could use roll out drawers like these to store items.
4. It gives you the opportunity to add fabric and pillows to your space. Go with outdoor fabrics for a mudroom, and you will never have to fret.
5. There will always be a place to sit when you come in the door!

Can you dream up a space in your current or future home where this built-in would be beautiful and practical?

Where would you put this built-in? Would it work in your home? Do tell!!

PS: So thrilled with all of your comments on Your Style Notebook. So glad you are joining in!

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Take daily, bite-size steps toward living in a home you LOVE: Be sure to subscribe to FHD via email, bloglovin, your fave reader, and follow Fieldstone Hill on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook!

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Shop new bedding, decor, and nursery favorites at serenaandlily.com

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I am into natural choices for my family, and this is the main way I avoided taking any medicines during pregnancy.

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Don’t miss a single post from Fieldstone Hill Design! Have regular decorating goodness delivered {free!} directly to your inbox.

{This post contains affiliate links. Thanks for reading and supporting and clicking to shop via FHD! You are the best!}