Style

Ok so this isn't really "cleaning" related, more like home related, but I've been thinking a ton about what kind of home I want, you know the look and feel of my home. It happens 1-2 times a year that I get this interior design bug and want to throw out everything we have and start over or drag all the furniture out and figure out how to refinish it or sew all new curtains and pillows, and so on. Anyone else?

Last summer during a similar phase I took an online quiz to find out "my style" and it came up with "country french" with some "shabby chic." I'm such a language nerd, but it was so fun to have a label for my  supposed style. Of course, my home doesn't look anything like a french cottage, but I hope someday it will. I guess I just love antiques but ones that are still functional. I also love open space but I'm not really a minimalist. I like books, and tea cups, and blankets too much.

So that's the theory. Now what? I don't really have a good interior design intuition. I guess it'll eventually grow right? And with this next move we're going to get rid of lots of our old, worn-out furniture to upgrade. Yay! We count ourselves very lucky that the only things we've purchased (furniture-wise) is our floor lamp and that super comfortable (but fairly ugly) rocking chair (from craigslist). We've been so blessed. When we got married we lucked out because my grandparents were switching up their bedroom set and gave us a super new and nice bed. We inherited the couch my parents bought when I was 4 and I have that desk and dresser from my great-grandma. And the list goes on. Since we've moved a bunch and been in school this whole time, we've loved our free stuff. And I'll be keeping the antique stuff and hopefully fix them up this summer and fall. There's this old WWI trunk from my great-grandpa that I can't wait to do something with.

But I'm rambling. So what about you guys? Have you put together your homes with an overall vision in mind? Do you have a set "style"? What's important to you about your home?

And then how much does it all mater anyway? In my mind here's my priority list to a home that people (esp my own family) want to be in:

1. Be a welcoming person/family
2. Have good food around
3. Be decently clean
4. Be well put together (the interior design part)

Thoughts????