Finding Your Style

Okay. So when it comes to designing, you think you have “a creative block.” Or you simply say you were absent the day the “creative design gene” was given out to people. Never fear! I am confident that with a little guidance, you can overcome these preconceptions. Your inner designer is there, waiting to be discovered. We just need to unearth it. Identifying your style is the first step in the design process.

Inspiration for your personal design style can come from every aspect of your life and the world around you. Think of your childhood. What are the memories you treasure the most? Was it the early morning foggy beaches at the vacation house during the summer? The wintry afternoons in the Rockies, skiing with your family? The lively and very expressive colors you encountered while on a summer vacation with a few friends to Mexico? The cobblestone streets in Tuscany, where you walked with the handsome guy you met on the train who became your boyfriend for a while?

Once you’ve assembled memories you cherish, ask yourself what the qualities of each experience were, that cause it to resonate in your memory. Was it the timeless, carefree, serene sight and sound of the water rushing at your feet? The coziness you felt in front of a fire after a long day on the slopes? Consider all five of your senses when trying to define details that still move you. Whatever you saw, heard, smelled—and last, but very importantly, touched—are all important factors in determining the design tastes that will have meaning for you now. Sights, sounds, scents, and textures are the basic components from which we can build your personal design style.

Other sources from which to draw inspiration are your hobbies, talents and skills, current favorite colors and textures, or your current lifestyle. Are you good at making things with your hands? You may want to surround yourself with handmade objects and furniture. Are you an athlete? You may want your surroundings to be extremely functional and industrial, to support your training and equipment. Do you like to wear red? Do you only buy clothes made out of natural fibers? The colors and textures in your interiors can either reflect or complement these tastes. Do you live near the beach and spend a lot of time outside? You may want a casual, easy environment that continues the sense of relaxation you get from the oceanfront.