Define Your Style, Find Inspiration, and Create Your Design "North Star"
Finding inspiration for your design project can be a whole lot of fun - after all, what’s better than daydreaming about having a home that looks like the ones you’ve been admiring online (or in person!)?
It’s important to have a good sense of your style to guide you as you design your rooms. For most, their style doesn’t fit squarely into one category like “coastal” or “modern,” but rather is a blend of several. Mixing different styles in your home is actually a wonderful thing - it creates a unique, collected home that is true to your style. I want you to embrace that! And more important than being able to name the style is to be able to show someone (or yourself!) your style. That’s where those inspiration photos come in!
The challenge when you’re first getting started though is where to look.
My suggestion? Start with Pinterest, but go at it with a plan. It’s hard not to get distracted by all the pretty things it throws at you! It’s important to figure out what you truly love, and then you can block out everything else.
How to use Pinterest strategically
If you’re a design lover, I bet you’ve used Pinterest before, and you probably already have a home design board (or a few!). Use them strategically to start honing in on what you love specifically about different rooms and images.
I’d encourage you to start fresh with a brand new board so you can determine what you’re loving right now. Definitely use the Pins you already have as a starting point though! Go with your gut here - if you see an image you love, Pin it. Then, once you have a board full of rooms, pieces of furniture and decor, and vignettes you love, go back and analyze what you love about them. You’ll start to see some common themes. Grab a notebook and write down what notice.
For example, take this girl’s bathroom Pinterest board I created:
As I look at these pins, I see a light color palette (varying shades of whites and neutrals with a dash of color in either blue or green), a modern cottage vibe, and various floral elements. The metal finishes I was drawn to were brass and polished nickel. It feels feminine and classic overall. Are you picking up on these common themes?
As you do this exercise with a bunch of Pins, you’ll start to notice patterns of what you like. You’ll probably find that you’re drawn to bits and pieces of several styles over and over again. THAT, my friend, is helping you define your style!
Use those common themes to come up with a single list of characteristics for the look of your ideal home or the specific room you’re working on.
Now that you’ve seen what you like and taken notes, make a master list of what you want your home to look and feel like using words. You can definitely name some styles, but what I really want you to do is focus on specific characteristics like:
Color palette
Patterns (especially in textiles like rugs, pillows, linens, etc.)
Textures
Particular repeated styles
Metal finishes (brass, nickel, black, etc.)
Wood tones
“Feel” (calm vs. energetic, minimalist vs. maximalist, etc.)
Keep that list of characteristics handy, because it, along with your home’s Pinterest board, are going to become your home’s “North Star.”
You’ll want to refer to that over and over again whenever you start designing a new space or want to purchase something for your house. I’d even encourage you to make that list digital and store it in your phone so you’ll always have it with you. Whenever you’re ready to make hit “buy,” think to yourself, “Does this piece fits that list and match up with my inspiration photos?” If the answers are yes and yes, that one’s a go!
