finding our style (and then throwing it out the window)

Last week Husband and I took a few quizzes to get an idea of our "style."

(You can find these quizzes at Ikea, Sproost, Ethan Allen, and HomeGoods. Which one you like best depends entirely on you. I liked them all except Ethan Allen, which was slightly trivial.)

The results were...mixed. Divided even. Here's the prime example:

From the Ikea quiz, in case you couldn't tell.

Yep, not even one word matched, and Husband scored 0% in the "Scandinavian" category.

The differences in our personal style came as no surprise to me. I have known the man for six years, and I've lived with him (and tried to decorate with him) for almost five. It can be a chore.

This obsessive quiz-taking was the result of the following interchange (spurred on by my own temporary insanity):

Me: Do you think the lampshades need to match the rug?
Husband: Well, which is going to last longer?

That's a classic example of our interchanges, especially with regard to decorating and home improvement. Our minds are on two totally different tracks. Mine focuses on everything coordinating obsessively, while his centers on how long things are going to last. This interchange snapped me back to reality. And if it hadn't, rug shopping sure would have. There isn't a lamp shade in the world that can match the rug we cooked up at Flor.

So it was definitely fun to take the quizzes. I found the explanation of the HomeGoods quiz the most enlightening. Here's a quote:

You keep up with culture, style, and trends, but have an appreciation for timeless forms and simple lines. You value good design, quality craftsmanship, and prefer the streamlined to the overly embellished or cluttered. You also appreciate the warmth and individuality of natural materials and handcrafted things and are inspired by colors and forms from nature. This contrast is what makes your home intriguing and comfortable. You love mixing up different  textures and are sensitive to the tactile qualities of objects. Your style is grounded and solid, not flighty or frilly. 

That really rang true to what I'm going for. The contrast between streamlined, contemporary objects and natural forms and colors is exactly what I'm looking for in our home, especially in the living room.

Husband's description, although it contained a different header, was strikingly similar. It was as though someone paraphrased this one and emphasized different things. Exactly like us.

So really, none of these results mean anything. Our design style as a couple is most definitely Contemporary Compromise. We both want streamlined, clean lines an well-made furniture. But we also want comfort serenity. We just get there by completely different routes.

The tale of our Flor adventure is a prime example of this, and will be described in my next issue!