ideas
ST Y LE M A K E R
Y o u c a n g e t p u l l e d in a l l d i r e c t i o n s b y w h a t t h e
n e ig h b o r s h a v e . Y o u h a v e t o c r e a t e a l i f e t h a t
r e f l e c t s
t h e
t r u
e y o
u
”
CARRIE MCCARTHY,
CO-AUTHOR AND FOUNDER, STYLE STATEMENT
WHO Carrie McCarthy
and Danielle LaPorte
WHERE Vancouver, B.C.;
carrieanddanielle.com
BACKGROUND
Carrie,
far left,
and
Danielle believe that the
better you understand
yourself, the more
comfortable you are
making style decisions.
The duo’s consulting
business guides clients in
discovering their “Style
Statement.” “This
declaration is meant to
be a compass in helping
you make empowered
decisions—from your
wardrobe and home to
relationships and work,”
Danielle says.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
Participants answer
questions, from the
playful (“What would you
wear to the Academy
Awards?”) to the
profound (“Where do
you feel most at home?”).
The answers are distilled
to two descriptive words.
For example, Carrie’s
Style Statement is
“Refined Treasure.”
Words that describe her
include dignified, well-
mannered, and a touch
old-fashioned. “Once you
know
your statement,
you m
ight discover you
make different choices to
better align your life,”
says Carrie, a former
interior designer. “You
m
ight get rid of a chair
you’ve hated. One of my
clients repainted a beige
bathroom bright orange.”
DO IT YOURSELF
Their book,
Style
Statement: Live By Your
Own Design,
contains
questions, journal
exercises, and real-life
examples.
Does your home reflect
who you are? Turn the
page to find out.
T r u s t Y o u r I n s t i n c t s Carrie and Danielle’s advice to live vour style
•
Edit what isn’t working. “If you hold
onto something that has no meaning,
you won’t have room
to introduce what
you really m
ight enjoy,” Carrie says.
•
Consistently communicate who you are
in all you do—from the way you dress to
howyou decorate your home.
•
“Walk through your life, from your
living room
to your relationships, and
make a list of what’s uplifting and what’s
bringingyou down,” Carrie says.
34
MAY 2009 BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS
BY KELLY RYAN KEGANS; PHOTO: KIM CHRISTIE
