Styling Secrets Anyone?

Okay so this room is wacky. I'll admit it. And colorful. And childish. But on some level it speaks to me. It says it's okay to be flighty and to forget your keys on a regular basis. And maybe to leave some magazines all over the floor without cleaning up before the guests arrive. It tells me to eat on that amazing tray, toast with jam on a Sunday morning - dripping with real butter - and a cup of coffee that is so strong and black that your eyes go ::BING:: the second it touches your lips.

This photo reminds me of living in your home, living your real authentic self, and if your real authentic self is a little left of center than so be it. You're better for it. Living the way you want to live with all the brilliant crazy color and the bubblegum-inspired rug along with the brightest red Chucks you can find for your feet despite the fact that you're old enough to remember wearing the same ones in high school... This room is the reality we all crave in our homes, to combine real life with magazine perfection and have it look like this. It's what I crave.

Yet somehow when I try to attempt this imperfect perfection it comes out all wrong - it looks messy in a most imperfect way. To tell you why I'm obsessing over this at the moment is well, I'm trying to study styling through the images I see right now, as I'd like to get more involved in styling settings like these because my goal is to someday author a book -- and so I must work hard to obtain this recipe that seems so easy just remains such a secret.

Does anyone out there have some styling tips for me? Secrets of the trade? Ideas to share? I know about decorating and interior design but styling isn't something we learned in school and I can't find any book on the topic...

This image, by the way, is from the lovely Car Moebel in Germany where I shopped for my dining room chairs and entryway furniture upon moving here. They're the best, I highly suggest ordering from them if you're located here too.

(image: car moebel)