It’s a fairly common thing these days to see quizzes online to ‘find your interior decorating style’ or ‘what your interior decorating style says about you’. The truth is, as much as these quizzes are a fun way to procrastinate at work, they give zero insight into the most important element that interior style offers – how it makes you feel. When you walk into a space in your house, you want that warm, contented sensation that is just so familiar, so completely attuned with your tastes and lifestyle, so… home. Painting your house a certain colour because the clickbait quiz told you to? Well, it’s a bit empty, right? Indulge me, if you will, I’m about to climb up there onto my high horse for a minute…
You’re not a cliché. Neither is your home
Did your mum ever tell you you were as unique a beautiful as a snowflake? Well, mine did (thanks, mum!) and she was absolutely right. Your tastes are as individual as your fingerprint, and that’s what makes being a fully realised human being so amazing. Your interior design style is no exception to this. Just because you may not have the skill to pull it off yourself doesn’t mean you don’t deserve to have a home that best reflects all of the wonderful, weird parts of yourself. You’re not a cliché, and your home doesn’t need to be one either… don’t fall into the comparison trap!
Just because you like the Hamptons vibe (don’t we all!) doesn’t necessarily mean you need to do your house up exactly like the one you saw on Pinterest! Let’s talk and I can help you refine your ideas and come up with a masterplan that is so unmistakably you…
Do you want to live in a hotel or a home?
Modern hotels are generally fairly reasonable on the design front. They have a nice picture here, a textured wallpaper there. They’re perfectly adequate for a night or two away from home. BUT… they’re cold, uninviting and impersonal. That’s fine for something so temporary – you need to please the masses, right?
Oh, but please make sure you don’t do the same thing to your home!! Your home style doesn’t need to please the masses. It should clearly demonstrate your personal (or familial) tastes and, really, the exact opposite of the hotel qualities I mentioned just there. Cookie-cutter styling does not feel homely. This is the bare minimum and we can do better! So if you need to have an entirely black room punctuated by red and purple accents because that is the quintessential essence of your interior decorating style, go hard my friend. It’s maybe not for the masses, and that’s just fine…. At least it would spark some colourful conversation! You want people to notice, and to have an opinion on your décor. ‘Blah’ is just… so… blah!
If you can’t do it yourself, find someone who can!
Just because you’re not the most creative type doesn’t mean you should miss out. In my experience, it can go one of two ways – either you over- or under-compensate for a lack of skill (hence the Kmart contact papering craze a little while back). Having someone who knows what they’re doing, knows which questions to ask and gets to deeply understand your lifestyle, tastes and budget is incredibly powerful. It’s this knowledge and knowhow that will allow you to live in a space that speaks to your very soul and embodies the unique warmth and vibrant personality within you.
It’s a particular skillset, pulling together a complete, cohesive look, and it’s also contextual. Your inner-city Hamptons-style apartment is going to look and feel vastly different to a countryside manor house. A newly renovated Queenslander on acreage is going to need a different approach to a well-loved beach shack.
Working with an interior stylist means you have everything taken into account – your tastes, your lifestyle, your budget and your surroundings… are you confident you’ll be able to take that on yourself?
Ok, climbing down off the horse now…
Forgive me, sometimes I can get a little ranty when it’s something I’m passionate about! Rest assured, the tirade is over and normal Mel is back in the room. It’s simply that I’m so passionate about what I do! I LOVE seeing a space come together. I love working with clients to uncover their unique interior decorating style (sans quizzes). I love the look on their faces when they see their visions come to life for the first time! It’s an absolute privilege to be a part of such a deeply personal, revealing journey and I can’t believe I get to do this as my job. If you want to get in on the action and discover your personal style, please get in touch and let’s create the home of your dreams!
