With new kinds of interior designs coming out left and right and classics and trends getting mixed up, it is confusing (and difficult) to realise and understand your interior design style. With so many interior design “rules”, it can feel a bit overwhelming to understand what will work for your home and you.
However, finding your style does not need to be difficult and tedious. To help you better understand your style and how to develop or discover it, we have combined a list of tips and tricks that you can employ when trying to find your interior design style.
Look in your wardrobe
We are not kidding. Looking into your wardrobe can reveal a lot about the kind of interior design that you would be interested in. Look carefully at the kinds of colours and patterns that are dominant- try to avoid looking at blacks and whites and look past the colours. If your wardrobe is dominated by whites and crèmes, then neutrals might be your shad. Try to understand the fabrics that form a majority, as they are the ones that make you feel more comfortable.
Also, pay attention to the pieces you seem to have a repeat of, the specialty garments that you wear for special occasions and the kind of designs you go for in the accessories- is it bright and bold or do you gravitate more towards neutrality? Do you go with the trends or do you prefer timeless pieces? Look at the kind of styles you go for. Are there lots of layers or do you prefer not draping? These questions will help you answer the kind of style you prefer.
Expand your perspective
It is very easy to get overwhelmed by one kind of style and think it’s the one for you, even if you don’t like some of its aspects. However, with the internet at our tips, it is very easy to expand our perspectives and look at things from a different view. Try exploring the different kinds of interior designs. Like an aspect of one of those but multiple aspects of another? Combine them both! Interior designing only has one rule- do what makes you happy! For example, if you like the neutral tones of classic design but your heart is with maximalism, go for a classic maximalist look!
Alternatively, take inspiration from the things you love- travel, cooking, art, whatever it might be! Look at places and look at designs. Inspiration is everywhere; all you need to do is look! Take and print lots of photos and create different mood boards, look at them together and mix and match the things you like- you will be able to understand your interior design style better through this by seeing the consistent presence of colours and fabrics.
Look online at furniture options
New kinds of furniture styles and shapes come out every day- by looking up furniture options, you can adjust your mood boards according to what is available to buy in the market. Nothing feels more disappointing than having a design in mind and not finding furniture or décor items that go with it.
Create a list of the words you look up often when it comes to furniture- this can help you understand your style as well. If you have a Pinterest board or are active on Instagram, look at the kinds of things you pin or save. This can help you understand what you relate to. Do you save a lot of nail inspiration? Look at the kind of designs you go for: are they pastels or are they neutrals? What’s the dominant colour and design palette?
Look at your current home
Notice the décor that you like and the pieces that you don’t- make a list and try to group everything- do you hate the loud wallpaper that is taking up the entire wall? Do you like the look of the wall-mounted television? These questions will help you group up the styles that inspire you or make you happy. If you like the current design but don’t like the patterns and designs, try to DIY your furniture- this will help you understand what kind of fabrics and patterns you like. Get your TV wall-mounted, this will give you more space to experiment with. To get your TV wall mounted by professionals click here.
Use paint swatches to gain a better understanding of what you would prefer. Some colours may look good to you at first but having them painted all over might make you feel overwhelmed. Try looking at the colours and the fabrics together to make sure that they don’t clash or overwhelm your senses. Finding your style is a matter of trial and error, but in the end, it is worth it.