It can be hard to know what type of interior design style suits your personality – Modern, Traditional, Industrial, Boho, Country, Hamptons; it could be an eclectic mix. It’s hard to know because our styles can develop over time. We’re often asked the question, “How do I figure out my home style and then how do I make a home mine?” It’s often a process of elimination – what you like and what you don’t like.
How to determine your home style
Scour magazines & blogs
Invest in some home decorating magazines and flip through the pages to discover styles you like. Cut them out and keep a folder. Once you feel you see a pattern of the style you like, find more magazines, blogs and websites on this particular style. What common things do you like in all of these? Is it the brightly coloured bedspreads or the button backed cushions?
Get to know Pinterest
You’ve got to love Pinterest for creating mood boards! It’s a visual smorgasbord for all things interior styling, search via keyword, and you’ll have beautifully curated images to inspire you. Categorise your boards into home style, by room or by colour and pin styles that catch your eye. Because Pinterest is so visual and gives you the ability to collect images all in one place, it’s one of the best ways to gain more clarity about a house style that will work for you.
Get an outsiders perspective
You can start by asking the people who know you best, your friends and family, what type of style they think you are. But if you’re looking for an unbiased and professional perspective, why not ask a home stylist like Stagency about styling a home, we’ll help you discover your style but more than family and friends, we can offer professional advice.
What to consider before you buy a property
If you’re buying a home, it’s good to have a solid idea of your home style because you’ll be able to assess each property with a critical eye. Will it work with the style you seek? Will there be much work involved to change it? Even if a property doesn’t match your preferred style, knowing your style will help you determine the amount of effort and money required to transform the house into the style you love. It could be worth it, or it might not.
For example, a property could tick all the boxes for space, yard size and location but needs a complete makeover with new paint, removal of wallpaper, new carpets and window coverings to match your preferred style. Are you prepared to commit to a makeover of this size? Even having a property that is an entirely blank canvas doesn’t make styling any easier if you don’t know what your style is.
Need some help figuring out your style? Call Mel & Team for expert styling advice.
How to make a home yours
You’ve figured out the style you want, but you don’t know how to make your home yours. It’s a common roadblock we see our clients face. For example, we often have people with a traditional home, but they want to transform it into a contemporary one; what we call a ‘transitional style’. Yes, they are two very different styles of home, but it doesn’t mean it’s not possible, it’s all about balance and is something an interior stylist can help with, balancing furniture, textures and focal points.
Do I need an interior designer or decorator?
Interior Designer & Interior Stylist or Decorator are often mistaken as the same profession as there are many similarities between the two jobs. Interior design is a profession that requires specific schooling and formal training and the price you pay is justified due to their academic training. However if you are not looking for someone to design hard surfaces and where walls and cabinetry go then you need an Interior Stylist. An Interior Stylist focuses primarily on the end look and does not design or usually participate in renovations or structural planning. A stylist comes into the picture after the structural planning and execution are completed to focus on the end look. Good interior stylist are skilled at walking into a room and whipping it into visual shape. For new spaces, they can help clients decide on a style, choose a colour scheme, purchase furniture, and accessorise. They’re also often brought in to revamp an existing space that needs to be updated or redone.
Home styling is all about bringing your personality into the home. Whatever your home style, opt for the use of vignettes that tell a story about who you are, don’t be afraid to buy art you love, opt for furnishings that will match your lifestyle e.g. soft furnishings for a relaxed and homely feel, make sure the lighting reflects the mood you are trying to achieve and bedroom styling creates a space you look forward to retreating to.
