Find Your Decorating Style

Finding your decorating style is the single most important thing you will do when it comes creating a home that you will love forever (FOR-EV-ER). What I mean is, without a consistent decorating style your home likely will lack cohesiveness. You will probably grow tired of the decor after awhile and get the itch to redecorate. You may become victim to the habit of trend chasing and feel the need to constantly redecorate every time a new trend rolls out. Lack of decorating style makes your life hard and honestly before I had a decorating style I was feeling burnt out. I didn’t even want to bother anymore because I could never get the cohesive home I was attempting to achieve.

I’ve talked on my blog before about why it’s important to me to decorate my home (even in my rentals). My people live here. I want a comfortable and tranquil place that serves as a backdrop for all of our memories as we do life together. Having a home that we all love and reflects our family as a whole is important to me. When I finally decided to shut out outside influences and discover my personal decorating style, I paid attention to things that were important to me. Experiences. Things I love. Places I’ve visited. Things that inspire me. I began to notice a consistency in what I was drawn too. In addition, I took my family’s needs into account – I have small children so I didn’t want any space to be “off limits.” All of these things inspired my decorating style.

Some of you may already know exactly what look you like for your home and that’s awesome! For others finding your style can seem daunting because you like a lot of different styles or you don’t feel like you can be placed in one of the style boxes.

If you search around the web you’ll see that word used a ton. Styles like boho chic, industrial modern, rustic charm, modern farmhouse, french cottage, vintage modern, etc.

Forget all of the labels. Just focus and try to hone in on what you like.

The actual definition of the word style is: is a distinctive appearance. To me that means, does your home represent YOU? Is a distinct reflection of YOU? I say forget the labels. Discover some consistencies in what you are drawn to, you can “describe” it or “label” it later.

Write down things that make you happy: What experiences, things, places do you love? When you imagine your own personal oasis what does that look like? Can that be translated into home decor? If so, write down a detailed description of it. My decor is very much inspired by the fact that we have lived near bodies of water in almost every home we’ve had. I love beach inspired decor and I attempt to bring elements of that in my home.

Browse the web: I know I saw to shut out outside influences but a great way to hone in on your personal style is to hop on Pinterest and check out the DIY/home decor section. Create a board dedicated to spaces you LOVE. Start in the DIY/Home Decor section and then start seaching specific terms related to the things you wrote down that inspire you. For example, I would search, “beach inspired home” or “beachy living room.” Take note of any consistencies of the specific pins and write them down. Maybe you are pinning a lot of bright colors and pattern mixes, or maybe you love spaces that are neutral in color with a vintage vibe. Paying attention to what you like will help you to focus in on your style.

Go out and notice places: When you are out at stores and at restaurants, take notice of their decor or items for sale. Does anything jump out at you? Are you loving the succulent garden at your hipster coffee shop or the planked walls at your lunch bistro? Snap a picture with your phone and file it away. Are you feeling like you can’t live without the new nautical line at Target? Or maybe you found an amazing throw pillow at Home Goods that has the perfect colors. Don’t BUY! Take a photo! Come home and regroup. Is this true love or is it a trend crush? Hop on your Pinterest board and see if there are some similarities there. Can you build a space around those items that you will love forever?

Look around: Look around your current space. Do you see any current consistencies? You might be on your way to your unique style without even knowing it.

Go to model homes: This one is my favorite. Model houses are always dressed up to the nines. They are perfectly styled and can make you feel inadequate but, they can also be really helpful. Looking online and in catalogs at decor isn’t the same as seeing it in person. In person, you can really imagine how it might look in your home. You can really determine whether or not this style feels like YOU.

So, are you ready to conquer this decorating thing and finally discover your style?