Have you ever thought about what your personal home interior style is?
Discovering your personal home interior style can be exciting if you know where to start. Here are some simple steps to help you identify what resonates with you and potentially discover your personal home interior style.
Gather inspiration
Pinterest is my favourite starting point, whether it’s for a personal project, or a project for a client, I can easily lose hours browsing through Pinterest for inspirational ideas.
Photo by Fahim Reza on Unsplash
Second to that, Instagram is another excellent source. Although I don’t post on Instagram any longer, I do still find it a fabulous source of inspiration and particularly helpful when I’m creating my monthly colour montages.
Both Pinterest and Instagram allow you to save images into folders, making it easy to refer back to your research.
I recently discovered, a new app (at least to me) called mymind. It’s a private digital space where you can save everything; from bookmarks, articles, notes and images (and a whole lot more), without having to manually organise them thanks to the use of (dare I say it) AI.
Organise your life with mymind
This clever app automatically adds highly accurate descriptions and tags, making it super easy to refer back to; all you need to do is remember what it is you’ve saved!
Whether you prefer the digital approach of researching websites and apps, or the (old school) approach of browsing through interior design magazines, look for recurring theme(s) such as colours, textures and styles that you are drawn to.
This can be a great starting point for understanding your preferences, and one I use with my clients to better understand their likes (and dislikes).
When I first meet a potential client, I want to better understand what they’re looking for. More often than not they just can’t tell me, which is probably why they’ve reached out to me in the first instance.
It can be really difficult expressing verbally what you‘re looking, especially if you’re not even sure visually what you’re after. Spending some time creating a Pinterest board is really worthwhile, not just of images that inspire you, but also of things you don’t like; be it a certain colour, piece of furniture or a particular style.
By going through this exercise, you will, more often than not, save time (and money), as it will prevent potentially costly mistakes, whether it’s choosing the wrong paint colour, or making an impulse purchase.
Once you’ve determined a theme from your research this will support when creating a mood board (which we’ll come to later).
Reflect on functionality and usage
Now you’ve collated a catalogue of inspirational images, it’s time to reflect on the functionality and usage of your home.
Beyond the visual aesthetics, consider how you use each room in you home and the activities that take place there.
For example, the kitchen-diner might be the heart of your home, where everyone gathers together at the end of the working/school day. In this case, you’ll want to think about the positioning of furniture to ensure there is sufficient space for everyone to sit comfortably, move around freely, and engage in different activities.
Photo by Fauxels on Pexels
Is the living room a space for relaxation, entertainment or social gatherings? Do you need ample seating, a cosy reading nook? Maybe the living room is also used as a kids play area, so what are your storage solutions once they’ve gone to bed?
Asking these questions can help understand how each room is used and it’s primary function:
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Who uses this room the most?
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What time of day is the room most commonly used?
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What activities typically take place in this room?
With your catalogue of inspirational images and having thought about how you plan to use each room in your home, we can now move onto my favourite part of the process, which is creating a mood board.
Create a mood board
A mood board brings together all the inspiration you have gathered into a cohesive visual representation.
You can create a mood board in various ways; digitally, using apps such as Canva and Pinterest, or through numerous mood board software programs. If you prefer a hands-on approach, you can create a physical mood board using colour swatches, fabric samples and cutouts from magazines.
Many companies offer free swatches (or charge just for postage), so if you’re sourcing wallpaper or fabric, I highly recommend taking advantage of these free swatch services. Often, what you see online can differ from reality in terms of colour variations, pattern size or texture, and having physical samples can make a significant difference in your design choices.
Creating a mood board helps you visualise what a room can look like before committing to any purchases.
I would always recommend starting with creating a master mood board to finalise your overall theme; this will serve as a visual reference to ensure a cohesive style throughout your home.
Once you have your master mood board, you can then create individual mood boards for each room, helping you personalise the design to your specific needs of each space, whilst still maintaining a consistent theme.
Experiment
Don’t be afraid to try different things.
That’s the joy when creating mood boards, nothing is final. You can easily change everything with new colours, and mix and match different pieces of furniture. If you want to play around with rearranging furniture, go ahead; you can always put everything back if it doesn’t work out.
Do what works for you
Remember, it’s your home, and it should reflect your personality and style. Often, clients tell me, “My **** (fill in as appropriate) thinks I should paint this room “x” colour”, or “My **** thinks I should do “y” to this space”.
My response is always, “Do they live with you?” And if the answer is no, then why would you listen to their interior style advice (unless they are a professional).
If someone likes a certain colour, then let them paint their own home with it.
And if all else fails, and you find yourself in a conundrum about defining your personal style you can always seek advice from a professional.
Next time, I’ll be sharing my own personal interior design style and would love to hear what your personal interior design style is.
Hopefully, by following these simple steps, you will have a clearer vision of your personal style.
