In the editorial letter of the July/August 2016 issue of House Beautiful, editor in chief Sophie Donelson proclaimed “Pretty is back, indeed!” citing the following image as an example… I was so thrilled to hear! You may have noticed a transition in my posts lately, as my taste has been gravitating back towards my traditional roots. The tremendous feedback I received on this post confirmed I am not the only one longing for a return to more traditional and “pretty” decor.
Merriam-Webster defines pretty as “attractive to look at usually in a simple or delicate way.” There is a definitely ladylike quality to pretty… Pretty is classic. It never goes out of style, and it rarely becomes tiresome to look at. It never harsh, jarring, or loud, but instead soft, serene, and polite. Here are a few examples of my favorite pretty rooms…
“I’m looking forward to the world being a lovelier place so I’m call upon to decorate like this again,” said Anthony Baratta in reference to this image via his Instagram page.

Hallelujah! Bye bye bland. Hellooo gorgeous!
Andrea,
Great post! I love all the images you chose to use-
I wish you could've been with me when I saw Sister Parish's rose petal pink office- still getting over it!
Dean
PRETTY is absolutely always in style! Thanks for putting this round up together. So much inspiration for the day…
Eternally,
Rosie
I agree! And, glad that House Beautiful has officially announced it! Hooray for the comeback of PRETTY!
Well, Hello, Pretty. Welcome back
It's never left my house
Oh that Mimi McMakin porch is jaw dropping. It reminds me of the Dorothy Draper style at The Greenbriar hotel. I die.
Pamela
Love this post!! We have always loved pretty! Thanks for including our work!! Heather Dewberry
I would love to know where to purchase the sectional couch in rose pattern chin to and ruffle.
And I was considering taking down the wallpaper in my kitchen! To be honest I still want to; it’s been up forever and frankly I’m tired of it but the Hubs parents put it up and they are on up there in years and he’s kinda attached to it. It’s sentimental to him, but I’m ready for a change. I think. Now that I’ve seen all your beautiful photos! Thanks so much for sharing them. I like pretty; always have and because of that I suppose some think of our home as being “outdated”, but maybe not so much anymore now that Pretty is coming back!
Well thank heaven! The last issue of Traditional Home was so awful I wondered if classy interiors would ever return.