The Well-Dressed Home: Your Home is What You Wear

Fashion and home decorating have always seemed to be two separate topics. How did you come up with the idea of bringing the two together?
I started noticing the link between fashion and home decorating when I went looking for more dynamic materials for my own home collection line, House. I found that apparel textiles were more dramatic and interesting. For years, the home decor industry was rooted in beige and white. Then fashion designers started designing their own home lines drawing from the fashion world. They brought in designs and fabrics that were full of color and texture. Missoni did a line of outdoor fabrics recently. I love the use of bold stripes out on the patio!

Karyn R. Millet

I like fashion but in real life all I have in my closet are khakis and blue jeans. I don't want my house to be beige and blue! What do I do?
We all have our basics. Where we are in our lives and our careers will dictate a lot about our wardrobe choices just as it will about our home decor. I like to ground everything in a neutral first then add a pop. Adding to our "style" is the layering I talk about in the book. When my children were small, all I wore were Juicy sweat pants. Now that I have a little room in my life for style again, I am adding color and fun accessories to my closet. I am addicted to scarves at the moment. I am also updating at home with new slipcovers in more daring fabrics for the family room sofa.

Can any fashion style become inspiration for the home?
Yes, more styles exist than in the book. One that did not appear was "rock and roll." The world of music and its icons, like Mick, have always had a huge influence on fashion. The book outlines 11 styles, where fashion can turn into home décor. The more historical design styles such as "couture" and "classic" have been living in our homes for ages. "Resort" colors and fun accents decorate our outdoor spaces, and "bohemian" can be found on our bookshelves filled with tokens from travels abroad. All of the styles in this book are usually layered somehow in our homes. Some are more obvious, others more subtle. It is similar to our closets, which are usually filled with a little of this and that.

Karyn R. Millet

What are 5 tips you can give to turning your fashion closet into a decorating dream?

1. Take cues from the colors in the clothes you wear. This will tell you how daring you will be in your home. If you never wear turquoise but you like the color, you will find that placing a little bit of turquoise in the home goes a long way.

2. Determine how much you wear of the basics, colors and color accents. Chances are the same proportions will be found in your color choices at home. For example, you may have beige and white walls in the main living areas but have color accents in the powder rooms or pantry.

3. The aspect that makes a room unique is you. The layers you add with a family heirloom or a display of black and white family gallery are deliberate expressions of you just as dressing yourself in the morning is a daily self-expression.

4. Collaborate. It is always fun to shop with someone or try on an outfit with a friend. You can do the same with shopping for your home. Ask those close to you, "What do you think?"

5. Find inspiration. A good organizational tip is to gather ideas before a search whether for an outfit or a coffee table. Watch movies or read magazines. Don't be afraid to try new things. Start small with new pillows for the soaf or updating window treatments. You can also update one room at a time. It's less overwhelming, and smaller-scaled projects usually allow you to be more daring. Oh yes, and have fun!