How to Choose a Style that Fits You and Your Home
Interior design media such as profiles, magazines, books, and shows are amazing when it comes to inspiring us. Unlike fashion, the interior is something that seems far more achievable for any home, plus it’s easier to fit in. But do you ever have so many ideas for interior media but don’t know where to start from? How about where to focus first? When it comes to décor, it’s very natural to throw in multiple styles. If you’re someone who’s drawn to all of them, it can be tricky, especially if you’re drawn to trends. There is a solution for finding the right balance in interior décor. The process itself is rather lengthy but in the end, it’s going to be completely worth it because it gives you the opportunity to truly discover yourself.
Begin by creating a list
A great way to begin would be to sort out your thoughts and ideas. This includes either writing them on a piece of paper or having a document to type this upon. But start by listing some of your favorite styles, some examples would include Mid Century Modern, Scandinavian, maximalist, Japanese-inspired, Boho-chic, etc. Afterward, ask yourself why you like these. This section of the list should include some of the specific traits that these styles have that make you enjoy them so much. It could include the colors, atmosphere it has, or anything else.
Here is an example: Boho-Chic, the chaotic look of vintage meets new, the cozy appearance, no exact color scheme, multiple designs, layered textiles, and the touches of nature. Once you have this list you can begin looking for a recurring theme such as a certain color scheme, main textures that are used, or anything else. Narrowing down some of the similarities in these styles will help a lot.
Find some inspiration
Once you’re completed with the list and spotting the similarities, you can get to the fun part! There are so many ways to get inspired which include Pinterest, social media, websites, magazines, and television. Some other ways you can find inspiration outside of the home would be visiting shops such as concept stores, home décor/ furniture shops, boutiques, hotels, art galleries, restaurants, and hotels. These are all excellent ways of getting inspiration while also getting to be in an environment that emulates what you’re after. This is going to help you figure out what truly fits right for you and your home, and realistically you wouldn’t need to spend much money if any at all.
You can also try out department stores as well. Many of these, such as Anthropologie and Pottery Barn have store vignettes. They decorate these in such a way that looks like a small living small (IKEA does this as well). So this can also help you in gathering ideas on what you’d like and how you’d want to place things. Some of these stores also cater to specific home décor styles. Anthropologie is known for being geared mostly towards the bohemian look, as an example.
When you’re out or in, and you’re looking for ways to find inspiration, think about the products themselves that you like. Ask yourself why exactly you like them. These products could be furniture, decorative accents, plants, lighting, flooring, or even the wallpaper hung on the walls. Being more aware of why you like something is going to immensely help in discovering what your style is.
Check your closet for inspiration
While it may sound fairly odd going into your closet or wardrobe for interior inspiration, there’s a great purpose for it! Fashion and interior design truly go hand in hand. A lot of fashion complements the style of the era. One great example would be the 1970s, which was a time when earthy colors such as brown, yellow, and orange were very popular in fashion. Those same colors were also heavily incorporated into interior design. The same could be said now in the 2020s. A lot of popular clothing styles consist of lots of white and neutral tones such as light brown and beige. This is going to help a lot as you’re finding clothes that could be reflected in your interior design as well.
Go into your closet and pull out some of your favorite clothes. Is there anything that you notice? Are there any similarities between the color scheme? How about the fabrics, the feeling, or even the patterns in your clothes? If there are any common traits, this is going to help a lot in discovering your taste for interior design as well. If you mostly own clothes that are neutral tones such as white for instance, then maybe that’s something that could be reflected in your home décor.
If your clothes have a lot of straight lines and it’s rigid, then maybe furniture and accents from Mid-Century Modern style are for you. If you prefer ease and comfort in your clothing, then you could opt-in for soft plush textiles, and maybe furniture that has soft round edges to create a comfortable home. There are just some things to think about because your style of clothes reflects you, so should your home décor. However, there is always the chance that your taste and preferences in fashion could be opposite of what you prefer in the interior, that’s common as well.
Look into what you already own
Another cost-effective way of figuring out what your style is would be by looking into what you already own. Just walk through your home and take a good look at each piece of furniture and each decorative accent you own. Ask yourself if any of these truly capture your happiness. You’ll want to feel happy with the items you have, but maybe you’ll notice some don’t spark any joy at all. The ones that make you very happy could be the ones that can help you out in narrowing down your style. You should however think about the items you’d wish to have in your home as well. You can even think about what you’d like in your outdoor area and check into tips for buying an outdoor sofa if that’s needed too.
What sort of purpose do you want for the items that you wish to have? The accents you currently have, are they serving their intended purpose? Would you want to have items that had multiple functions? Where would these be placed? Some homes have an outdoor space such as a garden, patio, deck, or even balcony. If your home has any of these then you’ll need to think of the outdoor space as well. Overall, it’s best to just look into what you already have as this may give you some ideas on what you could use and what could be changed.
Create a vision board
There’s no need to get out the scissor and glue, as there are other ways to achieve a vision board. Websites such as Pinterest are perfect for making a board, or you could always make a mood board on Canva and go from there. Pinterest is usually more ideal though for creating boards. As these can easily help in gathering your thoughts and figuring out what you like and what you want. It’s also grand for showing similar images, styles, and colors whenever you click on an image thanks to their AI. Having a vision board, in general, is going to help you out and figuring out the main style and structure that you’re after for your interior.
Do you truly like trends?
Are you someone who follows trends whether it be online, fashion, or interior? While there isn’t anything necessarily wrong with trends, they tend to end very quickly nowadays thanks to the internet. While it mostly occurs in fashion, you’re beginning to see fast-interior pop up as well. When it comes to fast fashion, the whole point is for it to be in fashion no longer than 3 months, sometimes trends can die in a matter of a couple of weeks.
This has now been happening with home décor. Something that was popular last year is now going to be considered but outdated. So you need to ask yourself if you like something because it’s popular or do you genuinely like it? Breaking away from trends is going to help a lot in saving you money, saving the environment, but also it’s going to help you in finding a style that truly fits you. Trends are temporary and often get long forgotten, so it’s best to not get drawn in by the hype of those, as they are just not worth it in the end.
Understand that it’s fine to change your mind
When it comes to finding yourself and your interests, it’s a journey not some kind of destination. You can expect there to be trial and error when creating your dream space and finding what you truly like. Just know that there isn’t anything right or wrong. You can just keep experimenting with what you have until you land something that feels right for you.
