Do you add things to your home or wardrobe haphazardly? Are you unsure about what colors to choose? Do you have a favorite or treasured item that serves as a style 'inspiration'? Maybe you do and don't even realize it yet.

It is a useful practice of Interior Designers, to ask a client to see their favorite personal 'item' to use that for style ideas. Let's say you have a favorite rug or scarf. If you love the feel and colors of the item, then use THAT as your palette to design your home. [If you've ever watched the TV series Dress My Nest, you'll know what I'm talking about. That show was a favorite of mine.]

Pick an item (or two) of yours which is special to you (mine are shown above). Your favorite item can be a piece of jewelry, a painting or print, a vase, basket, a plate or china pattern, or a piece of clothing like a scarf or print. Choose something that just brings you joy to see it. How would you describe the style? Is it classic, clean lines, modern, antique, nautical, rustic, art deco, romantic, etc.? Are the colors neutral, intense, pastel, vibrant, earth tones, or high contrast? Just look at the item's colors and style and use those in your environment. For instance if you have a favorite picture, is the frame wood or metal? Use the same wood or metal in your home. 

If your item is a print, poster, painting, or scarf, all the colors probably already work harmoniously together. Then, you'll know the colors will work well together in your home. Pick the neutral color as a basic neutral in larger spaces like furniture or carpeting. Choose one or more other colors from the item to use as an accent color in your home for smaller space like an accent wall, pillows, throw rugs, curtains etc. If you love the item, you'll love the feel of your home or environment.  

The same principle works for your wardrobe as well. Figure out what it is that is pleasing about your style  item and use it to add similar colors and style to what you wear. I have a set of china which I love.* I cherish it. Each time I use it, or see it for that matter, it makes me feel so happy. I have a plate hanging on my wall as decoration. I use the colors in my wardrobe. I use the cream, ecru, mint, and khaki as my neutrals. Then I use the yellow, teal, or red rose as accent colors. Once I realized I was using that as my style inspiration and color palette, it made me more choosy about what to add to my closet or home. If I only add the colors that are in my inspirational item, than I know they all work well together, and I can mix and match with ease. It simplifies things….and that is one my goals.

I'm working on it.

* Shown above are MY style inspirational items. I have a small purse I found at a resale shop, a silk scarf which goes with so much, and my china set which I found at a Garage Sale while scouring Northern Michigan with my sister Diane.  These are things I treasure. I love all the colors in these items and am happy to have them and their colors around me.

Another childhood favorite is by Mercer Mayer called One Monster After Another, 1974. I loved that book for its fantastical images and humorous story. Up until this book, most children's books I saw weren't far from reality. This one really plunged me into a fantasy world.  I could be lost for hours imagining each scene. It was the first book that I noticed the author had a voice and had a sense of humor. Earlier books I read were just like a narration with illustrations. Looking at the story again, I think I've realized why I like Zooey Deschanel so much. She reminds me of the little girl in the story.

What can I say about the beauty and sweetness of Maurice Sendak's illustrations for A Kiss For Little Bear? The charming story is by Else Holmelund. The line drawings look like hand-colored etchings. Maurice Sendak is not only a Master of the Picture Book, he is great at adding and making allusions. Notice his monster he draws which looks like monsters from Where the Wild Things Are. And Grandmother Bear who sits and is dressed like Whistler's Mother. I just love the beauty of the illustrations and the expressions on the hen's face just cracks me up. So much expression on a chicken. I could go on and on about Maurice Sendak. He is one the greats! 

I LOVE the stories of Harry like Harry The Dirty Dog by Gene Zion with illustrations by Margaret Bloy Graham circa 1965.  This was a major influence to me as a child.  I have never tired of the story and pictures. It is my first introduction to the art of printing, really. I used to stare at the use of color and try to guess how it was done. It was the first book I noticed the use of 3-color printing, and how there are different values of the spot colors green and orange with the black. Today, I still marvel at the simplicity of the story, and the perfect marriage of words and images. There are several 'Harry' books. My favorite is still Harry By the Sea. I remember reading these to my younger brother and sister, my nieces and nephews, and then later to my own son.

Tell me, do YOU have a favorite book from your childhood? What makes it so special to you?