I was reading a West Elm catalogue the other day, and I was thinking about how much it reminded me of my Mom and Grandmother’s clean and modern style. My style, on the other hand is very different than theirs. It’s kind of a smattering of Anthropologie meets Pottery Barn meets Goodwill…yes, tres chic :-). I thought it would be a fun exercise to actually compare my Grandmother’s style, my Mom’s style and my own style.
For example, here’s my take on my Grandmother’s style. Yes, she has exceptional taste. I wish I could be as streamlined, clean and hip as her. She’s truly an inspiration. Her style is very modern, but she mixes in some mid-century and 1930’s antique pieces. Very cool.
And then there’s my style. Growing up, my bedroom was a stark contrast to the modern, artsy vibe my mom had going on in the house. My room looked like it could have been out of the pages of Victoria Magazine…you know, romantic florals and antiques galore? My style is less fussy now, but it’s still a lot softer and “cushier” than my Mom or Grandmother’s style. I do like to mix a few contemporary and antique pieces, but I include a lot more natural fibers, florals, and traditional elements than either of them.
28 Suburbanites Said:
My style is very different than my mom's. Mine is very similar to yours, and I do love to mix in some antiques whether they are family pieces or thrift store! Mom has a house full of antiques. If it is a family piece (and there are many) it has found a place in her house. For me, if a family piece is ugly, I'd rather give it to another family member, or sell it!
I'm not a "comment leaver" but I just wanted to praise you for this post. It was such an interesting concept. Thanks for sharing!
My style could not be more different than my mother's, though I did eventually come to share her love of red and yellow. Mom likes lots and lots of clutter. I like cute stuff, but crave some order and open space.
I think my style was influenced most by Gladys, a mom whose children I babysat through most of my teen years, and am still in touch with some 25 years or so later. One summer when I was 18ish, she had found an old oak office desk, and she had me sand it down to the bare wood and then apply coat after coat of tung oil. It was beautiful, and it changed my way of thinking about stuff other people threw away. Gladys was also the first person to put a can of spray paint in my hand. God Bless Gladys!
Fun post, AnNicole!! And funny you should ask. My mom got into the country stuff in the 1980s and never really moved on. ;) She DID get rid of the geese and some of the other "trademarks" of the period, but her house definitely has a country vibe to it.
I think, unfortunately, that's why my house is presently more country than I'd like. When we were first starting out, I think I leaned towards a country look since that's what I grew up with.
My taste has evolved a lot in 8 1/2 years....the budget has gotten smaller though. So I think I'm stuck with some country elements until I can afford to change some big things. ;)
Out of the three boards you showed, I like yours best. :)
My mom's style is very different from mine. She has a very feminime style - pinks, florals, light oak, etc. Mine is very masculine - cherry woods, leather furniture, sage greens, etc.
While we have some similarities, like a love of treasure hunting for interesting old stuff, we differ on style. I think my mom is more trendy and stylized while I am more settled and eclectic.
What an exciting and fun post! I love my mom but she is definitely Julia from Designing Women....granted, this style was very wonderful for the 1980s (with its marroons, navys, and florals)..but there is a need to rejuvenate the style with a fresh palette.
Cheers~
e
Great post! My mom's style was very "in the moment." She had a slight contemporary feel, that I felt clashed with my dad's antiques. Strange blending of country and brassy/teal/plum. Yuck. I've always been more of a romantic...and even in High School my room reflected it. My style is a blend of farmhouse/whimsy/ romantic..and it's all original and very me!
My style was most influenced by my Grandma Izzy. She held on to classic pieces, and each piece told a story. I inherited some from her after she passed away. I'm thankful for the little things that make our house a home!
Great post, and lots of fun to think about. I both adopted some of my Mom's style, and fiercely resisted other parts of it!
Cass
"Vastly different" sums it up perfectly! :)
Great post, by the way! Fun subject! And your grandma...seriously...nice style!
~Karla @ It's The Little Things...
Love you blog... Plus this post is superb!! I'm very different from my mom... I like a mix of things.. the new, old, antiques, mix of colours.. although keeping the bases neutrals..
What a fun post! Did you make the images on Polyvore? My grandmother's style? I have no idea. She's still alive but I haven't been to her home in decades. My mom's style would be dripping in waverly florals. My style? It is definitely evolving but I would have to say I'm drawn to old world themes, neo-Victorian, and traditional.
And by the way, I love your sense of style :).
