The Incredibles: Our Fifth House

"I use my no-fear no-rules design attitude to transform our fifth house into a home"... these were the first words to pop out at me when I stumbled across the Our Fifth House blog. For a moment I got lost in my own reflections, wondering why I so afraid to be bold in my design. I was curious about Carmel's home and how she could be so brave and sure. I clicked on the home tour tab and.... OOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooooo! Oh here was a lady after my own heart! She really was bold and creative in her design! And it was...oh it was "let's switch houses" good! No wait, it was "come decorate my house" good, and I'm a control freak! 

I was inspired! I knew I wanted my home decor to be practical, and intentional, and make everything like a photograph that catches my eye. This was it, this was my inspiration blog when I started feeling unsure and timid. That is why I chose Carmel as one of "The Incredibles" to interview, to share how we can all have bold and timeless design.

Carmel's beautiful home has been featured on Apartment Therapy, House of Fifty, Fresh Home Ideas, and DIY Lifestyle magazine. She is a wife and mom, and I found it pretty encouraging that her and her husband have found ways to merge their very different styles.

 

Interviewing The Incredibles 

Part 2: Bold Design

Ursula: Carmel's beautiful home has been featured on Apartment Therapy, House of Fifty, Fresh Home Ideas, and DIY Lifestyle magazine. She is a wife and mom, and I found it pretty encouraging that her and her husband have found ways to merge their very different styles.

Carmel: I started the blog on a whim in the fall of 2010 but it wasn't until January 2011 that I decided to really commit to being a "blogger" (whatever that really means).  I was just looking for a creative outlet.  After moving around for about 10 years (the name of my blog is Our Fifth House because we're living in our fifth house- genius blog name right?!), I needed some motivation and inspiration to start making our house feel more like home.  Creating a home takes time and passion, and moving from place to place can sort of suck the joy out of the process.  Blogging has fed my creative soul and has truly inspired and renewed my love for all things related to creating a home. 

Ursula: Were you just born with all that bold taste, or is there any hope for the rest of us to acquire it? Lol!

Carmel: Ha!  I think we're all born with an innate love for certain things.  Like how I've loved the color red since I was just a little girl.  I had a red (not a pink) tricycle that I LOVED, and my favorite character is still Strawberry Shortcake.  My first car was red, and I wore a red dress to prom. Somewhere along the road from childhood to adulthood we start letting other peoples' opinions matter more than they should.  If I have any advice to give, it would be to draw design inspiration from blogs and magazines, but to ultimately listen to your inner design voice.  You have one- I promise!    

Ursula: Wow! You have a beautiful mix of dark colors and patterns throughout your home. Some of us are afraid to use color and pattern, how do you recommend we break out of our shell?

Carmel: Like Nike says - Just Do It!  I think a lot of times it's the fear of making a wrong choice that holds you back.  The thing is there is so much to be learned from making a mistake.  If you paint a color on the wall and end up hating it - what's the real harm?  Sure you spent $30 on a can of paint, but what you learned from that process far outweighs the cost (in my opinion). When it comes to playing with pattern, pillows are a great (and inexpensive) place to start mixing things up a little.  

Ursula: Hmmm...Do you think it is possible to go oh so wrong with too much color and pattern? If so, how do we avoid a décor disaster?

Carmel: Honestly, I don't think so.  I think it really all comes down to what you feel comfortable living with.  Decorate for you.  

Ursula: Oh I love that advice! Not only do you have a great design sense, but you are creative as well! What diy project are you most proud of, and where do you get your inspiration?

Carmel: I'm most proud of the magnetic chalkboard wall in my entry foyer.  It's totally unexpected in an entry spot, and I love the mix of chic, whimsical and sarcastic. 

I have fun playing with the message and changing it up every now and again too!  

Thanks so much for including me in this series!  It's such an honor! If you'd like to peek around my house a bit more check out my housetour page.

Believe me Carmel, the pleasure is all mine! Thanks so much for sharing!

Well people I'm doing it...sink or swim, I feel empowered to conquer any design fears and just go for it! No more waffling over a color, or wondering if that pattern is "too much" for my home, if I love it why not?

And I think you should too! Are you a bold designer? Or have you been timid waiting to find validation? This Thursday come back and link up your Bold Design! Still need to conquer your fears? The link challenge will be open for a month, so go be bold and blog about it, then come link-up! Click here to see the Bold Design link-up.