4 Ways to Find Your Style and a Simple Style Assessment I recently interviewed a few of my family members about some pain points for them in regards to decorating and designing their homes. I am excited to address some issues that are real and hopefully they will be helpful to you.
1. Recognize what really impresses you.
Sometimes we don’t really take note about the things that we really like. One of the best pieces of advice I got before I started looking at homes was to be really observant of other people’s homes and pay attention when I saw homes online so that I could start to see what would bring me joy when I encountered it. Some places to find inspiration is in your friends and family’s homes, Pinterest, Instagram, Houzz and other websites dedicated to showcasing interiors. With social media today, it makes is super easy to start creating your own “vision board for your home”.
2. Take inventory.
Many of us have not bought everything that has found a way to our home. Many things we inherit or were given, so some of these things are naturally not going to be your style. If it does not bring you joy to see it, sell, donate or gift it to someone that may really enjoy it. You can replace it with something that does bring you joy. This process of weeding out things that are not “you” and replacing them with pieces you love may be a slow process depending on your budget, but you will find that as you are deliberate about your decorating, your friends and family will recognize your style and start getting you things that fit. For example, I had a friend that bought me some really cute yellow lemon salt shakers for my kitchen. They were a perfect addition to my kitchen decorations and I didn’t even buy them. The sooner you start to find some consistency in your style, others will catch on too and help you get what you need.
3. Go shopping.
Yes, I am ordering you to go shopping! I love to shop for my home, so this comes easily for me, but even if you don’t like to shop, you can go with the express purpose of just seeing what catches your eye. Do you always go over to a certain color? Do you love wood or a metal or both together? Are you into textures? Do you like the quirky, eclectic decor or do you stop to look at the traditional furniture? There are so many places to go shopping, but the obvious choices are places with a good variety of styles, so that you are not limited in finding your aesthetic.
4. Ask a friend or family member.
that you feel has this home decorating thing down and see how they figured it out. They may start to ask you the perfect questions. Since I am your friend, here are a few to ask yourself. Write down the answers and it may reveal your style.