Styles Of Decorating

Do you know your decorating style?

If someone were to ask you, would you be able to say,

‘I love Traditional style’ or

‘My style is definitely Minimalist’ ?

But what if you’re not quite sure?

And why does it matter?

Here are a few reasons why pinning down your design preferences is important:

YOUR SURROUNDINGS AFFECT YOUR MOOD

Have you ever lived somewhere where you didn’t like the decor? Well I have, and let me tell ya — it was depressing! I’ve lived in temporary rentals with brown high/low carpet, 1970s tile on the kitchen counters, and plastic vertical blinds.

And when we first moved into this house with its 1980s blue/gray carpet, 1970s dark paneling and lava rock wall, even my own white slipcovered furniture and favorite accessories couldn’t make it feel like home to me.

But when we finally pulled down the drapes and dark paneling, replaced the gray carpet with oak hardwood, and tore down all that rock, and made it my style, it was like my house suddenly became my home — the place where I felt relaxed and comfortable, cozy and content.

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Even with the unfinished, deconstructed fireplace (on the very right), it still feels *so much better!*

When your home reflects your values and personality, it becomes your favorite place to be!

2. KNOWING YOUR STYLE CAN SAVE YOU MONEY

When you know your style and stick to it, you’ll avoid the costly mistakes of buying things you don’t love and don’t work in your home.

DON’T BUY THINGS LIKE THIS! (Unless Retro is your style) Read about my mistake HERE.

You’re also way less likely to buy trendy items that’ll need to be replaced when they’re out of style.

And you’re less likely to make impulse purchases just because something is cute or on sale. If it’s not your style, you’re not going to love it and you won’t want to look at it for very long, so you can just put it down and walk away.

3. IT MAKES FURNISHING AND DECORATING EASIER

When you keep your decorating aesthetic in mind, you can make a plan for exaclty what pieces you need and avoid the distraction of other furnishings and accessories that are not in your style category. Make a list and stick to it. Don’t try to find everything you need in one day. I think the most authentic and beautiful homes are the ones that are furnished and decorated over time. With pieces that are loved and have meaning to the owner.

So now that you know why you should know your decorating style,

how do you figure out what your style is?

I’m so glad you asked!

There are tons of styles of decorating out there and there are a few tricks to help you figure out what your specific style is:

WHAT DO YOU VALUE?

If you value history, tradition and familiarity, you might favor Traditional Style.

If you love comfort, relaxation and casual living you might lean toward Cottage Style.

If you feel most at home in spaces that are clean, uncluttered and simple, then Minimalist could be your signature style.

There are lots of quizzes online that you can take to help you zero in on your particular style based on your values and things you love. (Check out Houzz.com for a quiz based on ‘value’ kinds of questions.) You may get different answers from different tests so I would suggest taking several to get an overall idea of what suits you. (Pottery Barn has a Style Finder quiz.)

2. LOOK IN YOUR CLOSET

Take a cue from your wardrobe: Are your clothes mostly neutral? You could be Modern Farmhouse or Scandinavian. Or are there bold colors? Bold colors could mean you would love Contemporary or Modern furnishings. Do you have long flowy skirts (Boho) or more tailored styles (Traditional)? Are there patterned fabrics (Eclectic) or mostly solids (Minimalist)? Is your jewelry blingy and sparkly? Maybe Glam is your style.

Whatever your style of clothing and accessories is, it’s most likely that it will translate pretty closely to your decorating aesthetic.

3. LOOK AT PHOTOS

Go on Pinterest or Houzz and study and save photos. What appeals to you? What rooms are you drawn to? What rooms do you feel like you could actually live in? (Havenly.com has a quiz based on photos and so does Designer Society of America)

After you have a large collection of pictures, you should start to see a trend. (I’ve done this several times with kitchen photos and every single one, without exception has white painted cabinets. So do you think I would ever have a kitchen that didn’t have white cabinets? Not very likely…)

So analyze all the photos of rooms that you’re drawn to — what are the common denominators?

Are there antiques, wingback chairs and tables with cabriole legs? Is there symmetry in the room? Then you’re probably Traditional.

Are there clean-lined, classic furniture, sculptural pieces and bold colors? Then your style is probably Contemporary.

Pinterest.com
(This room could actually be Contemporary/Glam)

Or maybe you’re drawn to reclaimed wood, vintage patinas and nubby textures. Then you’re most likely a Rustic or Farmhouse kind of person.

These are just a few of the many decorating styles out there.

There’s also Transitional, Modern, Coastal, Minimalist, Mid-Century, Bohemian, Cottage, Glam, French Country… and many more. You could also be a combination of styles like Coastal Cottage or Contemporary Glam.

So when it comes to styles of decorating,

here’s the best tip I can give you:

Discover whatever your style is and

keep it classic — don’t be swayed by trends.

Be true to yourself.

Surround yourself with things you love

and make your home

your favorite place on the planet.

See THIS POST on how to love the look of your home for years to come.

And get great decorating ideas and styling tips HERE and HERE.

Phil. 4:8

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