Home Design TV shows, catalogs and websites feature new colors, trends and furnishings each and every day. There is such a wide variety of beautiful interior design styles out there.  How do you commit to just one? The short answer is…you don’t have to!

Maybe you want a classic rug with a modern coffee table or an exotic painting hung over a casual sofa.  With My Design Secrets, you can search for each item in a particular style.  Ah, sweet freedom!

Many of our returning visitors use the What’s My Style? section at My Design Secrets and find it very helpful.   As you peruse my descriptions, you will undoubtedly recognize yourself in at least one or two decorating styles.  Keep that in mind when you go to search for a specific item on the site.  Check out the companies that offer the style(s) that best suit your home.  It’s as simple as that.  You have the vision and you know what you like, I am just here trying to simplify the shopping process for you.

For the next seven weeks I am going to highlight one of My Styles and a vendor that carries products in that Style. 

Today’s Feature:  Antique & Restoration.

Your family knows where you are on the weekend. You love to look for the hidden stories of the past to surround yourself and those you love today. The styles vary with the generations and are commonly accented with accessories of fine china, rare collections and gorgeous woodworking detail. Your passion for home restoration is most likely an ongoing project and your search for period lighting, hardware, and tapestries are often rewarded with the “perfect find”.

Check out your the Antique & Restoration style in My Secret Database!

I call it “Mod-tique”.  Combining timeless beauty with a fresh new twist.  A classic sofa with a contemporary fabric.  A loft decked out in ultra-modern furnishings with a reclaimed wood floor.  State of the art kitchen cabinets with rustic, hand-hewn knobs.  These are choices that are the hallmark of professional designers.  The ability to select items that combine timeless beauty with a bold new look.  It lends an air of sophistication to your design that takes it to a whole new level.

Here are a few items that fall into the “Mod-tique” look.  Check out the colors, finishes and shapes and you will start to see the light.

Create your own Mod-tique look by searching My Secret Database!

Just like a fine quality spice in your favorite food dish, a little Exotic influence in your decor goes a long way.  Exotic is one of the 7 Styles we feature on My Design Secrets and it can be incorporated into virtually any other style.  It features fresh colors and striking designs from faraway places including locales such as Asia, the Middle East, and South America; to name a few.  Today I will run down some Exotic tips that will bring zest to your nest. 

• Modern interiors come to life with vibrant animal-themed artwork.
• An old leather chair ups its hip factor with a painted Moroccan side table.
• Light and airy draperies add romance to your bedroom.
• A colorful lantern makes an indoor or outdoor conversation area warm and cozy.
• Intricate wood work on a headboard (or room screen hanging above a bed) adds interest and a focal point for the bedroom.

Exotic design comes in many forms; from hand carved and inlaid woodwork to vibrant textiles and unusual accessories.  Introduce a bit in your interiors and I bet you will never turn back.

Explore the Exotic Style in My Secret Database!

Room Screens can serve a variety of purposes; from breaking up large open spaces to providing a small private nook for meditation.  They can stealthily cover up an unwanted view or hide a storage area.  In honor of the versatile screen, let’s take a look at some creative options depending on what your budget (or lack there of) will allow.

A Steal

Necessity is the mother of invention.  This is an idea that I have used in my own home.  My husband, Tim, and I had picked up some rolled bamboo fencing at Home Depot to install in our Asian-inspired garden.  We bought more than we needed and had one piece leftover.  We are lucky enough to have a panoramic view of the canal in our backyard from our living and dining rooms, but on one side we have seasonal neighbors who have dogs that like to bark every time they see our dog Emma in the window.  Solution?  The screen.  I just leaned it up against the window.  Problem solved! 

Split Bamboo Fencing 58″ x 13′ by Gardener’s Supply Company $49.95

A Deal

This beautiful bamboo screen from Gaiam is eco-friendly and made from pesticide free bamboo.  It is pliable, so you can form it into whatever shape works for your space.  It has the soothing feeling of a gentle wave.  I buy lots of yoga products and home products from Gaiam.  They are in My Secret Database.

Bamboo Screen 8′W x 6′H by Gaiam $269.00

Completely Surreal

Now, interior design would not be much fun if we did not indulge, or in this case overindulge, in some beautiful but pricey items.  I found this gorgeous 1959 Italian screen on 1st Dibs.  It is being sold through an antique dealer in London and is made from pallisander wood.  This is a very hard reddish brown to dark violet wood species with dark or black stripes.  It is more common in Europe than the states.  Lovely as it is, a new car sounds nice too.

Pallisander Screen by Ico Parisi 8′x6′ offered by 1st Dibs $36,000