How to Integrate Personal Style into Your Kitchen and Bath

(ARA) - Most of us have developed a unique personal style and we know what fashions work for us. But when it comes to decorating or remodeling our homes, particularly our kitchens and bathrooms, style preferences can be harder to pin down.

"Consumers are spending more time -- and money -- to customize kitchens and bathrooms," says Ginny Long, director of online and direct marketing for Moen. So how can you identify your personal decorating style to incorporate it into these rooms?

"Consumers tend to decorate their home in one of the following popular style categories: casual, contemporary, traditional and eclectic," Long says.

How Do I Determine My Style?
Which style do you favor? Before decorating your kitchen or bath, the following quiz will help identify the style that suits your personality:

Designs you prefer are:
A. Shabby chic, comfortable looks
B. Simple, clean lines and geometric shapes
C. Ornate designs
D. Exotic and unexpected combinations

When choosing furniture, you gravitate toward:
A. Overstuffed pieces with distressed and crackle finishes
B. Light woods, like natural maple
C. Leather, cherry wood and dark stains
D. Organic pieces, in different prints and colors, from unique locales around the world

When you accessorize a room, you most likely choose:
A. Items that are old, rustic or have a touch of whimsy that makes a room cozy and inviting
B. New accessories that are placed sparsely and carefully throughout the room
C. Family heirlooms, accented with items you've found at estate sales
D. Funky, fun accessories you found everywhere from thrift stores to high-end boutiques

You do most of your home shopping at:
A. Arts and crafts fairs
B. A chic, modern home store or trendy mail-order catalog
C. Estate sales, auctions and antique shops
D. All of the above

If you consistently chose A's, you gravitate toward a casual style, if you chose mostly B's, you prefer a contemporary style. Mostly C's? You're probably more traditional, and D's indicate a taste for eclectic.

Pump Up Your Style
Now that you've identified the style that suits your personality, how will you decorate your kitchen or bath? Need some suggestions? Here are a few to help get you started:

* Magazines -- Flip through the top remodeling, home and fashion publications to find the latest kitchen and bath design trends and styles such as the most recent countertop finishes, hardware and lighting from interior decor experts.

* Shopping -- Get inspired by visits to your local home improvement store, furniture store or even a wholesale showroom. One advantage of wholesale showroom shopping is seeing the most innovative and stylish products from today's top designers and manufacturers. For example, when looking to purchase a new kitchen or bath faucet, wholesale showrooms display many of the latest products with innovative features such as pulldown and pull-out spouts, as well as popular new finishes including oil rubbed bronze, antique bronze and matte black. Showroom consultants can be another great resource and advantage. Also versed in the latest trends, they can be helpful in recommending products to suit your lifestyle.

* Online -- Search through online magazines, home sites or manufacturers' Web sites such as www.showusyourstyle.com for the latest products and to help spark decor ideas. This popular site features the latest trend information as well as a place to share kitchen and bathroom remodeling stories, tips, videos and photos. You can narrow your search by room, style, budget, etc. to get some creative ideas.

And, if you want some fresh ideas that fit within your newly defined style, you can review remodeling story submissions from this year's "Show Us Your Style" contest sponsored by Moen Inc. Visit www.showusyourstyle.com to cast your vote for your favorite finalist beginning November 1.

"Remember, just because you prefer a certain style, you can still mix and match and have fun. The point is to get personal and create a kitchen or bath that says you," adds Long.

For more information on the fifth annual "Show Us Your Style" contest, visit www.showusyourstyle.com or call (800) BUY-MOEN (800-289-6636).

Courtesy of ARAcontent