A Stroll Thru Life Feature: Starfish Cottage- Pulling it all Together -

Hi! I am Kristy from Starfish Cottage, a little blog all about life in a coastal cottage.

I am so happy to be featured today on Marty's beautiful blog, A Stroll Thru Life. Thanks for having me!

The name of Marty's feature is "Pulling it all Together" and I wanted to show you all how I "pull together" decor for the main room of the house, the Family Room/Kitchen/Breakfast Room…

The first thing you should know about me is that I have been diagonsed (well, self-diagnosed) with "Decorating ADHD" this is a serious disorder where you easily tire of one color scheme/pattern/look and are easily distracted by NEW colors and patterns and ideas.

Unfortunately, I have been suffering from this disorder for YEARS, and it is a particularly harmful disorder if you are on a small BUDGET!

Luckily, I have figured out a system that works well for me, and I am constantly updating our home for the seasons and not spending a fortune! (More about that later…)

Here are a few of my favorite seasonal photos (and links below) of Starfish Cottage from over the years, you will see how our home transforms colors and style with the seasons…

Favorite Springtime Photos

Favorite Summertime Photos

Favorite Fall Photos

Favorite Holiday Photos

If you are wondering how I transform our home each season without spending a fortune, I have a little technique I like to call:

What is "80/20 Style Decorating" you say?

It's something I just invented…well, I didn't invent it, but I have NAMED it.

Basically, 80/20 Style is:

80% neutral, classic furnishings and finishes

mixed with

20% colorful, trendy, seasonal accents. This is how I have decorated for years! Here's how it works:

80% of my home is neutral: white (of course), black, beige, and brown. Most of my furniture is classic in style- nothing too contemporary or old fashioned, just timeless pieces. Here are some photos of my classic/neutral basics:

creamy white sofa, clear seeded glass lamps, creamy white kitchen, neutral backsplash, etc…

creamy white slipcovered chairs, black iron and glass coffee table, khaki walls, natural seagrass rug,

white drapery panels, classic brown kitchen table, etc…

The 80% is the easy part- invest in great, neutral classic furnishings that will last you a long time and give you TONS of decorating flexibility! Then neutralize your walls and finishes to keep everything open and easy to update. (P.S. I get questions ALL THE TIME about my white sofa- I have had it for 13 years, it has had 2 slipcovers. I wash the covers when they get dirty and it is in great shape. Luckily, I am not a perfectionist- so the few minor stains it does have I overlook!)

Now for the FUN part…the 20% accent colors and accessories- this is where you can really have some fun changing up your "look". I shop for my 20% items at discount stores- these are not your "investment" pieces. Homegoods, Target, Pier One, you get the idea! I find colorful pillow covers, throw blankets, coffee table decor, table linens and centerpieces add so much to my rooms, and these items are easy to switch out seasonally, or whenever you feel like it!

Here is the same room with a couple of different looks:

Spring: