When it comes to your decorating style, do you feel like you have lots of ideas but don't know what to focus on? Do you have the impression that your style and your tastes are reflected a little in each major theme? Or do you feel attracted to all the decor trends that present themselves?
Believe me, there are times when I could say yes to all these questions! But I've found that learning how to choose a design style makes decorating your home so much easier!
It's definitely worth taking some time to find your decorating style before you start making decisions about your interior design. No more wasting time and money on decorative items that end up looking “ugly” once you bring them home!
Learning to choose a decorating style that matches your personality allows you to decorate and furnish your home or apartment with confidence, knowing exactly what will please you and make you happy!
BUT FIRST...
When I talk about finding your design style, I don't mean that you have to limit yourself to a particular look, label, or trend. I'm talking about finding out what you like so you don't get overwhelmed by all the choices available to you.
I'm one of those people who loves taking personality quizzes and learning about personality types. This not only allows me to understand myself better, but also to understand others better. This kind of information can translate into all aspects of our lives, including the decorating style we are drawn to.
I believe our homes should be a reflection of who we are deep within. As with everything in life, getting in touch with your personal decorating style requires listening to your inner wisdom and trusting your intuition, rather than following the crowd.
Keep reading my simple tips, and soon you'll be creating spaces that are authentic, beautiful, and most importantly, make you feel fulfilled!
1. LOOK IN YOUR CLOSET
The first thing I recommend when finding your design style is to look at what's hanging in your closet!
For years, my favorite "uniform" has been white jeans and a blue or white shirt in the summer and blue jeans and a white or gray sweater in the winter! I also like to wear anything with stripes. And I love a pop of black! If you look at my home, you'll see all of these elements reflected in my decorating style.
So the first step in learning how to choose a decorating style is to take a look in your closet and notice the colors, fabrics, and patterns that you turn to again and again .
Comfort and ease are important to me, which is why I wear cotton clothing almost exclusively, and this preference is reflected in my home. My white slipcovered chairs are one of my favorite things about our house because they are soft, comfortable and easy to care for, just like my clothes!
I like a relaxed feel to my interior, with deep, comfortable seating, lots of baskets and natural textures, coastal artwork, and pops of blue and white.
Yes, your wardrobe can allow you to learn a lot about yourself and refine certain trends a little which can guide you in choosing your interior decoration style.
2. CREATE A “VIGNETTE STYLE”
A vignette style is an arrangement of objects in a home that reflects the personalities of the people who live there. It tells a story about who you are.
So the next thing I recommend is to walk around your house, go through your closets, and gather everything that can give you the look and feel you're going for. Bring it all together in one place in your home. Next, stage a space, corner or vignette to help you define the decorating style you like.
For example, I realized that this space in our dining room, below, makes me happy every time I see it! So whenever I find myself distracted by what others are doing, I refer to this space. It reminds me of the overall mood, tone and color palette I want to achieve in our home right now.
I know I'm happiest when I decorate in a way that expresses my personal taste and style. You can see that I'm currently drawn to a light, bright and decidedly beachy look!
3. INTEGRATE YOUR TRAVELS OR TRIPS INTO YOUR THINKING
Whether where you live or abroad, which places have meant the most to you? Which ones did you find most special? Where would you settle if you had the choice? Which of these places inspires you?
Does your heart belong to the beach or the mountains? Do you want to return to Florence, Provence or Barcelona? Do any of these places excite you? Were you inspired by the art of Florence, the aromas and colors of Provence or the architecture of Barcelona?
Think about colors, textures and styles... They say a lot about your personality and should translate easily into your interior design.
4. SEEK INSPIRATION
Then, gather outside inspiration to help you refine your design style. You can scroll through interior design hashtags on Instagram. Or create a board on Pinterest with the rooms and places you love. See if you can spot a trend , common color scheme, or general theme in your Pins.
Sometimes, though, Pinterest can be a little overwhelming because there are so many choices! Often, I just flip through a magazine or book on this theme to remind myself what I like.
Since your design style can change over time, don't force yourself to stick to a look that's no longer yours! If you find that you no longer like your magazine clippings or framed photos, get rid of them and start from scratch!
But my favorite way to refine my style is to look at interior design catalogs. Sometimes just knowing what catalogs you're drawn to can help you define what you like.
5. CREATE A VISUAL REMINDER OF WHAT YOU LOVE
The last thing I recommend is creating a mood board or some sort of design board to keep on your phone. Seeing the colors, patterns, and objects you love all together in one image can give you a surprising burst of clarity about your interior design style.
Having your mood board with you will also help you stay true to your decorating style when you're on the go. This way, you won't get confused and go home with a foggy brain with a bunch of ideas, each one as different as the next! 😉
Keeping a mood board on your phone will also help if you want to refer to a certain color scheme, piece of furniture, rug or piece of art so you can match it when you go shopping.
To create a mood board, you can use photo editing programs like Photoshop, PicMonkey or Canva. A few months ago my daughter showed me how to remove background from photos using the website remove.bg
Since then, I've used it to create almost all of my mood boards.
Here's an example of a collage I made on Canva. Whenever I feel conflicted about my style, I just have to refer to it to remind myself of the look I'm going for.
If you don't feel like making a collage or mood board, just take screenshots of the spaces you love. Or take a photo or two of your inspiration sticker from step 2. Then think about it when you're shopping for your home.
Remember, when it comes to expressing your own style in your home, there is no right or wrong. So I hope you start experimenting until you find a look that works for you.
By learning to choose a design style that matches your personality and preferences, you discover a lot about yourself, which opens the door to more courage and creativity in all areas of your life.
(By the way, when you find a style that speaks to you, don’t let anyone talk you out of it! 😉)
