We tend to go through design phases. One minute, we're totally hooked on collecting owls for a shelf, the next, eyeing throw pillows, vintage prints, or ceramics. It's amazing how many things you can be totally into in the span of a single month.

If you haven't figured out my personal style yet then you're on the right track... I don't really have one. Of course, I'm more attracted to some than others, but to stick to one path would bore me to tears. But that's just me. In fact, I've always battled with this - not knowing how to define my tastes - thinking I was an oddball for liking everything. Same goes with my tastes in food, fashion, travel destinations, and music. I've finally come to terms with this, thankfully the many home design magazines (like Domino!) have helped because they feature spaces that tend to lean more towards the eclectic, too. I'm not such a weirdo afterall (but that's open for debate, he he).

See these patterns? What a great way to build a room, literally from the ground up (or floor!). Lately, rugs are my thing. Magazines are to blame for my recent rug obsession, as there's always a gorgeous one lounging on the floor in their spreads, looking up at the reader with big eyes almost to say, "You know you want me!".

If you love rugs, you can find them almost anywhere these days from IKEA to Target (for bargain shoppers) all the way up to Jonathan Adler, Angela Adams, and beyond. Of course, those rugs are all brand spankin' never-been-walked-on-new. What about antique carpets? You need not be Aladdin to befriend a lovely Persian rug.

One place I love to browse is over at Nazmiyal in New York. Their massive collection of fine antique and decorative Persian rugs and carpets are heavenly.Building an entire room extracting the colors and patterns found in a fabulous rug makes decorating a much easier process, it's almost borderline cheating. Have you ever built a room from a single piece, like a rug?

(images from nasmiyal)