Your home is your castle, your oasis, your safe place.  It’s important that your home be a reflection of you and your family.  It is a culmination of your likes, personal taste, family memories.  And it needs to work for you and your lifestyle.  You may have one preferred design style, or a combination of styles.

If you’re not sure what your preferred style is, there are steps you can take on your own to discover your ideal design style or we can work together to create your ideal aesthetic.

1. How to Get Design Inspiration for Your Own Home

It all starts with inspiration.  You may have an idea of what you want, but still quite not know how to put it all together, and that’s okay.  Get inspired by collecting inspirational images, and you will be able to pull it together.

This is the fun part!  Start by collecting pictures of homes, interiors, design styles you like.  Pinterest is a personal favourite of mine.  Clipping magazine pictures or Google are great options too.  Go to town and save images to your heart’s content WITHOUT thinking why you like the space.  Follow your gut.

2. How to Find Your Design Themes

Once you’re done your clipping, saving or pinning, you need to go through it all to find common design themes.  I recommend creating separate boards or folders to organize them.  If we work together I will help you do this before creating a design concept.  By this point you will begin to have a better understanding of your preferences.  Is there a gorgeous rug in every space? Dramatic drapery? Moody hues? Modern edges?

Great! By now you have got a firm handle on what you like, but we’re not done yet.  Now you need to make a list of specific design elements you DON’T like.  Have you ever looked at something and know there is something you don’t like, but not sure what it is? While it may seem counterproductive, search Pinterest and pin design styles you don’t like.  From there you should be able to find the common thread.

3. How to Make Interior Design Unique to You

We can now use the design details you love and begin to create an aesthetic and space that is all your own!  Before we do though, we need to factor in what you already have that you can use.  Once that’s done, then we can create a shopping list.

We’re still not done. There’s more. You will need to consider the function of the room, but also how you want to feel. The desired functions and feeling will influence how the aesthetic is expressed in your home.  Also, the colours you choose will affect this as well.  If you want to relax in a calm space then bright bold colours do not lend themselves to a calm relaxing environment. Instead, you will feel unsettled and not at all relaxed.

It’s time to explore and begin to create your dream space.  Remember it’s okay to think outside the box as this is all about creating a design and aesthetic you will love!  If you’re still not sure, we would love to help you discover your ideal design style!

Have a question about this process? Ask away in the comments below…

Until next time,