I am not a trained designer. My degree is in musical theatre, not interior design. Decorating became my creative outlet when I hung up my tap shoes and tucked away the pancake makeup. I’ve studied decorating by reading home decor books, shelter magazines, watching HGTV, and by a lot of doing and redoing. The nice thing about that is I don’t have to worry about all of the things that are proper and conventional and “right” that I would’ve learned had I studied formally. I just do what I like.
I don’t always arrange things in odd numbers. (Gasp!) I often mix more than three patterns. (Double gasp!) And I have no trouble mixing shades of blue. (The horror!)
There are all of these decorating rules floating around…don’t paint a small room a dark color, don’t combine this color with that one, use red in every room, use black in every room, don’t use neon ever, don’t use too much of a bold print, and on and on. I think it’s fair to say that these rules are more like the pirate code…guidelines, really…and less like the laws of physics. I don’t know much about physics (they don’t make musical theatre majors study such things), but I’m making an assumption that the laws of physics are fixed. Not debatable. Decorating rules aren’t like that. They really shouldn’t even be called rules. They should be called opinions. Because time and again, I’ve seen those “rules” broken with a beautiful results. Can you believe Edie painted her bedroom walls black? And Mandie drew on her walls with a Sharpie marker? And the Nester made the coolest wall treatment ever with Duct Tape? Some old-school, highfalutin decorator must have scoffed at those ideas.
And I’m pretty sure Donna chucks any and all rules out the window.
So, if there’s something you like, but it’s against “the rules”, it’s okay. Be a rebel. Be a rule-breaker. You’re in good company.
There’s really no right or wrong when it comes to decorating. There’s only what is right or wrong to your design eye. And that’s what makes you and your spaces special.
And, I suppose, if ever I’m hauled before some Supreme Decorating Court and put on trial for excessive use of the color blue, I can plead ignorance.
After all, I studied diction and dancing instead of decorating and design.
52 Responses
I LOOOOVED THIS POST! I am in school for interior design & I actually already have a certificate in Residential interior design. While I love my education & I’m thankful for it, I think it scares me out of doing things that I love & hinders my creativity at times because I think about all the rules & what I “should” do. Thank you for bringing this up & inspiring me to break a few rules 😉 Hope you are having a great week! xx Liz Marie
Ooooo…an educated rule breaker. I love it! 🙂
Hahaha! Oh, geez, I didn’t even know there were RULES!! I guess that shows how much I care about such things.
You know it girl! A total rebel and rule breaker here too! That is why when someone asks me what my style is it is a hard one to answer.I like to many things.But some how they all work together 🙂 .
I could not agree more! I have always said, “Who made up those rules anyway?” They are just opinions, I love creative freedom. Beautifully written! And I love all of the results of your ‘broken” rules.
Kimberlee
The only rules I have are if it looks good to you do it, if it’s ify, wait a day, you might love it tomorrow when you change that one pillow. 🙂
This made me laugh! I’m currently “updating” my home for the colder weather and am noticing that every room now has some accent or main blue color, all different, and I love it! Colors are colors, tones are tones, and mix and match to your hearts extent I say. Thanks for reaffirming that : )
Please continue to be a rule breaker – that’s why we love you. It seems as if whatever you do pleases you, then you are happier and more fulfilled. Your designs and creations are fantastic. Continue your fabulous posts.
That’s why I love your blog and your interior spaces, Marian! You are real and you are inspiring. Thank you for continuing to inspire so many of us to ‘move mountains in [y]our home[s].’
I adore this post and your home with all the broken “rules”. Your home is truly an inspiration to me and my like style. So…..thank you for being a rule breaker!
I would love to know the color of the front door! It’s exactly what I’ve had in mind!
Love it!
I love your style, and I am *very* glad that you do not follow the rules…. cuz then it wouldn’t be so very inspiring and so much fun to look at! (And I love the reference to one of my favorite movies… Pirates of the Caribbean – our family know the lines practically by heart, including that one, tee hee!)
Love it! Rule breakers rule!!!
Thanks for this post. In the pictures that you post, it looks like a home with well loved pieces that bring joy to you and your family. I have a few friends who are designers and I appreciate their efforts, but I much prefer an eclectic, well loved look that brings memories and joy.
Oh these photos were just dreamy! I Loooove the blues and whites. Mix blues til your heart is content. I know I feel inspired and lifted by your sense of style. Thanks for sharing.
My only “rule” is the same as William Morris’:
“Have nothing in your home that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.”
People who obsess over the rules miss all the fun!
So…..did someone tell you that you break too many decorating rules!? I loved this post! My best decorating ideas come from digging thru my old stuff and reinventing. Probably because I’m too lazy to go shop for the “perfect” thing! Hey… If it works for me …. what the heck! Now if I could just get over my fear of painting furniture! Is there a pill for that? Ha!
