The other day Bruce was reading an article that had popped up in his feed about determining your decorating style. His feed is full of stuff like this since meeting me. Oh well. I blame Alexa. She’s listening, you know? LOL. But I digress. The article prompted Bruce to ask the question: why is determining your decorating style even necessary? Well, it isn’t essential like oxygen is, but it sure as heck makes designing the rooms in your home a lot easier. It makes your house more cohesive. And determining your decorating style should make you love your house even more. So here are some of thoughts…
Take Time Determining Your Decorating Style
Determining your decorating style is a struggle for a lot of people. They don’t have interior design confidence or they are afraid to try and fail. And for most people they want it done, preferably yesterday. However, I firmly believe that finding your interior design style takes time. And you really should take it. You need time to research what you might like, search for inspiration and to visualize. The best advice I can give about determining your decorating style is to relax and take your time. Determining your design style and creating beautiful spaces will be well worth the wait. For some people, myself included, it’s taken half a lifetime.
Let The House Help You Determine Your Decorating Style
Different homes require different decorating styles. It’s that simple. A mid-century rancher may not be he best place for Victorian furniture. A Cape Cod house my not work with ultra-modern pieces. The house talks. You need to listen.
And when you move, you may have to start all over. When we moved from my condo to the house Bruce and I bought together in 2025, our decorating style changed with our address. We went from a completely coastal look to one that’s way more classic. The condo had clean lines and a contemporary feel, so the coastal thing worked. The “new” house is over 100 years old and full of built-ins and hardwood floors, so classic (with a coastal edge, mind you) just works better. This change did not happen overnight however. We took our time, lived with the things we both owned, and got used to our space.
Embrace Mistakes
Nobody gets everything right all the time. The same can be said for determining your decorating style. If you’re too afraid to make mistakes you will either listen to the wrong people and end up with their style rather than yours. Or conversely, you’ll end up devoid of a design style at all. It’s your house and your wallet, so take some chances on things that appeal to you. If you like orange, paint it orange. You can always paint it over. And if you buy a piece and it doesn’t work in the living room, you’ve got a bunch of other rooms, right?
Insider Tip: Consignment and thrift shops, like Consignments Ltd. give you a little more freedom in the mistakes department. Because items are priced so reasonably, a purchase “error” doesn’t hurt quite as much. And remember, mistakes are also great things to consign. Because your misstep can be someone else’s treasure, and you recover a little of your cash in the process.
Enjoy the Journey
It’s your house. Everywhere you look should make you happy. So that’s why Bruce’s question is important. Determining your decorating style is necessary to help your house give you the most joy it can. The journey to determining your decorating style should be just as enjoyable. And for more topics to help you on that journey, check out my previous blogs like: Common Decorating Mistakes and Tips For Decorating an Old House.
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