Finding your interior design style
Boho chic. California chic. Shabby chic. Holy chic, there are a lot of styles! If you’re thinking about redesigning your home, a typical place to start is defining your style. Most decorators and designers will ask you that during the initial consult but that may be exactly why you hired someone in the first place. How do you know your interior design style? This may be an unpopular opinion but: I don’t think you need to label it in order to start a project. Once you start the process, the answer will crystalize. And frankly, sometimes your style won’t fit one box. There are so many different style combinations nowadays - you shouldn’t have to limit yourself to only the most popular styles.
However, I’m not suggesting you forge ahead without putting some thought into it. The name of the style may be less important, but you still want your home to have style. So how do you make your home look and feel like you? I recommend the following 3 steps to find your interior design style:
1.) Find inspiration in different places: The internet, Pinterest, and Instagram have 1,000s upon 1,000s of different accounts, blogs, and webpages dedicated to interior design. The downside is there are 1,000s upon 1,000s of websites, blogs, and accounts to pour through when embarking on a redesign project. If scrolling through your phone is time consuming or overwhelming, look for inspiration right in front of you. Do you own any furniture or decor pieces you absolutely love? Is there a go-to outfit or piece of jewelry you’ve had for years? Does your friend have an enviable room in their house? Is there a magazine you like to flip through when you have some down time? All of these are a great place to pull inspiration from. But don’t overthink the exercise - go with your gut, not your head. I recommend taking pictures or saving clips of things you love and putting them in 1 folder (digital or hardcopy). It’s easier to look at the inspiration holistically in step #2.
2.) Make sense of the inspiration: Now that you’ve collected inspiration, you have to figure out the commonalities. You may think they don’t relate to one another, but I’m guessing they’re telling you something about your style. For example, you might have a picture of a diamond necklace, a tall glass vase, an ad for a monogrammed pillow, and a feature on organizing pantries. To figure out what they have in common, ask yourself:
Is there a particular color palette I like? Do I like some color, no color, or lots & lots of color? Do I like vibrant colors or very subtle colors?
Is there a certain vibe I like? Do I like light and bright things, or something more moody? Would I consider the items high-end, glamorous, casual, timeless, calming, quirky, or something else?
Do I follow the ‘less is more’ or ‘more is more’ philosophy? Are the things I picked out super detailed and intricate or really simple and unfussy? Do I feel energized or overwhelmed when I see lots of things in a picture?
Are there any textures or finishes I seem to like? Do I like soft things, or do I lean towards structured items? Do I like curves or straight lines? Is there a finish, wood stain, or hardware that I gravitate towards?
Hopefully, you’ll see a pattern emerge or at least some keywords surface. For example, you might have said: some color, ‘chill mode’ vibe, fuss-free, and cozy over structure. That actually weeds out a lot of styles!
3.) Pick 1-2 focus areas: Now that you’ve uncovered some helpful words or phrases about your preferred style, it’s important to pick 1-2 things you’ll focus on for your redecorating project. So instead of worrying about the exact style, think about what similar thing or things you want to incorporate in each room. Your signature, if you will. The goal isn’t to do the same thing in each room but to have a common item or look in each room so the house has cohesion. For example, if you said you like bold colors and patterns, timeless furniture pieces, and soft surroundings, you may want to focus on fabric and textiles. In the living room, you could pick a traditional couch but in a fun color, add ‘wow’ curtains in the dining room, or paint the kitchen island a bold blue or green. Bonus points if you incorporate hues of the same colors throughout! And remember: cohesion doesn’t mean matching.
Once you go through these 3 steps, you should have enough clarification to move forward with your redecorating project. The goal is to create cohesion by having a common thread throughout the home that showcases your style. And if you absolutely need to know the name of the style, you can always ask an interior designer or decorator. As a Certified Interior Decorator (CID), I can help you through this exercise to find the right style. And who knows, maybe we’ll make up a whole new style together. Scandi New England Cottage, anyone?