Marian,
Ah-men (Ah-Woman) Sister!
You rock and so does your style! Your blog is my favorite and I LOVE BLUE TOO! 🙂
Blessings!!!…
I agree Marian,decorating rules are just guidelines. You should always do what pleases you, especially in your home. You have to live there. It always annoys me when I read an article about decorating written by a dictator who only believes in doing things the way they were taught. Innovation and rule breaking are what lead to newer and often better ideas.
You can come decorate my house anytime!
If you are so inspired can you write a post someday about finding one’s OWN style. I mean, I know we all copy and are inspired by other’s ideas but do you have any advice on finding one’s own style? I also know design is never “finished” but how does one pull a look all together? Thanks! And I loved this post too
Kristine, there is a wonderful study at this time by Darlene of Fieldstone Hill Design on defining our own personal style. “We are learning the difference between what we just “like” and what we really “LOVE”. The ultimate goal will be to understand what it is we love, and to allow that knowledge to slowly change our home environment and decor into surroundings that we ADORE!”
I’ve included a link below if you are interested in checking it out:
http://www.fieldstonehilldesign.com/2013/10/your-style-notebook-a-new-series-to-help-you-decorate-with-what-you-love.html
Marian, as always, this is another great post. I love your style and enjoy your blog and refer to your book often.
I never understood the rules on using certain colors in specific rooms. I always heard that red should be used in a dining room because it stimulates the appetite. I know color can enhance certain senses but personally I never cared for a red dining room. However, I cant tell you now many dining rooms I have seen painted red so I guess someone is listening to interior designing 101.
I agree totally! I love seeing the unique decorating ideas of people who know what they like and have a great eye. I just hope Mandi doesn’t regret the sharpie on her walls. It tends to bleed through when painted over and can be hard to cover. Ask me how I know, lol
I love your blog. Today I bought 2 “frenchie” chairs with what I think is garish fabric because of your blog. I want to re-do them with something similar to the chair in your bedroom. I think it is a drop cloth with a painted stripe. I am terrified but I am going to start them this weekend. If it works I will send you a picture. I appreciate all the things you do to teach us. Thank you.
Yep, decorate with what you love is the best rule.
I noticed the picture of your channel back chair – can you consider doing a tutorial on that? There isn’t much out there on these chairs.
Great post. I *am* a trained interior designer, and we don’t follow rules, either (well, that’s not entirely true, we have to follow building codes). When I hear someone spouting rules, I immediately begin to suspect their credentials. I can guarantee that a person with a university degree in interior design is not learning rules in school. They are studying art, history, psychology, construction methods, CAD, building codes, space planning, human anthropometrics, and so on. You will never hear an interior design professor teaching “decorating rules”. They will teach about design principles (which can be different, by the way, for different cultures). Rules, schmools…… a trained interior designer applies their knowledge to create a design solution for their client. A successful design combines health and safety, beauty, and functionality.
Well said and it sounds like your education has served you very well. 🙂
Bravo! Very well said!
Rock on Sistah!!
Very well said, especially coming from you who inspired me to hang plates on our master bedroom wall, which in turn inspired many readers to email and comment that “plates don’t belong in a bedroom!” I will refer all of them to our fearless rule-breaker leader. 🙂
Yeah, I’ve received that comment as well and it doesn’t bother me one bit! 🙂 I have plates hanging in almost every room in the house!
I’ve enjoyed this post so very much! You’ve said what I have often thought when reading some decorating mags or books. Sure, there is some advice that does make sense, but in the end, we have to live and be comfortable with our own decorating choices. I always get suspicious when someone professes to be an expert. I think the word expert is very overrated!
I love the way you decorated your home, even though blue is not a color I have in my own home. You take beautiful pictures of it and by the way, It’s not just the colors you use you know, it’s your personality and your writing style that are just a pleasure to receive on my rss.
On a side note: I’m thankful that I can even think about what colors I’d like to paint my walls or use for decorating. Whenever I’m too frustrated with my decor (because there is still so much I’d like to change) I remind myself that there are so many people in this world that would love to have these kinds of problems.
Guess we have to remind ourselves that when it comes to decorating, or anything else for that matter, it’s not other people’s opinions that should guide us, but our own God given intuition.
Liebe Grüsse, Siggie
Well said!
I left courses in kitchen & bath design when my daughter & 7 month old grandbaby moved home. She needed me more & it’s been a joyous year to be sure! Anyhow, I don’t believe I’ll return to my classes, so I would never be able to design a room per se, but I am diligently studying my fave mags, shows, blogs, etc. and so on to develop my style & eye so I can at least by an interior decorator.
