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I’m a little slow. Even though I like to think I’m really picky about what I pin on Pinterest I was surprised at some of the rooms I’ve pinned. It took me a year of Pinterest using to realize that just because I pinned a space didn’t mean I wanted to actually live in the space. The difference doesn’t matter all that much until you are searching for inspiration for a room in your own house.

I love the top photo. In many ways it’s my style, it’s eclectic and rustic and unexpected. It’s one of the very first rooms I ever pinned. The room is beautiful and there is nothing at all wrong with it. But a few months ago when I was looking for room inspiration for the bonus room, I really looked at this  picture and even though I’m immediately taken with how pretty it is, there’s not much in that room I actually would use together in my own house.

Things I like:

  • the wall of shingles
  • the scale of the bird art
  • coral, blue and yellow
  • the natural light

Things I realized I wouldn’t do in my house

  • I need some pure white in every room. I have no idea why. This room has no white and I want to give it Crest White Strips. I’m sure it’s a sign of my decorating immaturity.
  • the floor lamps seem too precious and weak. But I love the hint of blue.
  • I need a big fat surfacey coffee table. Love the red stools for a little addition to a real table.
  • the chair doesn’t beg me to sit in it.

This is not about figuring out right and wrong and decorating rules. Oh no. This is about figuring out what it is that you and I individually can use in a space in our current season of life. Consider starting a fresh board that only has rooms with ideas you would actually be able to walk into and live with, not rooms that are just pretty in a photo. I’m guessing you are probably ahead of me on this.

I liked the photo up there at the top, but I didn’t like the room–for me.

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Here’s an example of a photo I love and a space that I could walk right into and live in. I’m sure I’d deformalize it a touch just with my imperfect stuff, but this room is very inviting and I could see it helping me make some decorating decisions if I were re-doing our family room.

What about you? Have you noticed a difference between liking a photo, and actually liking the idea of  living in a room?

Have you seen Darlene’s Ditto posts? She features an inspiration room and then points out things she likes an would incorporate–it’s a great practice to help us think through what it is we love in rooms that we see.