Hey, ya’ll! There are so many different Interior Design Styles, and we all have a favorite. Sometimes our favorites are a mixture of 2 or more styles. That is definitely ok, but do you know how to identify which style inspires you the most? When I ask clients what their design style is, about 90% of them look at me like they just locked their keys in the car. They have no idea, which is probably why they’ve hired me. Before we can ever start the decorating process, that style has to be pinpointed, or at least narrowed down. Defining your style is a personal process. There are so many different styles, but a few that are fairly popular right now are the following: Industrial, Farmhouse, Scandanavian, Nautical/Coastal, Urban and Mid-Century Modern, and Bohemian. I’m frequently asked what my style is. Though I love pieces and concepts from each style, I’d say my favorite is a combination of two styles: Industrial and Farmhouse. I love the raw beauty of Industrial and the comfort and timelessness of Farmhouse. So, back to my question, with all of the different styles out there, how does one identify which style they’re inspired by the most?
Do I have any Pinterest fans out there? If you’re not a Pinner, you must give it a shot. The best way to help my clients figure out their style is to create a collaborative Pinterest board. I create a board, and based on our consultation and their needs, I start pinning. I’ll then invite my client to join in on the fun. They can pin what they like; it gives them a way to communicate their style visually and gives me a better idea about what they really want. We can also add notes to the pins as occasionally I will pin something that I only like a certain portion of. The notes could look like this: Check out that lamp!, or Love the pillows on that sofa., What do you think about those curtains?, or The colors used in this living room are awesome. The client can reply to my comments, and we can delete what they hate and add more of what they love. Those pins will eventually evolve into a style.
You can also create similar “boards” on Houzz.com, and some sites will now let you put entire rooms together with items you’ve shopped for on their site that are available for purchase. You can see what your space will look like with different styles before you commit to buying.
Pinterest and other sites are a great route to take, but for some it might be overwhelming. Good news! There is another way to pin point your style (see what I did there…pin point?). What about an online quiz? There are so many out there right now. Some of them are tied to specific design groups that will only give your results after you give them your email address or set up a consult. CURBLY recently posted: 10 Online Interior Style Quizzes That Are Actually Worth Your Time(www.curbly.com). The author has taken each of these quizzes and she has written a review of them. I took a few quizzes myself and the results were fairly accurate.
Deciding what style you lean toward may seem daunting at first, but once you tack it down, choosing colors, purchasing décor and decorating can begin. And, that’s the fun stuff! You have the tools now. Go create that board, pin that stuff, check out those sites and take those quizzes. You can set forth on your style discovering journey with confidence and excitement. You got this!
