We talked to some of our favorite home & lifestyle bloggers about design, inspiration, and their homes.
Diane Henkler is the woman behind In My Own Style, where she talks about decorating, DIY, and more.
1. What inspires you to design?
I look for inspiration everywhere I go, out and about the town, at a chic shop, a walk on the beach. My visual brain processes everything I see and then mixes it all up. This mix up is constantly in my head and give me new new ideas. I can't stop it, it is just the way my brain is wired. When I get an idea, I have to see it to fruition. I am also inspired to design since I like to make life at home as comfortable, pretty and functional as possible.
2. What's your style like?
Casual, white, bright, clutter-free, with lots of color pops.
3. When do you feel most at home?
I feel most at home in my family room watching a classic old movie on TCM with a cup of hot tea in hand.
4. What space that you’ve designed is your favorite?
My studio [office]. In my previous house, I used the formal living room on the main floor of the house to set this up. In my new house, I set it up in a spare room on the main floor that has a wide lake view outside a wall of glass doors.
Diane used feng shui to arrange the furniture in her studioffice.
5. What's one design tip you have for our readers?
When choosing items to decorate your home, instead of thinking, "How would this look?", ask yourself, " How would this make the room feel?"
I wrote a post about this. It will help you to focus on the life you live in the room, not just how pretty the room will be.
We spoke to the mother/daughter duo behind the blog Design Chic, where they share design and lifestyle tips from North Carolina.
1. Where do the two of you get your design inspiration from?
We are both very influenced by the aesthetics around us and truly feel like home is the basis for everything else we do. We say on Design Chic that living your best life begins at home and we truly believe that. A space that reflects who you are and what you love helps you to carry that out into the world.
2. How would you describe your decor style?
That’s an interesting question because only a few years ago, we used to call it “traditional with a twist,” but we’re solidly into transitional now! We love rooms that feel fresh, pared down and uncluttered, and that are a mix of antique and new—and we adore modern art! We’ve always thought that every room needs a touch of black and an antique, but now we think every room needs a piece of modern art as well!
3. Where do you feel most at home?
We bought a house on the coast of North Carolina together a few years ago, and it was the most fun project ever because we started completely from scratch. We didn’t have any pieces we wanted to incorporate into the space. We picked every last thing, so every piece, from main furniture to tiny accessories, is something we absolutely love.
4. What's your favorite space in your home?
We moved the laundry room from downstairs to upstairs in our beach house, so we were left with this extra nook. We thought about making it a mudroom, and my husband was in the fishing rod-storage camp. But we ended up creating this little chaise room. It’s right off the kitchen, so tiny, and the place where everyone fights to be!
The view from their Beaufort bedroom.
5. Please share one design tip.
Don’t be afraid to use your favorite things in unexpected ways. We were just designing a space where the owners adored this gorgeous chinoiserie bar cart, but there was no place for it in their new home, so we used it as an end table and it transformed the entire room! Desks as night tables are another favorite way to use something in a different way.
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Would you like your home to be featured?
Post a picture on social media and tag us @barnandwillow and #myBWhome. We'll get in touch.
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