Hm, I enjoyed reading this - today of all days - because we are sectional shopping and want a very laaaaarge sectional. Although we are thinking of going with a light gray color. Where does this couch live now?

It lives in our sad basement..
http://decorandthedog.blogspot.com/2011/03/house-tour-basement-family-room.html

I love the sectional. It's so comfy. It was just too dark and large for that space!

You living room is a amazing now, so bright and the couches fit perfectly. I'm doing a giveaway today for a copy of a book called Gourmet Gifts you should stop by and enter.

I think everyone's tastes change over time.. When we originally moved down here our apartment had a blue carpet and a blue couch... NICE. I was all proud of us just because we had hung art and stuff. Hah.

We try to divvy up our house by seasons, or look at our schedule for the entire year. Fall work on the den, spring the tend to the lawn, summer update the kitchen.. etc. That way we also have LOTS of time to think about it and can decide how much tweaking or not we want to do.

I love your room! My tastes are always evolving - especially now that I read blogs all the time! I move things around and do some seasonal changing but my husband thinks once you buy something you keep it forever. That makes it a little hard to update those big ticket items!
-Shelley

I've noticed that I seem to be on a 5 year cycle. LOL Not intentionally... it just works out that way.

I built my house 15 years ago. After about 5 years I took down wallpaper and changed paint colors. About five years later I painted again and bought new furniture. Another 5 years has passed and I am in a major overhaul phase... new paint, reupohostering some furniture, adding wood floors, etc.

If you are like me... you live with stuff for awhile and then all of a sudden... you're sick of it and it's got to go! LOL

I think it's easy to think that if you are in the same house, it's more difficult to evolve. But I totally disagree. People make that comment to me all the time. Like, "oh, well it's easy for you to change up your look cause you are moving every few years." (Which I think is hilarious. Like it's so EASY to redo a house.)

My mother-in-law is a decorating queen and she's lived in the same house for 25 years. Her house has changed so much just in the past 10 years that I've been around. She has probably lost square footage from all the painting and papering and board and battening. When she sees something she likes, she is able to think how she can adjust to make it work. A simple coat of paint or furniture movement does wonders. And I think your furniture is lovely, but if you want to steer from matching, you can always move a few pieces to another room and add new pieces.

Anyhoo. Just my 50 cents.

My tastes have definitely changed and evolved over the years. I like to keep the major pieces neutral and classic in lines but change up the accessories, rugs, curtains, pillows, art, etc. when the urge strikes. Amazing what a little transformation can do.

Well, as everyone saw on your blog a few weeks back, our master bedroom really had NO taste so when you came to my rescue and helped design it, I "evolved" to the new century at least. I love it and can never thank you guys enough for all that you did to make it my cottage beachy feely room. :) Mom

My motto is that we must move often in order to purge what we don't need and acquire the lovely things we desperately need:)

i agree that it seems more difficult, but the best part about being in your forever house is that you have probably re-couped losses from all the moving around, you have all your major furniture pieces, so I feel like NOW you have the opportunity to save up for those awesome "WOW" type pieces, or wall stencils, or backsplash and not have to worry too much about all the empty rooms or buying a new appliance, etc :)

Plus your house is amazing. why would you want to leave?!

I've actually found my tastes have stayed pretty consistent. A lot of the things I was drawn to as a child are still things that I want in my future home.

I've been exposed to a lot more design elements, and I guess I've "added" to my tastes, but the things that initially draw me in and stick with me are the same.

Maybe you could try a "faux move" when you get bored? Take absolutely everything out of the room, taking into consideration what you really love and really hate, then move stuff back in. I used to do that a lot with my bedroom when I still lived at home. And even now I try to do a yearly clean out of crap.

If you'd asked me a couple of years ago, I'd say it was easier to start fresh. But now I'm convinced collecting and editing over time is much better.

We don't live in our forever home so I guess I'm not concerned. Is it weird that I'm concerned about doing things to the house that we'll be happy with and future potential buyers will like, too? I think it's good to have a nice neutral base and change little things to make a room look different (pillows, rugs, wall art, etc.). My tastes are always evolving. When we moved in 2 years ago I painted my office, and I've already repainted it.

I know what you mean. I feel like just when I decide I want a room to have a certain look or feel and I actually achieve it, I'm over it. I have decorator's ADD.


You clearly have a more refined taste now. Your living room is gorgeous. If you decide you get bored with the love seat or chair, move one into another room & buy (or better yet- refinish) a new accent piece. The neutral color of the couches will work in any room.

I was pondering this exact question with my dad the other day. He said that by the time we finish renovating our house, it will be time to start redecorating the first room we started with. Gee, thanks dad :)

I think you just edit as you go. I think spending money on new couches when the old couches are nice and fitting is silly. Spend that money on a vacation -you'll get more out of it. It will definitely be money better spent.

Your living room looks great but I can relate to you! When we moved into our first house we worked with the paint colours that were already there, which were shades of grey and a red and beige kitchen, I started decorating in a french provincial style to match the colours but then decided I wanted things to look fresh and simple so we repainted in warm white, sea greens and pale grey-blues and now have a coastal style home that looks soo much better! But I'm always experimenting and changing up the little things like art, lighting, cushions and bedding, I just can't resist!

Great question. I think we move so much that we never run into the problem. But, I'd like to try to stick to fairly classic pieces as the base so that for a decade at least, I'm mainly editing.

I'm glad you're asking this question - I hope you get some great wisdom pearls b/c our next house will be the "die in this thing" house, and I'm wondering the same things. And I happen to like matchy furniture when it is accessorized with a terrier. ;)

Style definitely evolves once you establish what yours is. But I do believe one has a base style which can be updated with little touches like color, accessories and so on. I think one can become more adventurous in exploring options as time goes by.

Blah that's hard. I'd probably just keep editing over time since I don't think I'll ever have a budget to buy new. If I did... I'd still buy slowly over time so I suppose that's editing. I know if I went out and bought an awesome expensive set I'd end up hating it in a year anyways.

You get sick of a room one day, need a new couch, etc. Then you get inspired and change the whole room up! ;) True story...happened to me. Ended up ripping up carpet, added wainscot, painted, tiled, new wall art and bam! a fresh new room in a house you love. Repeat in next room as the whim hits.