My sense of style: thwarted! Well, I'm not really sure, that's my design problem. For whatever reason, you don't want to know, and I don't want to get into it, I'm 50+ and just trying to do my own real first home now.

I've had a lot of houses I've lived in, but not a home.

It's easier to describe mostly what I don't want than what I do. I don't want new and shiny stuff or things that are so contrived you can't move anything and I don't want to freak if something gets scuffed.

I have a WHOLE lot of books (I owned a bookstore and still have a book business.) So every room except the bathroom has to have books in it, a lot of them.

I usually buy used, and shabby is ok, but not uncomfortable.

I like what I call "dinner mint" colors: sage, light rose, pale yellow, dusky light blue. But I have two or three other palettes I like a lot, and many of the others are much more intense.

I love reusing things creatively (and hate the word repurposing!). One of my new favorites is an old bulk film developing rack (my husband has been a pro photographer) that he's using to hold his bicycle water bottles.

I'd rather show the stuff than hide it so that it's awkward to get to. I have a "closed" kitchen with a huge island that I want to turn into a much smaller kitchen with lots of open storage.

I love where I am now, a place I never expected to be!
The last thing I bought for a friend was a purple string bag. She loves purple and we're old high school buddies who'd lost track of each other for many years and live across the country from each other. I had no idea what to get her for her birthday, so that's what she got!