Swag your spirit. Don’t just own your home, own your style. Who are you? If you are wondering about the answer to that eternal question posed by all mankind, look around your room. It will give you the answer, sometimes, it’s even shouting at you.

Do you recognize the personality that created your space? Is it a mirror of your soul? If not, why not? Let’s look at what is going really going on in your room. First, what color is it? Do you have a favorite color? Are you using your favorite color to power up your day and power down your night? Here is what the “experts” have to say about color: “The colors of the rooms in your home are a direct reflection of your personality.” That’s a lot of responsibility not to mention a heavy burden.

On top of all of everything else you have to do, now you are responsible for the mood influences in your space. Terrific. So how do you affect the mood in your room?

Here are a few simple principles.

• You want love? Go with red. It is the most exciting of the colors. Downside, test taking in red rooms promotes failure, use this color with caution.
• Orange is a happy color, removes inhibitions, consider this when planning your orange room. (You might refer back to red, the passion color?)
• Yellow, like sunshine is synonymous with joy. Be warned, this color has been known to  generate irritability and even make babies cry when it is overworked, but then don’t we all generate irritability when we are overworked?
• Blue is a favorite color of dieters, this color can help decrease the appetite while establishing a calm sense of well-being. Note to self, think twice before painting your dining room or kitchen blue.
• Green is the friendly color and preferred for most rooms in a house. What is the dark side of green? Too much of this amiable color can invoke feelings of envy and avarice. Whoa.
• Purple is royal and its cousin, pink.
• Pinkis tender and sensitive, great qualities in a leader, right?
• Then we have the neutrals, their virtue is their flexibility.

You can add color to liven things up, subtract color to calm things down.  We should all have spouses and partners with that kind of flexibility, just a thought. There are several other factors to help define your style.

Does an uptown classic look lift you up or is it shabby chic you prefer? Is an easy breezy coastal spirit your style or does a colorful family fun room hit all cylinders? Is it rooms that ramble or modified spaces that hold you close? Are you contemporary or all about the antique? Doesn’t matter, all of the above mentioned are fabulous, especially if it makes your heart sing. There is, however, one rule we cannot move beyond, no matter how hard we try. Well-being is linked to a clean house. Recent studies have shown those who have a clean home have a healthier and happier environment.

Your mother was right.

​Preppie fashion rules can be translated into rules for family fun rooms.
 
Rule # 1: Keep it sporty.  Sporty for your house can be interpreted with great looking plaids and patterned fabrics with maybe a little leather mixed in.   Think of football, baseball, basketball, tennis, and soccer teams.  The colors are bright and complementary.  They are high energy, unless, of course, you are looking at a team that has black and gold as “signature “team colors.   For our purposes, don’t look at black and gold teams.   For you black and gold lovers, we will have something for you later. 
 
Rule # 2: Keep it under dressed.  Quick question, what does under dressed for a room look like?  It looks like purpose.  Not to belabor the sports comparisons, but, if the cleats fit.   In sports, every element or piece of equipment has a vital purpose.  Think of football without the helmet, soccer without socks and shin guards, tennis without lines on the court, everything has a reason and a function. Sports equipment is a fashion statement.  Tennis has a very high style dress code, golf, well, that dress code conversation could go on for a while from the visor all the way down to the cleated shoe, and we didn’t mention the golf bag.  So, how does this translate into a fun, high energy room that is awesome to just sit in?  Everything must have purpose and be in a suitable style.  Not frilly and sexy, that will be for other rooms, but tailored and intentional.   
 
Rule # 3: Jewelry for the preppster doesn’t have to match, but the metals should.  What does that mean for your room.  The tables, chests, odd, fun pieces don’t have to match, but they do need to have a scale that relates.  In other words, the tables need to talk to each other the conversation had better be good.
 
Rule # 4: Preppies take care of their clothes, but a tiny stain or small pull in a sweater is not the end of the world.  The family fun room, preppie style is not afraid of a few life bruises.  Small bumps and spills only serve to show that the room is cherished.  These rooms, however, must never be shabby.  There is a difference between gracefully worn and messy. 
 
Rule #5:  Preppie clothes can cost any amount, but they must fit. Many a preppy has an item from a vintage shop or a lost-and-found bin at the club that was tailored and looks incredibly chic.  This same principle applies to the preppie family room.  Your furniture can cost any amount, but it must be suitable for the space.  Finds at consignment shops and garage sales can be very appealing if they are “tailored” to perfection.  I.E., these treasurers must be finished, clean, and polished.  Note, preppie rooms love beeswax.
 
These rooms are classic and always in style.  Bottom line these rooms work because they are authentic.  They really do meet the Vanity Fair criteria that, “The best fashion statement is no fashion statement…”  Enjoy!