The study was strictly traditional:
The upstairs bathroom was a bit whimsical:
I had just began reading home décor blogs when we moved in this house. This made things even more confusing! I had become inundated with so many beautiful spaces of all different styles. At this point, I began making more decorating mistakes! I would decorate a room & then hate it! I felt clueless & frustrated.
At this point, I realized I needed to put a little more thought into what I liked, décor wise. I began pinning images of rooms that I loved. Occasionally, I would go through my Pinterest boards & delete anything that I didn’t like. I studied my favorite rooms & noticed some similarities. Based on those, I realized that I am still pretty traditional at heart, but with a modern twist. I appreciate clean lines & neutral colored walls & upholstered furniture. I like cheerful pops of color, but prefer them in accessories rather than on the walls. I like classic finishes that will stand the test of time. Knowing these things has really helped clear up my décor confusion.
To prevent any more design confusion, I also stopped following some home décor blogs that didn’t fit my new found taste. I felt pretty bad about doing so, but I realized it needed to happen if I wanted to own my style.
Now that I have a pretty good grasp on what I like, I can ask my self questions before buying furniture or redecorating a room to ensure that I stick with my style. For instance, if I am getting ready to purchase a piece of furniture, I can ask myself: Does it have clean lines? Is it a classic style? Making sure the décor choices fit my style will help eliminate most of my decorating mistakes.
When I finally felt like I had it all figured out, I began making changes to our house to reflect my new found style.
If you are struggling to find your style, I recommend you go through magazines or browse the internet for rooms whose style you love. Study the rooms closely to find similarities. Ask yourself questions like:
What is the overall style of these rooms? (Traditional, Modern, Eclectic, Contemporary, etc.)
How is color used in these spaces?
What types of finishes are used in these rooms?
Once you have answered these questions, it should give you a pretty good idea of things you like. Make notes about what you like about each space, & remove any spaces that don’t fit your style. Whenever you are in doubt about whether something fits your décor style, go back through these images & your notes, & see if it fits.
I am definitely not an expert, but I felt that I would share how I came to understand my personal decor preferences. I would love to know if you found these suggestions helpful or if you have other ways to help interpret your style. Let me know!
