What is your design personality?
I have found throughout my years of being an interior designer here in Victoria, that many people do not know what their design aesthetic is. I find I spend much of my time determining what speaks to my clients and then how to help them create that for their home.
A bedroom with touch of traditional. Image: Spacejoy, Unsplash
Why is it helpful to know your design aesthetic? For one thing it will save you money in the long run. So often as we are about town we may see an item that we love. Very often it is on sale (!) and we think it will be perfect for that certain spot at home. We bring it home and “uh oh”, it doesn’t quite work. And now we can’t return it because it was on sale and not only are we back to square one but we are probably frustrated and maybe annoyed we spent money unnecessarily. So how can this be prevented? When we have a clear vision of the direction we want to take our home and what that vision encompasses we will be much less likely to be swayed by impulse buys or sale items.
HAVING A DESIGN PLAN
Another way it will help is it will decrease all the visual stimuli on your shopping trips. I find when I go into a store such as Pottery Barn or West Elm, I can get taken in with all the beautiful displays around me. If I go in with a plan, I can appreciate that I like these displays but am much less likely to be swayed by them. Having a plan will help you stay focused on the job at hand.
A slightly more modern approach with great textures. Image: R Architecture, Unsplash
HOW DO YOU WANT YOUR SPACE TO FEEL?
How do you go about defining your style? One thing I find is if we can verbalize how we want a space to feel it will really help guide you. For example, let’s say you want an energetic space for a family room. I will take a lot of cues from that one word, energetic. It will tell me that it will likely be an active place where many different activities occur. This will help dictate colours, texture, fabric choices and finishes. Starting with the word energetic will tell me right from the get go to choose more high energy colours such as reds, oranges and yellows. I would likely choose more durable fabrics such as cottons with pattern to help hide the sins of spills and crumbs that can happen in an active space. It will tell me to use heavier fabrics also.
A splash of colour, Image: Kam Idris
COLOUR, TEXTURE AND FABRICS
If you told me you wanted the space to be calm and peaceful, my choices in colour, texture and fabrics would likely be very different. I would likely choose greens and blues and could use more delicate fabrics and may not want as much pattern in the room. What I am hoping this will demonstrate is, if you can come up with a few words to describe the feel of the room you are designing then it will really help you.
Using colour and textures to create the right feel, Image: Sandra Rei
Is there a style or pattern you are drawn to?
It can be a great idea to gather images (Pinterest or Houzz or Instagram) and brainstorm with these images. What catches your attention? I think if you start pulling images you will start to see there is a pattern to what you are drawn to. After a bit of evaluation or analysis of the images you pinned you may start to see a common thread and if you don’t, I usually can so we can discuss it and I can show you the common threads.
Pinning or looking at other images is a great way to discover your design aesthetic. Once you have successfully nailed down your personal aesthetic, then it narrows down so many decisions as you go about you next project. If you know you want a calm and relaxing room, you can dismiss all the bright colours that could cloud your vision.
Next time you are stuck on a room design, try collecting images and see if you can come up with the common thread to help narrow down your style. If you have trouble, BHD is only a phone call or an email away!
Good luck and happy designing!
