Finding your home deco style is a process that can be very tough and tedious. When I visit my friends & family, their homes feel so stylish and complete that I dread inviting them over to my place. All those new trends that everyone jumps on don’t really help either. While ideas may be flowing, using them and adding your personal touch to them is a challenge. To help with this, we’re sharing useful tips from professionals that will help guide you in finding your home deco style.
First, we’ll share 4 ways that will help determine what your style actually is. After that, we’ll share 10 tips on how to take that favorite style of yours and transfer it to your home.
Find my decorating style
Before we start, it’s important to know that being interested in multiple styles is totally okay. You can mix and match multiple styles in your home and still get the result that fits you and your family best. With that out of the way, let’s get started.
Take some interior quizzes
There are plenty of fun online quizzes that are there to help you find your decorating style. Don’t stick with just one, but go out and take multiple to see how it compares. If the results are similar, you can assume you’re on the right track. Besides home decoration quizzes, also consider taking some quizzes that center around personality types. This doesn’t just give you a better understanding of yourself, it will also help you figure out what’s important to you and how you react to certain things. It can be surprising to see how much of that translates to your style.
Browse through magazines
Another way that helps with discovering your decor style is to stack up every home interior magazine that’s out there and read through them one by one to see which style matches your taste. Browsing through webshops and looking at furniture doesn’t really help unless you see it in the right setting. These magazines will often elaborate on every detail so you know exactly what to take into consideration. You can also grab a pair of scissors and use your favorite images in an even more useful way. More on that later.
Continue your search for inspiration online
You’re probably aware of the fact that social media is one of the biggest sources of content for pretty much anything. Searching on social media has helped me find my decorating style. Especially Pinterest is a great tool for collecting all sorts of home interior images that will help you nail down your style. You can look for furniture styles, colors that you like, and fun accessories that you want to see in your own home. If you find something, you can easily add it to your Pinterest board. This is the place where you collect, save, and organize your favorite images. You can do this on one board, or create multiple boards for each room in your house. Besides Pinterest, platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook are good alternatives. Especially if you are more interested in video content, Instagram and TikTok is the place to go.
Take a look inside your closet
The final way to help find your home decor style is by taking a look inside your closet. Open it up and take a good thorough look at your favorite pieces of clothing. Do you see similarities? Pay close attention to the colors and textures. If you notice your clothes are fairly neutral without a lot of vibrant colors, you might want to go for a more neutral decorating style. If you like to add some color to your wardrobe, it might be a good idea to use these elements for your interior styling as well.
What to do when I find my decorating style?
Well, first of all, congratulations! It isn’t easy to figure out how you want to decorate your house. The question now is, how am I going to transfer my ideas into an actual interior style that fits me and my family? Don’t worry, we have another ten tips for you that will help you decorate your home just the way you want.
Don’t be afraid to change things
This might sound contradicting after just talking about finding your decorating style. When trying to convert your taste into actual furniture and decoration, it’s a matter of trial and error. You try and match some things, and change around whatever you don’t like. Therefore, buying accessories or furniture that is very expensive right away might not be the best plan. You can further change and adjust your decorating style as you learn. After all, your taste and family situation will change as you evolve.
Create a mood board
This is the place to use those cutout magazine images from earlier. Creating a mood board is something that can help a lot. Mood boards can prevent someone from misreading your expectations, especially if it’s hard for you to put into words what it is that you like. Creating mood boards allows you to collect thoughts, ideas, color schemes, and moods, all on one board which will bring lots of visual clarity. After all, your brain processes visuals much better. Just look at it as putting together a puzzle.
Do some shopping in your own house
This is a very creative way to make some changes to your home interior. Reusing old curtains, paint, and other accessories that would otherwise lay around in your attic or garage can completely refresh a room in your house. go and hunt for stuff that is still in good enough shape to use in your home, as it may be perfect for another than you initially bought it for.
Think about your family's needs
The way you end up styling your house also depends on your at-home situation. Are you living on your own and having all the space to yourself, or are you married and have 3 kids who are professionals when it comes to drawing on the walls and furniture? Whatever the answer is, make sure to consider this. Going for a small couch when you have a partner and 3 kids might not be the best thing to do. If you’re by yourself, perhaps you can turn one of the smaller bedrooms into a home office that you can design entirely to your liking. Go with your home situation and style it around that.
Adding some color through paint can make a difference
Never underestimate the impact of paint on your interior. It is a fairly cheap and practical way of changing your home yourself. You can pretty much paint anything. Think about your walls, cabinets, furniture, or even adding a kitchen backsplash, paint is the answer to all of it. It can bring a whole new dimension to a room without putting in too much effort or spending more than your budget allows for.
Add some personal touches
We are personally a big fan of adding some personal touches to your interior design. It makes your house feel more like home. With so many of us spending more time at home in the last couple of years, it’s even more important to make the space truly your own. It gives a sense of connection with your home that can’t be replicated anywhere else. If you don’t have any particular pieces that resonate, or if you’re looking for something unique, we would consider adding some custom soundwave art to your home. It represents what’s truly special in your life, and therefore deserves a spot on your wall.
Don’t go furniture shopping right away
Finding your home decor style shouldn’t be followed by buying out entire furniture stores to redecorate your entire home. Especially for those that are on tight budgets. Before you throw away your current furniture, think of ways to change it up so it works with the new style you envision. Is it something that can be painted, or does it look better if I rearrange the layout of the room? Perhaps you can buy some cheaper elements that will totally change its look. Think of creative ways to switch things up. If it does not work, you can also take a look at flea markets, consignment stores, craigslist, or even yard sales.
Use your friends’ homes as a source of inspiration
We all have that friend or family member who has a house that just amazes us. My brother has many rooms in his house that I love. The design is so clean and it represents him in the best possible way. Think about these homes. Use it as inspiration and think about the reason it inspires you and makes you want to stay there. Write down certain elements that do it for you and try to transfer them into something that will fit your decorating style.
Go out touring model homes for a day
If you just can’t seem to get your home decor style together, you should go out and find some inspiration elsewhere. Touring model homes is something that can really help with getting ideas on how to decorate your home. You can go through each room imagining how it would fit your own house. If something puts you off right away, you can just mark it down as a no and move on to the next home. Don’t forget to take photos when you do see something you like, as it will be a great addition to any mood board you have created.
Scroll through your favorite blog
Blogs are often filled with high-quality content. When you’re getting tired of scrolling through social media for images, think of some of your favorite interior design bloggers and see how they styled their homes. What do you like about it? Are you attracted to the furniture? The colors? The layout? Study their design and use it as inspiration for your own home.
Before hiring a professional, we encourage you to try it out yourself. After all, to find your home decor style you have to take a look at your personal situation and interests and use that as inspiration. When I found my decorating style, I knew it would take some time to change my home to have it represent me. Slowly adding color, accessories, and custom soundwave art is how I will turn my home into a place where I feel inspired and happy. A home I will proudly welcome my family and friends into. We hope these tips help you do the same!
