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The ever-loved coquette style — one inspired by feminine Americana, Lana Del Rey, a reclaiming of the implications of “girlhood”--isn’t leaving any time soon. Embracing coquette style is simple in your wardrobe: it’s easy to adorn with ribbons, tulles of lace, pearls and pink. However, embracing coquette in your more foundational home decorum, that’s a different challenge. Here, we will give you recommendations to loudly (and proudly) embrace femininity in your interior stylistic choices.
We also find these pieces have the capacity to outlive the ever-changing trend cycle, so your bows won’t become “cheugy” in a few months--we promise.
The coquette, which is already an implicit call to detail, lives on in the intricacies. You don’t need a bathmat, let alone one that is bedazzled with blue bows. You don’t need an ornate shower curtain, but it certainly is fun! These kinds of stylistic choices--ones that embed both functionality and attention to detail--elevate your coquette style.
You can make these yourself, especially if you aren’t finding the colors/styles you might find through inspiration or advertisements online. For the shower curtain, you can teach yourself how to embroider; for the bathmat, you can immerse yourself in painting. If you’re feeling especially ambitious, you can apply your new painting skills to other facets of the bathroom. Perhaps you want the front of your bathtub to sport a bow, or you think that the sink would benefit from a fresh coat of baby pink; these can always be painted over or replaced. If you’re renting or living with your parents, we might suggest something with less commitment; perhaps you can tie bows around the legs of your tub, or fasten them onto the sconces around the sink. Whatever your current bathroom sitch, there are both permanent and temporary ways to explore the coquette.
One of our favorite projects: the living room + kichen. With many more variables than the bathroom, embracing coquette style here has more creative outlets. What’s appealing here? Is it the big bow on the oven? The bows very intentionally placed onto the stem of these champagne glasses? How might you superimpose this inspo onto the actual space (and style) of the room you’re working with? If you find yourself drawn to the little details, like books and candles, you can certainly accessorize the space.
Here’s an example of accessory “layering”--i.e., using one item as a foundational stack for other items. Here’s the signature coquette ribbon being used as both an installation of style and a floating candle holder. Plus, the candle is a dainty pink, which is another outlet for stylistic choice. It’s all about intentionally putting together different facets of an aesthetic and, importantly, incorporating your own flair of style!
If you are especially interested in the smaller touches of coquette--the tulips, the pink books lining the coffee table--you can easily add this essence to your space without overhauling everything you already own. Take a look at Facebook Marketplace, Etsy, local yard sales, estate sales, thrift stores, and of course, your mom’s stashes of 80’s & 90’s decor. Grab a weekly bouquet of tulips from your local farmers market, thrift some pretty pink coffee table books, or add in some throw pillows with ribbons.
Here, you might find the most room for a messy exploration of coquette style. This can be a mod-podge of different adherences to the style: perhaps you have baby pink walls (like I do) from when you were younger; perhaps you have ballet flats from when you tried it when you were eight; or there are gifts from grandma (originally ugly) that can now be used to accentuate and decorate.
Maybe you're a fan of ecclectic designs and feel comfort in having staple pieces such as this bedside lamp?
Try painting the trim around your door with bows, or spray paint the light switch cover. Hang up posters; tie bows on your pillowcases; buy that vintage vanity on FB Marketplace. Your room is your space: your space to explore, reclaim girlhood, DIY new trends, and bask in pretty pinks and beautiful bows.
We encourage you to have fun with your designs! It’s all about reclaiming the tenderness of girlhood, and what better way than having fun and messing around?
