What is Your Junk Design Style?

If you're Junk Inspired, like me, chances are your home decorating style falls somewhere between County Living and Shabby Chic, or similar to Country Cottage or Farmhouse Style...or perhaps Romantic Prairie (I think my style is Junky Romantic Traditional but I am not certain.)  It used to be that junk decorating meant you used metal TV trays and  you sat on a sofa without feet but nowadays to decorate with recycled, refurbished, up cycled decor means having a lovely home and is something of a status symbol or at the very least something to brag about.  Going "green" in our decorating is good for our earth and it is good for our souls.  I know I feel good whenever I am able to create something usable from another persons junk.  And about decorating with metal TV trays and a sofa without feet...I can guarantee you that some resourceful decorator out there has used both of them and pulled it off with style.

Dreamy Rachel Ashwell Shabby Chic Bedroom

There are many famous designers and decorators who have become well known for their junk inspired decorating.  The first who comes to mind is Rachel Ashwell of Shabby Chic fame.  Her signature is to take traditional elements, paint everything creamy white,  use faded floral fabrics and throw exquisite lace table cloths, bed skirts, etc. over furniture. Add some Limoges porcelain pitchers and vintage botanical prints and you have started a Shabby Chic room.    In my mind she was one of the first to explore decorating using found elements - junk - and she is one of the best!  To see her style visit  http://rachelashwellshabbychic.blogspot.com/




Rachel Ashwell's Blog ( Front Page Photo )

  Just looking at this image makes my heart beat fast...I love her rooms.  They are easy, homey and sweet but with an air of sophistication.  This is a style I aspire to all the time.


Of course, she has her own line of fabric and furniture created to look like its vintage.  I don't know, in her own life, how much she uses real vintage elements but she is still the queen of home decorating (using junk) in my little book.



The next home designer that I like is Carol Bolton.  I first learned about her when I visited my sister in Fredericksburg, Texas, and found the Homestead Stores.  Her style tends to be darker, and she uses heavier fabrics such as brocades...and tons of trim and braiding.  Very often Carol will leave wood furniture in its original color and she's quick to mix wood tones.  She will hang scrim on a wire and call it a curtain...or will trim a piece of glass with stained fabric tape and call it a picture frame.  And she does this all with panache.








Carol Bolton's Barn Interior Design

     
























When I first toured the Homestead stores in Fredericksburg, Texas, there were several boutiques...all eye candy for the vintage style decorator...but she has sold Homestead to another group and it has been moved to Hico, Texas.  Still yummy I'm sure.


Carol Bolton, too, has her own line of home decor including wonderful Victorian Inspired furniture and light fixtures. The chandeliers she sold at Homestead were really (I mean really, really) wonderful and they looked like they were removed from grandma's old Victorian house.  But alas, they are were a little too expensive for me...so I just looked at them with awe.  My description of her style is Bawdy, Prairie Victorian.  She is unique and one of a kind.

Tomorrow I'll discuss Fifi O'Neill a truly gifted (and fabulous)
Junk Inspired Designer.  I just learned of her but I love her unique
design style!