House Tour: Jamie Meares
How would you describe your decorating style?
Trial and error. I do and redo things 15 million times before I decide they are right. Currently, I maybe have 2-3 right things. The rest are in flux. I like texture a lot, and I like to keep the eye moving in a room. Picking out materials that don’t show dirt is crucial to my emotional state. I’ve yet to invest in anything super nice and expensive, but maybe one day. I have expensive tastes, but tend to scrimp so I can have instant gratification. I need to learn to have more patience. I’m a firm believer that rooms can’t be ‘done’ or decorated in one day (hence the trial and error technique). They have to be cultivated, and edited, and tended to carefully, like a garden. Otherwise, it looks like a Rooms To Go showroom, and no one wants that.
Do you collect anything? If so, how do you display it?
Seashells, seaglass and various other sea things. They’re hanging out all around the house, in jars, on shelves and in Rowdy’s mouth (dog). And books. They are everywhere. If I cannot afford food, I’ll still buy books because I’d rather own them than borrow. I feel like if you’ve invested the time to read it, you should get to keep it.
What makes a house a home?
The ability to work on it. If you’re vacationing somewhere, or renting, I feel like you wander around the house wishing you could paint the wall another color, or hammer something or change something, but if it’s yours, you can!
What are your favorite decorating resources?
Domino – RIP and pour some of your 40oz. out: I have every issue and refer back OFTEN. Blogs: designsponge mostly. Living etc. and Elle Décor and House Beautiful are filling the domino shaped hole in my heart, for now.
Jamie—I love seeing these glimpses inside your house. And the contrast between your red walls and blue door is terrific.
Love your philosophy.