Cute! I want to throw one of these together. My Grandma has no style. haha She moved here from a small village in Iran in her 50's, so she just uses whatever furniture my Mom gives her. My Mom has beautiful taste, their house is very, very traditional, with lots of dark wood, heavy, gorgeous furniture, and thick white woodwork and crown moulding. Like you, I like a mix of Pottery Barn and antique stores plus a little Pier1 thrown in.
My mom lives in a country cottage...andI do not. Ha! I'm traditional/transitional, but appreciate the quality pieces my mom buys over the years, even if I don't care for the look!
What a fun post - my mom is very traditional and since I bought my new house a month or so ago and since I've been blogging about the past 15 mos. or so, my style is sort of evolving now - I'm more relaxed cottage-y, shabby with a little traditional thrown in.
I am slowy evolving and it is sort of fun to watch this new process!
Great post -
Oh, mine is SO different from my mom's. She is into the shabby chic, Rachel Ashwell decor, the pinks and pale blues. I love bold color, and have a really weird mix of design likes. Like Anthropologie meets Pier 1 meets thrift store. But both styles work!
My mom and I share a love for European inspired looks, but mine leans French and hers Italian. I like to add a few modern pieces here and there, but she sticks to her traditional heavy damasks and warm tones. I'm leaning cooler tones these days, more grays and blues. Great post !
What's scary to me is that more and more my style seems to be turning into my mom's. That's not to say she doesn't have a nice sense of style—she does in most respects—but lordy, that woman has never seen a wicker or rattan table she didn't love. I've inherited a lot of hand-me-down furniture from them, so I have a far amount of that stuff in my house too, but I consider it more of a placeholder until I feel like buying something else for that space. I know my whole cottagy thing drives my mom nuts sometimes.
Have to laugh...when I was a teen way back in the 1970's I noticed that if the mom was into antiques, the daughter was "mod", if mom was Danish Modern (as mine was...) daughter grooved on Victorian.
Then daughter inherits what Mom doesn't want from Grandma's stuff...including heirlooms from HER mother...and the whole thing gets a bit crazy.
This is interesting. I don't have the same taste as my mother at all though both my friends and my mother's friends come to each of us for design ideas so we must have some similarities. My mother tends to go for dark, rich woods, strong colours (wine, gold) and heavy silk curtains/drapes and likes a lot of accents such as ornaments etc. She even artfully arranges her magazines and when I was growing up they were not to be touched but she seems to have mellowed now and never complains when her grandchildren trash the place. My taste is simple and lived in. Wood or slate floors (2 kids, a golden retrieve and a husband who coaches my son's football team - I would be a fool to have carpet), light walls, cotton, calico or linen and lots of storage. We have made to measure furniture along with junk (not posh enough to be antiques) but a bit quirky such as our coffee table which used to be a butchers block (lots of knife marks) and our fire surround, part of which was a church pew. I think if you keep things simple you can always throw in something a bit out there to add interest.
I like to think my style is very different from my mothers, because she really doesn't have any. I say that with all due respect. The reality is she doesn't really care.
My style is very different from my mother's. She is French Country all the way. I tend to be traditional/modern.
Do you remember an old issue of Domino magazine that had an article in it about this? It was about famous designers and their daughters - pictures of their homes and how their styles differ. Very interesting!
My mom is much more of a traditionalist than I am, and she enjoys more "stuff" out than I do.
Thanks for the interesting post! I gotta go find that Domino issue now...
Danielle
It's funny that your grandmother and mother both are more modern in taste than you are, because I've noticed the same thing. Last summer I travelled out west with my parents and visited 3 sets of relatives, all in their late 70s and 80s (as are my parents) and all of them had Danish modern in their living/dining rooms. My parents have some traditional things and some ethnic things, from travelling, but the style they love the most is Danish modern. Me on the other hand, I love classic, vintage, and traditional style things - a lot like the things you posted for yourself. I wonder if the older generation bonded with the Danish modern because they were around when if first came out and it was all the rage.
My style is about as far as the east is from the west from my mom. She likes Early American and I like Shabby Chic........
What a great post idea! My mom's home is VERY floral with a lot of collected items from throughout the years. She owns every Victoria magazine that was ever in print. :) I totally fell in love with decorating because of her passion to create a warm, happy home. My style though is completely different. I am much more of a clean, minimalist type with more of a coastal theme. I always love reading your blog. Thanks for the interesting post.
your style was my favorite..I asked my mother about her 'style' and after waiting 45 minutes for her to stop laughing, she said her style was to use items that 11 children could not destroy. I remember bunk beds....lot's of bunk beds!
Hi slip4 - we have the same kind of moms - too many ugly antiques. My mom also refuses to get rid of anything.
My style is country cottage and my mom thinks mine is too casual
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