I love your blog & this was by far on e of my favorite posts ever!
And you’ve done a super job at it! I love making my home feel comfortable and I do what pleases my eye too. I painted one of our bathrooms a dark, almost black green and loved it for years and years. It was beautiful! But alas, now everything is all pastel which I love! Some just have the knack to put things together and make them work…and that would be you!
I think a ton of the rooms I pin on Pinterest are “rule breakers” ! Quite frankly they can be more interesting and appealing to the eye! 🙂 breaking rules or not you must be doing something right…your home is gorgeous!
I LOVE this post. I’ve been following those kinds of “rules” for too long, and finally let myself toss them out the window! Well, mostly. I still find myself getting caught thinking that a rule is a law, not just in decorating, but in life. I remember way back when my husband and I got married how many things we did that we didn’t want to because it was the “rule”. Now we live the life we want, even if it doesn’t make sense to anyone else. Right now I’m painting and redecorating one daughter’s tiny north facing bedroom with bright, intense colors. Because she likes them, and so far it looks pretty awesome. And next weekend (hopefully) our kitchen cabinets will be disappearing. Yes, gone. Because they drive me crazy, and who decided that kitchens need to have perfectly matching upper and lower built in cabinets? Not for me! (Okay, I’m more than a little nervous about that decision.)
Decorating is an art and art is subjective. I have only one rule…IF I LOVE IT I DO IT! Only doctors and law officials need to follow rules!
May I ask you where you got your pretty blue and white quilt? I just love it.
Geez, I was feeling insecure because I don’t know ANY of the rules! Now I realize it’s a good thing! Love your blues, by the way.
Haha. And that is why we love you! Thanks for the light hearted post and the gigiles today.
Did someone say rules?? What rules?? 🙂
Amen! I’m so a rule breaker too. I believe you should put in your home what you love and it will all work out.
Style is what makes UR heart sing!!!
Design is good sense of color, space and especially knowing what your client wants and likes, not that of what the designer wants. I am a schooled and working designer over 30 yrs. Today you have to pay yearly to use designer title, but I will not and think poor design is everywhere today, just look at design mags, models etc. All done by so call professionals. Really, we live in our homes not museums. Good taste is important, but does not have to be expensive. Marion you show us this on every post. It is sad to say, that one can’t say they are a designer, just because they didn’t pay for their title. How about just pure natural talent.( just like an artist) Many of us have it, and should be able to use and share with others, iff we are paid for our work. Marion keep sharing your God given designer. talent, I would hire you anytime.
Keep it up, we all Love you and what you share with us. Love, Linda from the OC
Did you paint the table shown with the pitcher on it? If so I would love to know the names of the colors you used!
Thanks!
I can totally relate! I studied opera in college, but I had a jewelry business on the side during the time, worked in the fashion industry for a bit, and love blogging about home design and decor now. As a type A, I’ve found that music is actually the one I have struggled with the most because I knew ever rule! I couldn’t just sing, I had to think about it. With all my other creative outlets I’ve never necessarily known all the rules so they never limited me.
Great post, Marian.
After thinking about this post a great deal, I realized that the “rules” you refer to are not so much rules as they are trends. You didn’ t actually touch on trends as you did rules. If you had studied interior design instead of or in addition to theatre, you would have learned principles of design, pleasing composition, classic and historical foundation, color sense, spatial relationships, and so many other reliable subjects. And then, you would apply all of those principles to your own designs – which might be considered “rule-breaking”.
Regarding trends, the shelter magazines we all love are constantly promoting new trends in order to keep readers, or add to their readership. With a trained design eye, you can easily recognize the trends and know which ones are good ones to follow, or even predict which ones might have a good run.
One of the things I enjoy so much from your blog is the creativity apparent in every post.
And in the fabulous photography I see wonderful composition and classic design elements, with your own added twist. The tutorials are creative and educating. You apparently have an understanding (trained or not) of principles of good design.
What an awesome responsibility it is to be a leader in your field – blogging, decorating, writing, painting and best of all, encouraging others to find their confidence to do the same.
Blue, blue and white, in all shades and patterns is a classic design color element. It may not be the front page trend at the moment, but it will never go out of style. So many of my plates and other decor are blue and white – in every room. I have always loved it, and I hope you never get tired of it as well.
Looking forward to more creativity and inspiration in each new post,
Diane, a designer friend
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Girl… you MAKE the rules now!
Cindy
Love this! Good thing I don’t know too much about any of the rules…I’m sure I am breaking them left and right! LOL…thanks so much for sharing and always inspiring! XO
GIGGLE GIGGLE??ROCKIN IT girlfriend!!!