Determining What STYLE You Want

Your style informs everything you do and have.  It's a nuanced blend of everything you've ever seen, experienced, liked or disliked.  It's evident in your manner, your hairstyle, your clothes and your home.   It's preferences that develop over time and become part of your identity.  Narrowing down and defining your style for decorating purposes, gives a starting point, inspiration, direction and even parameters--helping guide our choices. 

There are six groups of interior design styles.    

CONTEMPORARY (of the moment) encompasses Modern (clutter-free), Minimalist (spare), and Industrial (urban) 

TRADITIONAL (rich classic decor) and Transitional (juxtaposing design styles)

COUNTRY (casual mix of highs and lows) includes French Country (decorative, vintage charm), Farmhouse (simple, mis-matched comfort), and Rustic (natural materials)

ECLECTIC (spirited, disparate yet cohesive) and Bohemian (layered, globally-inspired)

PERIOD: Art Deco (1920's elegant and ornate), Hollywood Regency (1930's opulent and glamorous), Mid-Century Modern (1950s streamlined and colorful) and more

PLACE: Scandinavian (clean lines and cool simplicity), Asian (tranquility and harmony), Coastal (breezy, natural palette), Southwest (earth tones and crafted objects) and more

Detailed descriptions of the above discuss the feeling each style ideally communicates.  But it's important to determine--outside of specific decorating style--what personality you want your home to have.  After recognizing which design style best expresses your taste, ask yourself what ambience you want your home to evoke.    

An exercise:  Start by writing descriptive words (impressions, reactions, emotions) about rooms you love--yours, a friend's, a photograph.  Then circle the most appealing and repeated adjectives.  The following list may offer some inspiration.                                             

Welcoming and appealing

Warm and gracious

Ageless and enduring

Classic and refined

Rich with patina 

Curated yet imperfect 

Cozy and sentimental

Relaxed and comfortable

Charming and informal 

Multi-layered and meaningful

Calm and tranquil 

Peaceful and serene

Lived-in and casual  

Modest and unpretentious

Interesting and stimulating

Creative and imaginative 

Dignified and stately

Elegant and polished

Sophisticated and impeccable

Simple and uncluttered 

Fresh and airy 

Lively and fun

Intriguing and inviting 

Unique and quirky

Unexpected and one-of-a-kind

Tousled and unstructured

Edited and spare

Natural and earthy 

Worldly and ethnic

Worn around the edges

Colorful or coordinated 

New with all the bells and whistles    

                                                                                    

Or any combination of the above.  You might find the adjectives you chose are also things you like about or aspire to yourself, so keeping them in the back of your mind will be easy. 

I'd label my decorating style a cross between Traditional and Country--a casual mix of highs (rich classic decor) and lows (simple, mis-matched comfort), welcoming in a bit of French and Asian influence.  And I hope my home imparts many of the above qualities--a lot to hope for!