Our Style According to Those in the Know...

Since we respect Elle Decor and since they named 25 designers as the best in the industry for 2010, we read all the room descriptions very carefully to see how we, as designers and as a shop measure up. Here's a list of our favorite descriptive phrases and how they relate (or not) to Style Key West:

1. "...posh-trad..."
Not so much. We're grounded in traditional but far too simple to be posh.

2. "...Francophile flash..."
Don't think so. We're more whimsical than flashy.

3. "...tawny masculinity..."
Um...sounds very sexy, but, no, not us.

4. "...suave and swank..."
Very Vegas--definitely too slick for us.

5. "...70's funk, 40's Hollywood..."
Nope and nope.

6. "...a cheeky spin on tradition inspired by the saucy elan of American design of the 1930's..."
This really sounds like fun, but I'm afraid it doesn't describe us.

7. "...fanciful wild-child interiors..."
No. We're known for colorful but serene.

8. "...quiet style with legs..."
Maybe--but what does it mean?

9. "...global glam..."
Don't think so.

10. "...masculine rigor..."
No.

11. "...headspinning, high-energy chic..."
It's exhausting just to read.

12. "...high-low aesthetic..."
Not sure what that is.

13. "...Euro-chic crossed with Southern charm..."
Now here's a possibility. Both Caroline and I are half Italian and half Southern. I lived in France for a year, and she grew up in the South. So I think that qualifies.

14. "...cocktail-ready interiors that sparkle, shimmer, shine and seduce..."
This is absolutely perfect for some Key Westers, just not us.

15. "...Cheerful worldly boho-chic spaces saturated with color and whimsy..."
Sounds fabulous but doesn't describe Style Key West. It is, however, a perfect description our friends' Michael and Meredith's shop Besame Mucho on Petronia Street.



16. "...history energized with a dollop of swagger..."
Nope, we don't have any swagger, not even a dollop.

Well, there it is, and unfortunately we don't measure up very well to the decorista-speak of today's good design. We did, however, find one recurring word that we definitely live up to: PANACHE. In fact, that word describes Style Key West really well.

Yes, we have style, color, energy, whimsy--Cottage style with panache!