The best homes are those that teach you something about the person who lives there. Their favorite colors, their aesthetic, and their historical influences are immediately on display. Georgia O'Keeffe's Abiquiu, New Mexico home is one such space.
A 1967 image of the artist's entryway idea shows that it is the perfect embodiment of Americana style. The doors and ceilings are made of rough-hewn wood which contrast the matte walls. A stone bench is home to a variety of rocks which are looked down on by a hanging pair of elk antlers. Georgia's hallway is lit by a simple hanging light bulb.
Not everyone would want to live here, and that's exactly the point. You can feel influences from the home throughout Georgia's work; it feels almost like a love letter to the region, and a complete expression of her personal inderior design style.
Shop the look
O'Keeffe's entryway would be incomplete without a mounted deer skull. This faux version is realistic and affordable.
This faux bois planter gives any tree or plant a cohesive appearance, with a rustic, tree bark facade. It's also fade, rust, and weather-resistant, making it the perfect option for both outdoor or indoor plants and flowers. If you can't live in the wilderness, it's the next best thing.
A single lightbulb pendant lends authenticity to this rustic space. This version has a more modern feel at a great price point.
In the wake of an accelerated trend cycle, and the 'core'-ing of every imaginable aesthetic, a return to the ideal of the completely personal home feels inevitable. Consumers are opting to follow their own arrow, and reject the rote replication of interior design trends.
Dayna Isom Johnson, trend expert at Etsy explains: 'There are multiple decades that are having a moment at the exact same time. I think this is the first time ever that this has happened, and I think it's because more and more people are ditching the rules and instead embracing their own personal style and their own personal flair.'
Though designing a home that feels like you isn't necessarily easy, it can be intuitive. Dayna advises: 'Readers should embrace items that are a true reflection of their personal style and not something that they're heavily influenced on that doesn't speak to them.'
To add character to a home in this way, take inspiration not as a rulebook, but as a jumping off point. Dayna states: 'I think it can be intimidating if you're trying to replicate something and not tell your own story. I think there's a difference between being inspired and being able to put your own spin on it versus exactly replicating an image you see online. Be inspired by the colors, be inspired by the shapes, be inspired by the aesthetic, and then translate that into what it means to your personal style.'
‘I really think it's about how you choose to create that look within your own space and that's how it remains timeless. You can't copy and paste from the magazine page. You have to do it in a way that works for you,' she concludes.
With the right influences and inflection of personal style, anyone can create interiors as influential as Georgia O'Keeffe's entryway. Design is subjective, but personality is universal.
