Since I’m snuggling my newborn baby girl, I wanted to arrange for a little blog “maternity leave” of sorts. I’ve asked several fellow bloggers to play a little game having to do with home decor and design. The game is called Fling, Marry, Kill. It’s exactly like F*ck, Marry, Kill, but with home design trends. Each guest will be sharing what design trend they’d have a Fling with but couldn’t stand to keep permanently, what trend they could Marry and keep around forever, and the trend they think needs to die. Today’s guest is Megan of Marco Style.
Megan Marconyak is the owner of Marco Style, a website dedicated to fashion, travel, dining, and making every day sparkle. Check out her website or follow her on Facebook to learn how to make every moment a little more glamourous.
Fling: Shabby Chic
Oh Shabby Chic, your fun flowers, repainted castoff furniture, feminine white ironwork, and faux crystal details present an enticing air that lures me in every few years. You first hooked me when I got an apartment after college: I painted a white coffee table with blue sea shells, added a pastel pink chandelier from Target, and supplemented with bargain white candelabras from a local antique mall. The beach-meets-vintage-cute vibe was perfect for decorating on a shoestring.
After a few years, it all started to grow a little too comfortable. The once exciting and enticing hodgepodge selection knitted together from sales and scouring started to look stale. Seashells are fun and festive for a weekend at the beach, but start to get tiresome when you look at them day in and day out. And after you live with it for a few years, shabby chic just starts to look worn out and cheap.
Eventually I knew we had to end it. Even the hand-painted table had to go (although I still regret ditching that, sometimes). I also couldn’t part with the pink chandelier and a few other mementoes, which have found their way into my now eclectic décor.
I always give this style a flirt when I’m upstyling spaces that aren’t the freshest or newest. The antique-inspired aspect and colorful accents complement older fixtures and help them to blend in. It’s perfect for my bathroom where old floors and tilework are brightened and benefitted by bright colors and cute details… that is until it again gets old and I kick it to the curb in search of a new style suitor. 
Mix a white bedspread with floral sheets and accents. Even if your style preference changes, you can use the white for years to come.
https://www.target.com/p/shabby-printed-sheet-set-shabby-chic-153/-/A-52087024?preselect=14246314#lnk=sametab
Use bright colors to cheer up a small, slightly older space.
https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/product/jessica-simpson-21-inch-x-34-inch-quatrefoil-bath-rug/3266024?categoryId=13435&skuId=43669059
Accessorize with locally made paper flowers. They don’t die, but have a fresher, more fun feel than faux.
Marry: Luxe Bohemian
If Shabby Chic is that handsome fling I met on beach week, Luxe Bohemian is the tall, dark and handsome, slightly mysterious man that I met on a long trip to Europe. Rich, sumptuous tones and textures envelop me.
In my current apartment, I wake up surrounded by my velvet pillows and sequin-adorned bedspread and for a moment, forget that I’m not still off in some fancy five-star hotel. Just as that new, foreign flame will probably introduce you to an array of special spots, both elegant and laid back, that you would never find on your own, this trend welcomes a mixture of posh and inexpensive pieces. Yes, you do need to splurge on a few special textures and fixtures to take the look from hippie to high-end, but the right patterned World Market rug or properly chosen glassware can also mix right in.
Like being wrapped in the arms of the one you love, this home décor style also encourages you to choose fabrics that feel good. Velvet, lamb fur, faux fur, and other posh trimmings make your home both comfortable and stylish.
Yes, the luxe bohemian vibe is that décor style that I’m quite tempted to settle down and stay with for years to come. And, because of the eclectic nature, if you find the right core pieces, you can always switch up the accents to keep it feeling fresh and frisky. 
I love this bedspread. The detailing is beautiful and distinctive.
https://www.target.com/p/cream-moroccan-wedding-quilt-opalhouse-153/-/A-53100046?preselect=53090122#lnk=sametab
A velvet quilt is perfect for winter or folding over another for a sumptuous accent.
https://www.target.com/p/velvet-tufted-stitch-quilt-opalhouse-153/-/A-53100073
Choose accessories in metallic or other rich tones to create the style without making big investments.
https://www.westelm.com/products/mirror-trays-d1185/
Kill: Minimalism
You don’t know him, but you’ve watched him from afar. And you have to admit, he’s attractive. Maybe a little more clean-cut than your typical guy, but that body keeps you looking again and again. Then, the day comes when you strike up a conversation. He asks you to dinner and your heart flutters as you walk into the restaurant. You start talking. And you realize there’s nothing going on upstairs… he’s boring and there’s no emotional of intellectual connection.
This is how I feel about minimalism. At first glance, a mostly empty, extremely clean and very white home looks beautiful. But as you try to settle in, you realize you can’t. The lack of detail and hard lines make you worry if you drop a glass of sparkling water (let alone, gasp, red wine) your host will lose it because bubbles might damage some special fabric.
The lack of personal details creates a cold environment. I believe a living space should have fun, personal touches that reflect the people who live there. A space that’s stripped to bare bones and empty counters doesn’t have room for photos, filled book cases, and the little odds and ends that allow you to truly get to know someone.
For now, I’ll stick with occasionally admiring the look from afar (especially when my home is feeling extra cluttered), but I’ll fall for something with more personality and substance.
