I (heart) Pottery Barn -

Am I the only one who's heart beats a little faster when you enter a Pottery Barn?

There's just something about the showroom and displays that I love! Everytime I go, the displays look different and fresh. I like the casual-elegance much of the store has- not too formal, but great-looking stylish casual pieces. So one day, I decided to try to figure out what it is exactly I loved about Pottery Barn to help re-create that look/feeling at home, and here's what I discovered:

1. Pottery Barn's "basics" is mostly neutral- Most large-scale, big-ticket items like sofas, chairs, dishes, and bedding are basically whites/khakis.

2. Pottery Barn's furniture is classic in style- nothing too trendy or fancy, great simple lines.

3. The "Pottery Barn Magic" comes in when they use colorful seasonal accents like pillows, throws, foilage, table linens, and accessories to embellish their neutral background and classic furniture…

like Springtime colors in the Dining Room-

or a Summer-time Living Room-

or this Fall-inspired look…

or a festive Holiday room…

4. Pottery Barn has a rustic elegance- great for any home, not too "country", not too "fancy", a very livable look.

I get a lot of decorating ideas and inspiration from catalogs and shops like Pottery Barn (as well as magazines), but many times you can re-create the look for less, just by identifing the main components and shopping discount places…where do you get your decorating inspiration?