Focus

Holly Golightly said that nothing very bad could ever happen to you at Tiffany's.

  

Funny, that's how I feel about Williams-Sonoma.

There, life is crisp and organized,

  

and there is always something wonderful for dinner.

A friend said recently that she has difficulty narrowing choices when she decorates her house, because she finds so many styles appealing.  Reinvention isn't necessarily a bad thing, but the danger in a lack of focus

is the possibility of constantly second-guessing oneself, re-doing and starting over, never achieving any coherent design.

When I get muddled by too many conflicting images, it helps to flip through my idea book, spend time in nature, or even a favorite shop like Williams-Sonoma. 

  

Selecting furnishings and accessories is a little like dating.

It's good to be choosy.

A sofa that is nice to look at might be exhausting to live with on a daily basis.

    

It occurs to me that people who are very creative might find it more difficult than others to narrow-down style choices,

because they are generally open-minded about new ideas,

  

and can visualize the possibility of living in many different ways.

If one's house is in danger of being overwhelmed by one's magpie habits, remember that it's okay to simply admire an object.  

As Jennings says, "Just because you like it, 

doesn't necessarily mean it must come home with you."

My touchstones always seem to be images, rooms, products and places 

that are light-filled, clean, classic and functional.

Do you have touchstones like objects, pictures or places that help you define your design style? 

What are they?

     


Photos:  2. Via Williams-Sonoma home 3.-4. Ina Garten "How Easy is That" tips 5.-6. Darryl Carter 7.  Williams-Sonoma 8.-11. Ina Garten via House Beautiful 13. Williams-Sonoma 14.-15. Martha Stewart 16. Ina Garten 17. Martha Stewart 18. Ina Garten 19. Martha Stewart 20. Ina Garten 21. Martha Stewart .23.-24 David Jimenez via House Beautiful 25.-26 Windsor Smith via House Beautiful